Dear members of the classics,

I have a problem with my engine of my serial 2 3,4 litre xj6. When I set the static timing to 4 degrees BTDC , the engine will not run at all. When I set the timining way earlier the engine run okay. But when the engine heats up it will stop after 10 minutes.

At idle normally the timing will be advanced because of the leaner mixture.

Do I have to first adjust my carbs to a richer mixture to get the right timing.

Or is there anybody who can give me some tips and tricks

Best regards

 

My suggestion:

Get that engine at TDC (Top Dead Centre) Compression stroke on #1 cylinder. \\Remeber, #1 cyl is at the rear, no idea, it just is.

Turn the engine by hand,CLOCKWISE ONLY as looking at the FRONT of the engine. With your thumb over #1 pug hole, and when you feel the air exiting past your thumb, you are on the compression stroke.

Take a wire probe (opened out wire coathanger is good), poke it down the plug hole, continue turning SLOWLY, and when the wire STOPS rising, you are AT TDC Compression Stroke, or close enough for the next step.

Remove the distributor cap, look at the position the rotor is pointing, and transpose that to the HT (spark plug) lead point IN the cap, and ensure that #1 HT lead is in fact plugged into that position, then ANTI CLOCKWISE around the cap, 5,3 6,2,4, ending back at 1 which you already have in place.

That will START the engine, and you can move the distributor Clockwise (looking at the top) until the engine "sweetens" out, job done.

Altering carby mixture etc has NO effect on timing. That will need to be done after the timing to "sweeten" that engine a tad more.

Timing lights ONLY work IF all the marks are as made waaay back, and then can be deceiving. I ear time them, have done so since 1968, and no issues so far.

My bet from down here, is the HT leads are out of phase. As long as #1 is the CORRECT post in the cap to relate to where the rotor point is pointing after the TDC setting, it will run.

 

Very precise and the best way home. AKA back to basics.

Now, check the position of the pointer in reference to the mark on the engine front pulley. Way off 4 - 17 degrees BTDC!!! Pointer bent or dampener bond failing.

 

Thank you all for the quick response. The timinig is much better now when I did it the classic way. Just use my ears. But now I have a new problem. The car runs really smooth and starts immediately even when its freezing outside. But when the car is heating up the engine stops after about 15 minutes idle. The oil pressure drops from 40 to 20 on the indicator.
The bobine is not warm. Hopefully you have some extra tips and tricks for me.

 

Goodo.

After that amount of running my thought are:

1) Fuel tank/s not venting, so a vac inside preventing fuel supply TO the pump, and the carby bowls have drained. Simply pop the cap on the tank you are using, and see if there is a change.

2) Fuel pump relay earth oil pressure switch is AWOL when oil pressure drops as it heats at idle revs. That switch on my S2 cars was in the oi gallery, RH side of the engine, forward of the oil filter housing and just prior to the steer pump mount bracket. They are rubbish at best. They are meant to kill earth to that relay, thus stopping the pup, when pressure gets below about 6PSI. I earth that wire of that switch anywhere convenient, and REMEMBER when you do this the pump will run whenever the Ign is ON, so CARE must be observed.

3) Ign coil is dying. When it stops next time, reach down and "feel" that coil. If its HOT, there is your problem. They will cut out when overheated. Age, wrong coil, etc, could be the root cause.