Timing mark help.

[Paolobuchberger]

Hello All,

After ten months have finally got the new twin carb engine for my Sprint together! Looks very pretty. Perhaps it will start Took pictures and will try and post once I figure out how!

Have a friend helping me who is quite a perfectionist and is unhappy about one aspect of the Haynes manual, workshop manuals etc as it relates to timing on my engine. The Haynes manual tells you to line up the "semi cicular mark" on the fly wheel with the mark on the back plate. However the fly wheel on the twin carb from a 33 (not sure what year but it had the larger valves in the head) has no semi circular mark. Neither does a second flywheel from a 33 engine from the same period. Both have a "T" which the haynes manual shows you in the diagram, as does the 33 workshop manual, albeit that it is describing a single carb.

The fly wheels also have a "I" and "II" mark on them. I assume the "T" is that correct mark when timing the cams?

All these manuals describe versions of the engines I dont hav!

Any suggestions very appreciated.

Cheers

Paolo

[alfavirusnz]

The T refers to TDC (top dead centre) and the I refers to static/idle speed-distributor vacuum pipe disconnected-ignition timing, The II is maximum advance. The Haynes manual in a supplement that I`ve seen in the later versions of the same manual does refer to these later timing marks. You must have a 1st edition where the subject car and photos referred to an early Alfasud.

Richard J

[Paolobuchberger]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for that. Yes mine is a reasonably early edition, though it does have the sprint supplement though not my sprint (series 1), the twin carb series 2.

We shall carry on and hope a valve does not emerge through the head

Paolo

[81Sprint]

So the TDC mark is the "T" I had the same issue with the haynes manual when I was doing the timing on mine and I assumed TDC was the small marker that is actually sticking out of the flywheel, I I think Ive done it wrong. Lucky the engine isnt in the car yet.

[spottie]

How far apart is the I & II mark from the T mark?. My 1.7 8V has only the TDC mark. There is a couple of lines that look like scratch marks and they are not straight more of an angled line. I put the base timing on one of the marks to see what it would do and it idled well but was down on power. Mark was approx 50mm along from TDC.

[Paolobuchberger]

The marks as described on both my fly wheels are pretty clearly marked, at least they are as clear as the "T". I'll measure the distances tomorrow and post it.

We had the same issue with the stud sticking out of the back of the fly wheel. The guy doing the timing was concerned that this might have been the timing mark. what is it's purpose? Having shown Richards email to my friend he now says it all makes sense so thanks for that.

Paolo

[alfavirusnz]

Paolo, if your Sprint is a series one single carb (there was also the later twin carb Veloce version-95hp engine in the ser1) the timing data is the same right through to the last of the carbed engines-even the injected versions had those flywheel timing marks-you just can`t see them.
Spottie the timing on the Aust 1.7 versions is supposed to be at TDC (T mark). If you have a dial back to zero timing light you can dial in the Euro/NZ ignition timing and get some performance and better fuel consumption (I understand Swedish mkt had same anti pollution settings) We got a few Aust market 33`s over here (obviously diverted because at the time these cars were hot property over here) and they were pathetic compared to our UK market specced versions-easy to spot by lifting the bonnet and seeing those horns each side of the air filter top-when I had my workshop we used to change ignition timing and change carb settings.

Richard J

Richard J

[81Sprint]

I was well aware that the later (84 onwards?) Australian Sprints and 33's have a lot of "anti-pollution" equipment fitted. I had no Idea about the timing issue!

On all the later sprints and the 33 we have had its all been totally non functional (probably due to its age) and in my opinion worse for the environment.
All of it has all ended up in the bin.

[spottie]

Thanks Richard, how can you tell the Aus spec from the NZ spec apart from the horns.( no horns on mine, looks just like my '87 Sprint under the bonnet) Mine is one of the first 1.7's, reg as an '87 but first reg in Jan '88 new with delivery km's at Archibalds.
It has Ducellier electrics rather than the normal Bosch stuff that I normally have seen. The body seems to have been rust proofed from day one with under seal over the underside and some sort of cavity wax in all the body bits.
I don't know if that makes any difference

[alfavirusnz]

To the best of my knowledge I don`t think we ever saw any of the Aust spec 1.7`s here so I don`t think it is an issue-I`ve certainly never seen one. They were 1.5 33`s and the 4wd 33 s/w`s (again 1.5 engined-95 & 105hp)
The Ducillier system was an alternative fitment to the Bosch-that black 33 you looked at of mine had a Ducillier system originally-I switched over to Bosch simply because you can get dist caps, rotor arms etc much cheaper than Ducillier parts -the Bosch bits same as a number of contempory cars such as VW, BMW, Audi & Holden .

Richard J