TO-20 Timing

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
My TO-20 has been under water at least twice in the last three years ( Can't seem to move the barn to higher ground!). 1st time, I drained all fluids/replaced/cleaned and away it went. Same procedure, different results.
This time I am having a 'no-start/fire' problem.
There is fire from the coil out to the plugs, but no explosions. So in checking the timing I see a blotch of yellow in the timing sight hole, I'm looking for 32 deg BTDC/ on No.1, as per the manual. So I take off the bottom plate to the flywheel, and see all the timing marks in the 6 o'clock position, when the 'yellow blotch' is in the timing sight hole and No.1 is on compression??
Ideas please, thank you.
Dick
 
You reallly shoul be looking for static timing of 7°BTDC not 32°BTDC! The advance mechanism will advance the timing as a function of RPM to 32°BTDC at 2200 rpm, but you have to statically have 7°BTDC and then check it at idle for the same value with a tiing light. The advance doesn"t start to come on til ~700-800 rpm.
 
Your problem is with the water issue, did you try and crank with water in the cylinders or is it still in the gas tank or carb or is the air breather saturated. Timing should not have changed.Squirk a little gas in 2 cylinders and if it tries to fire it's not getting fuel.
 
I know when i timed mine z134 motor it was 6 degrees and i marked it with chalk, maybe someone smeared it up with yellow type ink? But it sounds like you can't even see the timing marks.
 
You probably know this but you need to make sure the #1 piston is on the compression stroke when you time it since this is a 4 sroke engine.
 
I am unsure how your timing would be affected by this issue, unless you pulled the distributor. The cam is timed to the crank by gears and submersion would not have affected them that way. Did you replace the condensor and points as well? Current may have caused a problem to wet electrical components.Water may have found its way inside the coil as well, a coil may fire plugs in open air but may not be strong enough to fire them when the subjected to an engines compression. I agree with 2tractors though by checking the carburetor first. Drain the bowl and check again. I would use ether instead of gasoline to start when shooting directly into a cylinder.
 
Thanks to all, for the help/suggestions. Tractor is 450 miles away, and will do some more troubleshooting , in a about a month, from now. I agree that the submersion in water should not have affected the timing. But from all indications, No.1 piston at TDC, compression stroke and all the timing marks on the flywheel are at a 6 o'clock,(not at 4 o'clock, where the timing hole is), and I agree 7degrees BTDC sounds more realistic
(the 32 degrees in the manual is for??), but the way things sit right now, I'm wondering was the flywheel replaced, replaced incorrectly and someone made their own timing mark with yellow paint?
 
The flywheel has an offset stud and only goes on one way. I don"t know what manual you are using but you should get the genuine Ferguson Shop Manual. A lot of this info is in there and you can find them for under $20 plus shpg.

What indications are telling you that the piston is at TDC on the compression stroke with the 7° BTDC timing mark at 6 o"clock? Move the timing mark til it shows 7°BTDC in the notch of the timing hole and look where your piston is at, making sure both the vaves are closed on #1.

An easier way to do this is to pull the #1 plug, hold your finger on the #1 pug hole, nudge the starter till til you feel pressure. That indicates you are on the compression stroke. Now nudge the starter til you see the 7°BTDC in the timing hole and rotate the engine by hand to set the timing position in the timing notch. Then loosen the distributor, pull the plug wire off #1 hold it near a good ground with ignition on, rotate the distributor back and forth til you hear the spark snap. At that point you are statically timed. it may take you af ew times to get it right and when you feel you do, then tighten down the distributor and start "er up.
 
If you are concerned that the flywheel is not correct or mis-marked, you can use a vacuum gauge to get proper timing. Attach a vacuum gauge to a good source. Some ferguson manifolds have a port just above the carb. I tapped my manifold in that same area and put my own in. If you can somehow get the engine to run, rotate the distributor slowly until you reach 18 inches or more vacuum.18-20 inches will have your engine timed perfectly. The highest setting is always best.I time every engine this way and have always had great long term results. This method is perfect for engines that have dampners that may have slipped a little. If you are unable to get vacuum readings that high, you have a problem somewhere else. I have owned two TE-20 Fergusons and neither tractor had any timing marks at all. I'm not sure why but both tractors were split and the flywheels were both cleaned thoroughly. One tractor did have a paint mark but since I didnt put it there I didnt trust it and I admit I didnt want to try to peek through that little hole and time it once I put it back together.The vacuum gauge is much easier to see while I am standing.
 

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