Engine rebuild

I am rebuilding a small 4 cylinder engine, continental, that was in an I/H power unit.

I have the cam and crank in time properly.

I do not have a manual on the engine and I am sitting here studying the Govenor/magneto drive assembly before installing it on the engine.

It seems to me that I do not have to worry about the timing of this unit to the crank/cam gearing because, "I think" that all is well as long as I have #1 wire pointing at #1 cylinder at tdc on the compression stroke.

I was wondering if I am thinking about this correctly?

TW

I think it is very important to get the cam gear Timed to the governor. If it is not, the distributor may not turn to a position allowing the timing to be setif your distributor does turn to any position, you will be OK. (opinion)
JimN

I think it is very important to get the cam gear Timed to the governor. If it is not, the distributor may not turn to a position allowing the timing to be setif your distributor does turn to any position, you will be OK. (opinion)
JimN

This may be just a bit of "mis-speak". But the #1 wire is always connected to the #1 spark plug, no matter where the piston and crankshaft are. What is significant is that the magneto rotor (or distributor rotor) is aimed at the #1 plug wire terminal of the dist cap when the #1 piston is at TDC of the compression stroke (meaning both valves are closed).

On a rebuilt engine, it will start with the spark being retarded (firing after TDC), but it almost impossible to start with the spark before TDC. Reason is that the premature firing of the gas mixture is trying to push the piston down before it has hit the top of its stroke, thus the engine is trying to start by running backwards while the starter trys to turn it forward.

After you get it running, then you can "dial in" the spark timing with a timing light (if the engine has timing marks). Some of the old timers can set the correct timing "by ear" by listening to how the engine is running. I never got that merit badge.

The governor on a gas engine doesn't care what the timing is. It is responding to the engine RPM.

Maybe this is what you were already thinking??

Have you thought about how to spin the oil pump before starting it? Does the oil pump on this engine need to be primed?

Good Luck

Paul in MN

Paul, on this engine the govenor and the magneto drive are one and the same unit. On the H farmall engines, the govenor is separate from the magneto drive (and there are definitely no timng concerns) and as I recall, on the H engine, the magneto drive has a timing mark on it to time it to the cam.

Thatgear needs to be installed so the mag will fire on TDC as you cannot advance that mag. There should be tomong marks on that gear. I think i have the manual for that engine i will look. Clean the gear good as the same timing marks on the cam should appear on that gear or it just wont fire on TDC.