82 x1/9 timing issue

My toes are numb prolly have frostbite but I GOT IT RUNNING!!! Turned out the tensioner was not seated properly and I was jumping timing. If this was an interference engine I'd be screwed.

I will not be stuck here Christmas and now I can move on to sorting out the wiring. It needs a new column switch for headlights and there are about 3 wiring harnesses in on the CD player and when I was pulling it in and out something came loose so my lighter and clock are not working.

Thank all of you for your help.

John
 
labeljohn said:
Turned out the tensioner was not seated properly and I was jumping timing. If this was an interference engine I'd be screwed.
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You are indeed lucky - the stock 1500 is not an interference engine, but the 1300 is. Glad to hear you got it sorted, and whenever you make down to NC, let us down here know.
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In a pinch you could hang switches from the wires and do away with the stalk (will look terable and be a pain to use) but do able. (I once was an X only transportation owner car) (and this was early 90's) parts were still avalable at the local parts shop.
 
jvandyke said:
Midwest bAyless is in Columbus, few miles up the road from you.
Yes, access panel behind passenger seat, big help, keep it off and dizzy bolt slightly loose and you can fine tune timing while driving.:excited:
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How easy to fine tune an X1/9 whilst driving. I did that as a teenage mechanic. Engine lid off and someone driving whilst in the engine bay with double dish washing glove to avoid HT shocks.
 
milan1951 said:
How easy to fine tune an X1/9 whilst driving. I did that as a teenage mechanic. Engine lid off and someone driving whilst in the engine bay with double dish washing glove to avoid HT shocks.
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Not suggested, a timing light is not expensive and worth the money.

If you follow the other thread you should be close to spot on. I was very surprised when I did put my timing light on mine after changing the belt that it was exactly correct.

As for tuning by ear, it was never a good way to do it and with the electronic ignition if you manage to get a shock it is going to hurt.

Just how many joints do you have in your arm that you or anyone else can reach behind the drivers seat on a RHD car to manipulate it? :)
 
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Take your point Karl. will invest in a timing light. Have had one over the years. Goodness knows where the kids have left it in their mechanical exploits. No in a right hand drive car not enough joints to DIY....
At this stage just frustrated at not being able to see or locate cam pulley mark or flywheel mark to static position distributor. Found a tiny groove at front bottom of cam pulley. Not sure if it is what I am meant to find. No dot at flywheel after cleaning bell housing numbers and grooves in hole. What else determines position ? No 1 piston at TDC ? How to determine from plug hole ? plastic tubing ?
 
milan1951 said:
Take your point Karl. will invest in a timing light. Have had one over the years. Goodness knows where the kids have left it in their mechanical exploits. No in a right hand drive car not enough joints to DIY....
At this stage just frustrated at not being able to see or locate cam pulley mark or flywheel mark to static position distributor. Found a tiny groove at front bottom of cam pulley. Not sure if it is what I am meant to find. No dot at flywheel after cleaning bell housing numbers and grooves in hole. What else determines position ? No 1 piston at TDC ? How to determine from plug hole ? plastic tubing ?
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On my '85 the stamped steel cam pulley has an indentation on the back (engine) side that lines up with a tab on the metal backing plate for the timing belt cover. There is a dimple on the flywheel that should line up with marks on the bell housing (though I have never seen the dimple on my car, need to look closer). This dimple will be 180° out if the flywheel has been installed upside down. Nothing stops you from doing this, and the only ill effect is that the dimple won't be where you expect it to be. There is a mark cast into the crank pulley that should line up with a tab on a tin bolted to the block.

With the cam pulley mark lined up (and thus the crank and flywheel marks being lined up), #1 and #4 pistons will be at TDC, #1 intake and exhaust valves will both be partly open, and #4 intake and exhaust valves will both be closed.

The mark you found at the bottom of the cam pulley may be the one. Rotate the engine until this mark lines up with the relevant indicator (top of the metal back plate for the timing belt cover for a 1500 engine, mark on the snail mount for 1300 engines IIRC), then look for the flywheel dimple through the hole in the bell housing again.

If you put your car's details in your signature, it makes it easier to provide relevant responses.
 
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Kid changed spark plug wires - not knowing any better.
Nothing worked.
Reading up on the forum, I saw the recommendation of 1-3-4-2 or 4-2-1-3. Our engine did not even start with 1342 and was really rough with 4213.

I confirm that 1-2-4-3 worked for our 1982 X1/9. Thank you @jharrelh
Posting here - because I am sure there are others who search...
Also - would really be interested if the other sequences work for other setups...
 
Goker said:
Kid changed spark plug wires - not knowing any better.
Nothing worked.
Reading up on the forum, I saw the recommendation of 1-3-4-2 or 4-2-1-3. Our engine did not even start with 1342 and was really rough with 4213.

I confirm that 1-2-4-3 worked for our 1982 X1/9. Thank you @jharrelh
Posting here - because I am sure there are others who search...
Also - would really be interested if the other sequences work for other setups...
Click to expand...
This apparent reverse firing order may be due to the dizzy cap layout, some caps can be misleading as to which wire terminal goes to which post internally - a trap for young players! Lampredi 4s always have the *cam* timing marks for cyl 4 firing. Ignition timing can be done of either 1 or 4, as others have said. In fact, if you know what you're doing, you can set any of the 4 dizzy posts to connect to a cylinder. However, the firing order will strictly always be "1342" (it is convention to quote firing orders with cyl 1 at the start), as it is governed by the sequence in which the cam operates the valves.
 
rachaeljf said:
This apparent reverse firing order may be due to the dizzy cap layout, some caps can be misleading as to which wire terminal goes to which post internally - a trap for young players! Lampredi 4s always have the *cam* timing marks for cyl 4 firing. Ignition timing can be done of either 1 or 4, as others have said. In fact, if you know what you're doing, you can set any of the 4 dizzy posts to connect to a cylinder. However, the firing order will strictly always be "1342" (it is convention to quote firing orders with cyl 1 at the start), as it is governed by the sequence in which the cam operates the valves.
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The layout for the leads is indeed different between the Bosch and Marelli 135/178 caps due to different staggering of the terminals. When viewed from the top, the leads on the Bosch plug in as 1-2-4-3, but only the Marellis plug in (properly!) as 1-3-4-2 :) That colored picture ideally need caveating with the distributor type, especially as the cap looks like a Marelli 135 and not a Bosch 😬
 
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