Mk3 Pinto. Timing 180° Out.

[Frankswain]

Someone upgraded this Pinto 2.0 to use unleaded fuel. It is now running 180° out according to the strobe. The timing relationship between cam and crank is correct. How do I correct it? Thanks guys.

[V184]

Someone upgraded this Pinto 2.0 to use unleaded fuel. It is now running 180° out according to the strobe. The timing relationship between cam and crank is correct. How do I correct it? Thanks guys.

Swap the plug leads

[dumper]

The distributor has been put in 180 degrees out remove it re fit in correct position not sure on if this for Kent or pinto or both with engine on tdc no one cylinder and the distributor above it’s mounting hole and the clamp lined up with the it’s screw hole and vacuum advance unit in a position so as to be able to rotate the distributor when in its mounting to be able to turn it to adjust the timeing
Now this the point I’m not sure of but from memory put the distributor into its hole but not into gear point the rotor arm at number 1 spark plug then as you push the distributor into gear the rotor arm will turn into the correct position as I am writing this I think for the pinto with electric ignition their is a mark on the distributor base plate that you line up the rotor arm with instead of pointing it at number 1 cylinder as you push it in

[V184]

i wouldnt have thought it would run 180 out as above about the mark on the dizzy & if its got points rotor pointing at number 1 lead, points just starting to open

[dumper]

i wouldnt have thought it would run 180 out as above about the mark on the dizzy & if its got points rotor pointing at number 1 lead, points just starting to open

Yes with the points setup it was point it at the no1 spark plug in the cylinder head and not at no 1 lead in the distributor cap and as you say static time it on points opening and use timing light to get it spot on where a lot of people got it wrong was by just lining up crank timing marks and getting it on no4 compression Insteon no 1 back in the day never used the timing light to get best power out of them was to advance the timing until the engine pinked on a road test under load and then retard it till it just stoped pinking

[Cider Andy]

...back in the day never used the timing light to get best power out of them was to advance the timing until the engine pinked on a road test under load and then retard it till it just stoped pinking

Exactly. Another tip is not to use a feeler gauge on the points, use a dwell angle meter instead. As the points cam wears the points gap needs reducing to keep the correct dwell angle.

[Frankswain]

The distributor has been put in 180 degrees out remove it re fit in correct position not sure on if this for Kent or pinto or both with engine on tdc no one cylinder and the distributor above it’s mounting hole and the clamp lined up with the it’s screw hole and vacuum advance unit in a position so as to be able to rotate the distributor when in its mounting to be able to turn it to adjust the timeing
Now this the point I’m not sure of but from memory put the distributor into its hole but not into gear point the rotor arm at number 1 spark plug then as you push the distributor into gear the rotor arm will turn into the correct position as I am writing this I think for the pinto with electric ignition their is a mark on the distributor base plate that you line up the rotor arm with instead of pointing it at number 1 cylinder as you push it in

Sorry, should have said it's electronic controlled. But it's a puzzle. I follow the process exactly and it still shows 180° out. The rotor arm dead on the distributor mark and at TDC on compression. Both cam lobes at opposing angles.

[dumper]

Put the timing light signal pickup lead on no 4 done that before when came across a distributor timed up wrong I only used to set the timeing with a timeing light to get it running and then set it up by road test by making it pink and retarding it till I just stops pinking