Hi Everyone,
First of all thanks for all the tips on head studs.
I need a bit more help now, i want to reset the timing as I have had the distributor out but have had lots of different opinions on how to set it . Any help would be appreciated. The car has coil ignition with no advance or retard on steering wheel.
Thanks.
Eddie

Eddie. The 'proper' method is to have the flywheel cover off and use the timing marks on it - but I know it's a bit of a pain on a Ruby because its tucked under the bulkhead. So, here's a 'rough and ready' method that I use. This assumes that the distributor is out of the engine.

Car out of gear. Take out the No 1 spark plug (nearest the radiator). Unless you have enormously long arms, get a mate on the starting handle. Put your thumb over the spark plug hole and get the mate to slowly turn the engine over on the handle. You need to find out when both valves are closed for the compression stroke and you'll do this by feeling the pressure under your thumb as the piston comes up. If there's no pressure on the first turn of the engine it's because one of the valves is still open. Just keep turning till you feel it. When you feel the pressure stop turning the engine and remove your thumb from the hole. If you have a standard cylinder head you can now gently pop a screwdriver through the spark plug hole and then turn the engine over a wee bit more on the handle. The screwdriver will rise on the top of the piston and you'll feel it pause as it reaches top dead centre, before starting to go down again. Ideally you want to get it to a fraction (about an quarter of an inch below the highest point the screwdriver rises to) before it reaches top dead centre and then stop turning the engine over. May take you a couple of goes to get it right.

When the piston is just before TDC take the distributor (with cover off but rotor arm in place) and hold it so that the points are nearest to you and the 'squared' section of the dizzy body is nearest the engine. Locate the shaft of the dizzy in the top its mounting hole in the end of the dynamo. Don't put it right in yet. Now turn the rotor arm so that the brass contact end points straight at the No 1 cylinder spark plug hole. Holding the rotor arm push the dizzy down into its mounting. You will probably have to wiggle the rotor arm slightly so that the gears mesh. When the dizzy is fully home the rotor arm should still be pointing at No 1 spark plug. If it isn't, lift the dizzy out an inch or so and realign the rotor.

Pop the spark plug back in. Put the dizzy cover on. Attach the lead from the coil to the distributor. Tighten the clamp that holds the dizzy so it just pinches but not so tight that you can't still rotate it. Now try to start the engine (on the starter). You may be lucky and it will catch straight away but if it doesn't, rotate the dizzy a quarter inch (back or forward, doesn't matter) and try starting again. If it still doesn't catch try turning the dizzy a bit further the same way and if that doesn't work try turning it the other way. By trial and error you'll reach a point where the engine will run. Then with it running you can 'fine tune' the timing by moving the dizzy in smaller increments until you get smooth running at tickover and when the throttle opens. When all is well, fully tighten the clamp.

As a tip - At tickover/slow running if you hear 'rumbling' from the bottom of the engine the dizzy is probably rotated too far anti-clockwise (when viewed from above). If it feels like the engine has no power when you open the throttle the dizzy is probably turned too far clockwise. The range between much too far retarded and much too far advanced is about a quarter turn of the diameter of the distributor body.

Good luck - it's quicker to do than to explain!

Nick

Cheers Nick,
I will try your method .
Thanks again.
Eddie

Surely you mean make sure that the end of the rotor arm is lined up with the terminal on the distributor cap which leads to cylinder n°1 ?????

Good point Reckless. I just happen to have my leads set up so that No 1 is invariably the first terminal the rotor comes to as it arrives in line with No 1 cylinder. Eddie if you don't understand what Reckless is saying, please ask.

May I suggest a tip for you when you are back up and running....

Make paint marks on the cam/fan pulley so you can re align at a later date. Do this by first of all turning your engine towards compression at number one as detailed by Nicks excellent article. Then SLOWLY rotate with the ignition on and the dizzy cap off looking for the moment the points open...you will see a blue spark at the points. You then make your paint mark on the fan pulley so you can realign in the future by checking for compression at number one and then aligning the fan pulley marks and then refitting the distributor as Nick says but fine tuning it by moving it till the points just open again. You will then be able to take it apart and put it back together quite easily and accurately .

Note that the fan pulley is 2:1 with regards the crank, so make sure you are on compression!

Steve