Setting Igniton Timing Using Strobe

[hcmini1989 16]

right i have an mi16 running on ms and need help or advice on setting the ignition timing i have a gunson timing light .and im lost when it comes to the marks on the flywheel as i have a be4 gearbox there is 2 holes a little square one at the top of the box .and there is a big hole at the front of the box below where the starter bolts on

 

i have had a look at a haynes manual but cant really understand it .

 

so can i see the marks on the flywheel with out the strobe .do i need a special tool of some sort like a timing plate .sorry for this just this haynes is crap or i cant understand it

 

allso it doesnt run so im just doing it while its cranking

Edited December 29, 2009 by hcmini1989

[welshpug 1,657]

as far as I know no Be4 box has the slot for the timing plate (which is normally just above the starter motor), nor does a 60-2 toothed flywheel have the timing marks on it.

 

bit baffled as to why you'd use a timing light to set the timing of a mappable ecu, surely you just alter the map to set the ignition timing?

[hcmini1989 16]

as far as I know no Be4 box has the slot for the timing plate (which is normally just above the starter motor), nor does a 60-2 toothed flywheel have the timing marks on it.

 

bit baffled as to why you'd use a timing light to set the timing of a mappable ecu, surely you just alter the map to set the ignition timing?

 

cheers makes sense as you said there is no timing plate .on a be4 . i need to check the igntion timing so i know its somehwere near kust ruling out problems to see why it wont run ill mark it with some tipex at tdc on cylinder 1 then thanksm for help

[petert 587]

This may be of use, but if you have no hole you'll have to find TDC down the plug hole and manually put some marks on the harmonic balancer. The tapped holes in the side of the sump are useful for putting a bolt in, into which you can put a pin.

 

http://www.taylor-eng.com/xu9j4/finding_tdc.html

Edited December 29, 2009 by petert

[hcmini1989 16]

This may be of use, but if you have no hole you'll have to find TDC down the plug hole and manually put some marks on the harmonic balancer. The tapped holes in the side of the sump are useful for putting a bolt in, into which you can put a pin.

 

http://www.taylor-eng.com/xu9j4/finding_tdc.html

cheers ill have to screwdriver down the pulg hole i do have a hole but not there so ill mark the flywheel where my hole is and mark the block

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

cheers ill have to screwdriver down the pulg hole i do have a hole but not there so ill mark the flywheel where my hole is and mark the block

 

i had to find tdc on mine as the timing plate went walkabouts, i made a tool from an old spark plug with a bolt down the centre. you put the tool in plug 1 hole and then you then turn the crank both ways and mark both times it stops, then divide the marks in half and that is true tdc.

 

if you want some pics on how to make it let me know?

 

on megasquirt you need to check its actually firing at around 10degs btdc on cyl 1 and set the trigger angle accordingly whilst holding the spark at 10degs on cranking and not using the spark map. i found mine was way out as i had to mount the cas over a different tooth.

 

i marked the pulley at first to get tdc then made up a plate to go in the hole and marked that and the flywheel and 5degs marks either way on the plate

 

pm me mate if you need some pointers as i have been over this so many times.

 

btw what light you got? i got a draper one and it is poop and doesnt want to work with wasted spark (well it does when it feels like it)

[hcmini1989 16]

right abit of an update ive put some marks on the bottom pulley for tdc on cylinder 1 .got the timing light out cranked it over and the the light was`nt picking a signal up from the ht lead .so i unplugged the lead earthed it out on master cylinder its sparking there and now the gun works.

 

is this something to do with wasted spark or a badly earthed engine maybe or the coil not putting enough power out to push through the plugs resistance

 

any ideas thanks for any help

 

by the way pete its a gunson timing light cheap and cheerfull plus its easy to use unlike some snap on ones

Edited December 30, 2009 by hcmini1989

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

right abit of an update ive put some marks on the bottom pulley for tdc on cylinder 1 .got the timing light out cranked it over and the the light was`nt picking a signal up from the ht lead .so i unplugged the lead earthed it out on master cylinder its sparking there and now the gun works.

 

is this something to do with wasted spark or a badly earthed engine maybe or the coil not putting enough power out to push through the plugs resistance

 

any ideas thanks for any help

 

by the way pete its a gunson timing light cheap and cheerfull plus its easy to use unlike some snap on ones

 

thats the only way i can get my light to work with wasted spark. albeit sparking on the block. not sure if i'm using the wrong leads or not?

 

could well be resistance problem.

 

needs some investigating i think?

[hcmini1989 16]

thats the only way i can get my light to work with wasted spark. albeit sparking on the block. not sure if i'm using the wrong leads or not?

 

could well be resistance problem.

 

needs some investigating i think?

from what i can tell ht leads are ht leads if that makes sense i dont know if there are diffrent resistances etc etc.but i have been told its more than likely plugs fouling and i need to either get them glowing red or replace them.

 

check the resistances on your plugs if your having the same problem with the gun . do it from the top where the lead goes on and to the outer body on the plug .

they should read infinte ohms anything less and there fouled .

 

or just leave it .if it runs

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

i have had the plugs foul up a few times, mostly from flooding etc. on cold days.but even with the engine running the timing light still doesnt work?

 

i ran it up to temp today (no fan so i gotta be carefull) and took a log, ran the ve tuner in megalogviewer and loaded that msq and its running so much sweeter no backfiring or anything

 

need to sort out a idle valve at some point as it runs like a bag of crap until it gets warm.

 

just need to get it on the road and to a few higher load logs and hopefully she will be nearly there.

 

time to get some bits done for the mot i think.

 

with regards to plugs though i thought there were different types? with different resistances this could make a difference?

[hcmini1989 16]

ok ive changed the plugs and now the gun works with the ht lead on .

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

ok ive changed the plugs and now the gun works with the ht lead on .

 

what ones did you use? std mi16 ones

 

and did it fire up? my guess is no

[hcmini1989 16]

what ones did you use? std mi16 ones

 

and did it fire up? my guess is no

 

yeah standard mi ones .just a thought but what plugs are you using .as maybe with the gti6 having cop.they are special plugs so cant be used with a timing light .were as the mi16 ones might be the same as the 1.98v so can be used with a timing light .

 

no it didnt start sounds alot better though it poping throught the inlet now every time where as before it was only doing it every now and again ill check the timing with the gun later havnt had time yet.

 

plus i need to reload a good msq .as the one on it now has diffrent wheel dec settings as i was trying all sorts to see if it made a diffrence

 

allso pete do you need an idle valve is it the sad .if so you can have my old one

Edited December 31, 2009 by hcmini1989

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

i did read that somewhere i think, i'm not sure what others will work though?

 

with regards to the idle valve i think an mi one works and is not a stepper one, but even so at the moment my ms is not equipped to run an idle valve.

 

i'll let you know mate cheers

[hcmini1989 16]

got 5 minutes on it today and got it sorted .when it cut out fouled the plugs .i swaqpped the coil wires round to see if it`d backfire and forgot to change them back {t*t) thanks for all the help .

 

allso pete timing light is still abit intermittent works now and again whie on the plugs as i found out today

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

glad its running though liam, bit of a bellend mistake eh? but we've all been there.

 

time to get it tuned then