My 1200 sss won't run unless the timing is WAY too advanced (about 30 - 40 degrees BTDC). I've checked and rechecked the mechanical timing. Any ideas what it could be?

CM

The A15 in my 1000 is like that. I have absolutly no idea what it is! Me and my old man (both mechanics) have gone though and checked everything but its all ok. I just run it there and havnt had any adverse effects.

you checked obvious things like the dizzy not having shifted a few teeth from where it should be, and that the valve timing is correct?

not really that many things that can make the timing that far off.

how did you even get it to 40 degrees?

Of course, the simple thing to do would be to find true TDC in No. 1 cylinder, then mark the pulley against the timing indicator, wait for the little dab of white paint to dry & try again.

I wonder if a different pulley from another version of the engine was used. Sometimes different engines use different setups & this can lead to a false TDC indication.

In reality, the timing will be fine when it's running right, it's the markings that will be messed up either at the distributor or at the pulley. [or both]

Thats the conclusion me and my old man came up with. And mine being a A15 it could have been out of a number of differnt cars with different componants. I would like to know what motor had the differnt timing marks then!

Yeah my old worked a12, that Mike now has is like that. I couldnt advance the timing enough! I even shifted it forward a tooth to allow for more advance! It never pinged or complained, and went better every time I advanced it!
I came to the same conclusion, That pullys/dizzys had been swaped around at some point from somthing else.

I just adjusted the timing till it was happy and ignored the markings.

Mike you are gonna love that engine. I think I miss it already!!

Timing marks should either be on the Cover, or on the pully.

If you use the older pully with the newer cover, then you could get really weird readings:




Ignition Timing

A14/A15 and newer A12s should look like the 1973 type.

Mine is the '73 model. judging from these pics. Interesting that other people have had the same problem. I'd just run it with the huge advance if it went ok, but it doesn't run well - sounds like it's bogging and doesn't produce much power. Someone sent me the cam specs for the sss, so I'll put a protractor on it and see if it has the right cam.

CM

i was running a oil type GT40 coil, then switched to a gt40 not oil type, car wouldnt run unless i put the timing to -40

maybe thats what it is? Coz i have a GT40 in the wags.

Dizzys dont make a difference. I tryed my old points one and my elecy E15 one and both had the same massive advance.