regretting 1.6 conversion

[MudMuncher]

Hi everyone, thanks for all who replied to previous post. Since then, I have a bolted in 1.6 vit engine with an eBay special stage 1 upgraded clutch kit ( wouldn't advise purchasing due to poor manufacturing) fitted. A brand new 1.6 rad which leaks (another eBay spacial). And a few other more money than sense items (and I don't got much money, so whats that saying...)- please do excuse my attitude this evening, the reason for this is why I post.....

I cannot for the life of me get the engine running well, and believe it to be timing related, like it's out by half a tooth, however that works???

- I've fitted a brand new timing belt kit, and have ensured several times that I have fitted it correctly.
- I'm using 1.3 distributor, of which I have checked the generator assembly is working ok, and have again, several times, set and checked the ignition timing as best as possible.
- The SU is being used, with the BDL needle currently fitted, intentions to get a BFM.
- New leads, plugs dizzy cap and rotor is fitted, and have also tried the old just to see if any difference. None so new refitted.
- Coil has been tested too and is all good.

My problem seems to be that I require half a tooths adjustment on the timing. Can anyone relate to this mystery?

To try get it going better, I've played about with ignition timing, and even played about with the belt itself, but no matter how well and accurately it's set, always looks to be half a tooth out. Either one way or tother. DTI has been used to double check absolute TDC and like I say, double and triple checking has been carried out to try find what I'm doing wrong. Had the rocker cover off today to ensure valves are moving as they should be, and they seem good. The engine will fire up with a bit of messing about on the ignition timing but I cannot get it to run nicely, ie, will not pick up revs and is chucking out a great deal of unburnt fuel, ( dont put your bonnet in front of your home made side exit exuast when this happens).

So with this info, is anybody able to point me in the right direction to get to the bottom of this and start making some progess?

Unfortunately I know very little about the engine and its history, other than it apparantly done around 75,000 miles. I've had to braze the sump as had holes in it, and recall the vits' dizzy being set to quite an extreme when removed. Have had my brother with his advanced automotive engineering know how on it today with me, and its came to crying out for help still. He seems to think its firing at the wrong time with everything timing wise set correctly??? Could it be that I've set the timing as good as it gets and my issue is carb needle/fuel related? Should I have used the vits dizzy and never even removed it? Hell yes! I was a cheapskate and wanted to make use of spare leads and dizzy cap and rotor for 1.3. Is the low pressure facet type fuel pump the cause, either starving or overfuelling? the plugs dont look bad, but are a tad inconsistent between cylinders.

I do apologise for this long ass venting post, im sure I'll love it when she's working, if I can get her working...

[ROBBIE]

Has the dizzy been put in 180 degrees out?

[Anton]

Got pictures of the alignment? Got vids of the engine running/trying to run?

[ScottieJ]

How come you are running the 1.3 dizzy? I'm not sure but they might have different advance curves, the 1.3 cap, rotor and leads should be the same as the 1.6 ones anyway.

What is the timing set to? I find they run best around 10* Btdc, set at idle with the vac advance removed and blocked.

Might be worth doing a compression test on the engine if you haven't already.

Any chance of a video of what it's doing and a pic of how the SU carb is plumbed.

[Rhinoman]

I would also suggest a compression test and use a timing light to check ignition timing with the vacuum advance blocked off. Have you double checked the plug leads are all going to the correct cylinders?

[twiss]

Have you made sure the vacuum port on the carb is on the correct side of the butterfly? It is possible to get them running like this but it will give advance at idle and will run like crap. As rhino man says (sort of), when you did the timing did you block off the advance and reconnect it afterwards?
Should have suction at revs, not at idle. Can give some really weird engine running conditions if its wrong.
Otherwise, you should be able to adjust the timing 1/2 a tooth from the dizzy quite easily, I think when I was doing mine recentlly, the dizzy fully adjusted one way was about the same as moving to the next tooth and then aligning the dizzy in the middle

[MudMuncher]

Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate some more minds on it.
The dizzy is not out 180, everything returns to correct positions when engine is turned 2 rotations on crank. Yep using a timing light to set it aswell. Checking both on pulley at front and flywheel.
I'm running 1.3 dizzy and whatnot as had spare service parts, which I thought I'd use up, as the dizzy is slightly different. I counted teeth and checked the meshing of them, the distances to make sure it was in right place and bolted it on. I can bolt on the vit one again, but will need new cap and rotor for it. Has screws holding cap down on vit dizzy. I will go over and check differences again. Definitely going to do a compression test upon next visit, and I'll get some pics and vids. She's over the G-rents in the garage so wont be a few days til they're up yet, in finishing stages of moving house at mo too-all going on!
The vac advance, the port is modded and on inlet side of butterfly, and no I haven't timed it with it blocked, just removed. So this will be worth a try for sure to see if any difference occurs. The SU is fed by large 75mm dia hose going up to air filter on top of snorkel. I have had this connected and removed but not much difference between doing so.
Thanks again guys, I'll get some pics/vids up and will make some progress to getting to test drive stage. Hopefully. Oh and yep all plug leads are going to right cylinder, or the correct cylinder, they're not all going to number 4.

[ScottieJ]

Ah was the engine originally spi? If so you can't use the 1.6 dizzy, it should be fine with the 1.3 dizzy really.

Are you 100% sure it's not 180* out, with the firing sequence on these engines it's easy to set it up like that accidentally and the only way to check is to make sure that it's sparking on the compression stroke by either pulling a spark plug and turning it over by hand with a finger over the hole until it pushes on your finger or removing the rocker cover. Just looking at the pulley and rotor arm positions will not show that it's 180* out.

[MudMuncher]

Yeah I think so, had a carb on the inlet I removed but no mechanical fuel pump on the head. I got a low pressure facet type fuel pump which I have fitted. Plumbed straight into my SU I was running with the 1.3. I'm going to order up a service kit and a few needles for it, as I am sure sure that timing is ok, or as good as it can be set at this time. The dizzy, coil and plugs are all good, new leads on also. Compression test is slightly high, was getting around 190 PSI. Up about 20-30 psi on a wet test. Pretty sure everything is good, have checked it several times. Have also re-set valve clearances, a few weren't perfect. Is a bit of a head scratch, but I'm kinda thinking it can only be the fueling. It'll start, but almost flat out to keep it running and wont exceed 2 grand. Should I go for BDF needle, or go onto mintylamb to see which needle would suit me? Sorry I haven't managed to get any pics and vids up, its been put on the backbench due to doing too bloody much.
Will be a runner soon... it will... I hope.

[twiss]

BDL needle yellow spring
Look inside the carb while you gently rev it. The piston inside should go up at down with the throttle opening.
If it just shoots open then the spring definitely needs changing