<VV> 102 engine advice

[djtcz at comcast.net]

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Original Message: 1 
Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 10:23:39 -0700 (PDT) 
From: Michael Kovacs <kovacsmj at yahoo.com> 
Subject: <VV> 102 engine advice 

?Is the 102 PG in? 1962 convertible known to be a doggy combination. A friend of mine has a particularly underpowered one that has been rebuilt ( I assume correctly). He test drove my very tired? (110 PG 180K miles)? '69 coupe that has not been rebuilt and we agree the '69 is so much faster then his '62. 
? 
?We checked the dwell and timing and it is to spec, carbs go to full throttle etc. It idles very smoothly and does not burn oil. Carbs balanced etc. 
? 
?Any body have a suggestion as how to get this 102 to perform better? 

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First I'd confirm the TDC mark on the damper is correct. This can be done on the car. Best results comet with positive stop, which might be a little tricky with the recessed Corvair spark plugs. 
Then I'd use a dial back timing light and a tach to confirm the centrifugal advance curve is within specs for that engine. 


Similarly I use a MityVac to check vacuum advance on the car, but that requires constantly readjusting the test rpm, or otherwise compensating for the centrifugal advance. 


It is also possible to confirm approximate valve timing (cam installation) with the engine assembled (after the TDC mark is verified and corrected). Some additional timing marks may need to be added to the damper. I don't recall if "timing tape" for Corvair sized dampers is available). For a quick check I like to look for intake opening, which is likely to be in the range of the ignition timing marks on the damper.