Moss Motors, Ltd

I am trying to set the timing on my '53 and find the distributor stuck in place.  There is no bracket under the distributor as shown in the book but there is a threaded bolt coming from inside the engine near the distributor shaft.  I removed the nut and can move the bolt but not remove it.  The distributor refuses to budge either in a circular motion or an up motion.  Any Help is appreciated.

If you have what I think you have, that "bolt" will not come out until the distributor comes out. Really, it's just a stud with a "bite" taken out of it half way down its shank. That "bite" has the radius of the distributor shaft housing. When you tighten the nut, you jamb that cutout against the distributor to clamp it in place once the adjustment is made.

Since you have taken off the nut and still can't move the distributor, I'd say there is corrosion involved. Spray a little penetrating oil at the stud entrance into the block and around the base of the distributor where it enters the block. Now, take a plastic hammer and tap gently right on the end of that stud. This should free up the distributor. Don't try to pull the distributor out at first. Get it to rotate. Then gently lift and rotate. It could take a while if there is corrosion between the body and the bore in the block, but you'll get it. Once the distributor is out (note the position of the rotor and the relative position of the distributor body!!) (It's best to put the engine at TDC #1), you'll easily be able to withdraw the clamping stud. Clean everything, and use just a dab of anti-sieze when reassembling. Enjoy

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Motorbill
From Lola to Land Rover, If it's British and has wheels, it's likely I've bloodied me knuckles thereupon

With the nut removed the Cotter bolt moves freely in and out (Slight movements) but the distributor body will not budge.  I have used a freeing liquid and tapped on and around the shaft but it will not budge.  I see the schematic showing bushings between the block and distributor housing and just wonder if the distributor should turn or if there is some other way of setting the timeing.  I think my TF has the locking ring which can be loosened and the distributor rotated for timeing adjustments and I feel sure the TD should work the same I just don't know how forceful I should be.

Also, Thanks many times for the help you have given me in the past when I was working on the TF. Someday I will bring you up to date on that project.

 

 

There are no bushings which assist in the rotation of the distributor. It simply rotates in the bore in the block. Since it is aluminum and the block is cast iron, an electrolytic reaction is sometimes known to set itself up. I once had this hapen to an almost new Rover 2000TC of mine and thought I'd have to dynamite the distributor to get it to move. Persistence is the answer here, I'm sure. Keep twisting, and consider applying a little heat as well. You'll get it.

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Motorbill
From Lola to Land Rover, If it's British and has wheels, it's likely I've bloodied me knuckles thereupon

Don - Your TF should have the same arrangement as your TD has unless someone has replaced the engine with a much earlier one.  Motor Bill correct about what needs to be done, but I would add one caution,  don't apply a lot of force via the bowl of the distributor.  The bowl is just an interference fit on the main shaft housing of the distributor and applying too much force can loosen the bowl.  This, of course adds another degree of difficulty to getting the distributor loose, but forewarned is forearmed.

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Cheers,
Dave
http://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/

True enough. If you aren't somewhat gentle you'll break the bowl off. Then again, once that happens, you can use a pipe wrench on what's left!!! (not, I hope)

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Motorbill
From Lola to Land Rover, If it's British and has wheels, it's likely I've bloodied me knuckles thereupon

Moving this distributor is not possible for me.  I think I will search for a bona fide British car mechanic in this area and let him do the grunt work. The nut is loose, the pin moves freely back and forth, but the distributor will not budge. I have shot nut and bold free chemicals on the shaft for four days and still nothing.  I give up!!

Thanks for all your enlightening information.

 

Don

Don - At this point, I would suggest that unless the timing is causing severe drivability problems, leave it the way is is and drive the car and enjoy it until such a time as you have to do some major engine work.  About the only way that you are going to get that distributor loose is from inside the engine where you can spray penetrating oil on the shaft housing and apply heat to the block around the shaft housing while tapping on the drive gear to try and break the whole thing loose.  There's not a whole lot you can do from the outside that you haven't already done that on't damage the distributor.

 

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Cheers,
Dave
http://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/

What is the current timing setting?   If it's anywhere between TDC and 2 degrees BTDC (plus an additional degree for every 1000' above sealevel), your XPAG should be happy.   One degree is about 1/32" along the pulley rim ...

I am guessing it is within the 2 degrees BTC.  I am working on the brakes now so I can't take it for a test drive but it idles and advances OK without an engine load. Again, Thanks

Don,

You can go to 4 or 5 BTDC with no problem. Just listen for pinging. If there is any, back off a degree or two.

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Motorbill
From Lola to Land Rover, If it's British and has wheels, it's likely I've bloodied me knuckles thereupon

I took your advice and after useing a voltmeter I determined that with #1 at TDC when the voltage changed the mark on the flywheel was about 1/4 a turn (a couple of inches from the pointer matching the notch) after dead center.  I turned the engine several times and realigned # 1 to TDC to make sure I had the firing valve insted of the exhaust.  The engine runs well, sounds great, and I only have two possible problems with the timing.  First, I get a backfire when I start the engine cold.  A warm engine fires up immediately and no backfireing.  Second, when I road tested the car it seemed to run well until I need power.  It is lacking power. Any ideas? I have not checked toe compression but I recall the last time they were all fairly together.

A couple of my thoughts... When I bought the car the guy said he had restored it and I have done nothing but drive it for many years and it never was very powerful. It may be OK but after driving my TF 1500 for the past year I may expect too much out of the 1250.  Also, his restoration as far as bodywork was deficient and I wonder if he may have installed the flywheel without noticeing the position of the notch.  Can the wheel be installed improperly?

Thanks Again,

 

Don77066

Well, no one has ever suffered whiplash from the snap acceleration of the mighty XPAG.  Some people say to notice any acceleration, it helps to be heading downhill with a bit of tailwind.  "Leisurely" and "glacial" are terms that come to mind when discussing TD performance.  It does make nice MG noises, however ...

I'm at a loss on the timing situation.  Did you note the crankshaft pulley notch location when the voltmeter went from 12 volts (points closed) to 0 volts (points open)?  Is the distributor rotor pointing to the vicinity of the #1 spark plug post on the dist. cap?  The flywheel has no significance in regards to the timing action.  The crankshaft pulley is located on the crankshaft by a keyway and is not adjustable.  That assumes the correct pulley is installed.  If you remove the valve cover, when you rotate the engine you can easily observe when both the #1 cylinder intake and exhaust valves are closed as the piston reaches TDC and the firing stroke begins.

Sorry, I said flywheel when I realy meant crankshaft pulley.  I did have the valve cover removed and observed the valves. The location of the pulley notch is well beyond tdc when the volt meter ( or test light which I also tried) changes voltage. The location of the rotor is in the vecinity of # 1 but is more on a line parallel to the horizonal engine plane. (About 1/4 turn beyon pointing directly to # 1)

Remember, I can not free the distributor from the block in order to adjust.

Thanks Again,

 

Don77066

 

Finally I solved the problem.  Thanks a gazillion to all who helped .

My method ( after a couple months of procastinating) of freeing the distributor was to use the heat from the engine.  I removed almost a gallon of water and started the enging.  While checking the temp guage I used a pair of channel locks to free the distributor.  After all this I then found out that the crankshaft pulley did not have a timeing notch so I used my ears to set the timeing.  I was lucky and got it to running the best It has run in the past 15 years.  Again, THANKS TO ALL