Distributor Orientation / Adjustment

[PeterPortugal]

Hi All,

I am trying to get my ignition timing correct. As per the manual I am trying to adjust the ignition timing to 28 degrees BTDC above 3000rpm with vacuum advance disconnected. (W111 220SE 1963).

I have two specific questions:-

1. Is my distributor installed correctly? Most of the period pictures I find show the vacuum advance module pointing roughly towards the fuel injection pump. Mine is pointing towards the air inlet filter. See picture below.

2. I have adjusted the distributor using the little adjustment handle but it's reached the end of it's travel and my timing is still only approximately 25 degrees BTDC. How do I advance the timing further? See picture below.

Regards

Peter

[wwheeler]

Peter,

I would have thought the timing should be a minimum of 30* @ 3000 RPM? My vacuum advance faces the IP on both the ‘60 220SE and the ‘68 280SE. So I would think that should be correct for your ‘63 220SE. I would change that and see what happens.

Wallace

[dirkbalter]

With respect to distributor orientation, mine is the same location as yours (280sel). Working fine.
 

[PeterPortugal]

Thanks for the replies guys...I wasn't expecting much on the day after Christmas Day !

Wallace - 28 Deg BTDC is stated in the manual (without vacuum advance). Even if you are right I am still in trouble because I have hit a limit of advancing the timing beyond 25 DegC BTDC anyway.

Dirk - Thanks for sharing the picture and I think the location may be correct for your later car. For earlier versions I am not so sure.

I just found some more info in the technical manual and it seems I can remove the distributor and re-install it with an offset of 40 Degrees....I might "dwell" on this for a while - pardon the pun !!

Best wishes to you and your families.

[dirkbalter]

Peter, you are probably right. Just saw that too.
Happy Holidays

[ja17]

Yes early cars, have the vacuum cell pointed toward the IP.  Sounds like you need to re-index it.

[PeterPortugal]

Thanks gents !!

I will report back when I have tried it.

[PeterPortugal]

Job done.

I set the engine to TDC on No1 with it ready to fire. I removed the distributor and re-orientated the body to the correct location with the vacuum advance pointing towards rear of car and refitted it. This aligned the mark on the distributor body with the rotor arm so it definitely looked like this new orientation was correct.

The only thing left to do was change the high tension leads on the distributor cap. My cap has a cover with the connections for the HT leads numbered 1 to 6 and now these numbers are out of phase. I am assuming the cover must be the wrong part but it is Bosch. This was also what was confusing me.

Thanks for your suggestions but the technical manual really is well written you just have to have faith that when you reassemble everything the car will fire right up.

I have set the dwell correctly and the ignition timing and the car now idles at 1300rpm, previously it was 750/800. I think it's a minor miracle the car ran at all. Again the technical manual is so right that you have to make sure all these things are correct before touching the mixture.

Today the car goes out to get tested ready for re-registration to Portuguese plates....and regular use

All the best for the New Year.

Peter