<VV> timing

[pete]

Secular asks " tell me more about moving the distributor tooth"
      I took my 68 / 110 /pg to a fellow to have him install a set of rebuilt carbs and distributor. When I got it home[ see prior message for all the other repairs done as well],the car seemed to be running too fast. I put my timing light on it and it read 36 degrees,way off the marks[used variable light] Asked around and some of the ideas were that the distributor was incorrectly installed.[ I could not retard the timing without stalling out the car].
   To change the position of the distributor;
      -----rotate the engine so the crank pulley mark is at zero and the distributor rotor is pointing to #1 wire
     -----if the rotor is not aligned with #1[180 degrees out],rotate the crank another turn[360 degrees]
     -----mark two things;
         1] the position of the rotor on the distributor case
         2]the distributor case relative to the shroud
    ----remove distributor nut/washer/clamp
   -----ensure the washer is still intact beneath the clamp
   ----carefully pull the distributor out just enough to  clear
        the sprocket,remembering that the teeth are at an
        angle.  
      ----to rotate a tooth; in my case clockwise to retard the 
       timing;
           ----turn the shaft by the use of the rotor; the case
               stays in the same position.
         -----gently reinsert the shaft[tooth angle again]
          ----if the shaft fails to go in all the way,it may
             be that the bottom of the rotor does not fit 
             into the oil pump.
             if this happens,use a slot head screw driver to 
             rotate the oil pump gear, again remember the
             tooth angle.
  Tighten up the distributor shaft and recheck the timing.Mine went from 36 to 14 degrees.
    Another lesson I learnt was that even the so called experts can make a mistake. More reason to learn to do as much as you can. At least then it is easier to go back over the work as it will have been done by you and usually easier to diagnose.
      Pete