Ignition mark on Crankshaft Pulley and some more ?!

[swendt]

Hi,

I have bought a 1973 LHD 2+2 e-Type from the US.

Now I am about to give the car a proper tune-up - first issue - I do not find the ignition mark on the crankshaft pulley.
From where can it be seen (so that I can have my flashlight pointing at it) ?
From the top ?
Frorn below the car ?
From the right side (close to the wheel) - here the alternator seems to be in the way ?
From the left side ?

Is the marker on the front of the pulley or on the side ?

And another question ? The fuel pump - does it stop clicking when there is enough pressure/the needle valves of the carbs hahve closed ? Or does it continue clicking ?


Regards,
Sebastian

[Durango2k]

Hallo Sebastian,

It is visible from below the car. Crawl under it, see it.

I think it is absolute nonsensen that they did put it there, because you have to crawl under a running car to check.

The fuel pump ticks a bit slower then stops when there is enough pressure. If it does not stop either fuel is coming out somewhere, or, best guess, the rubber diaphragma inside is burst / has a rupture.

Where in germany are you ?

Carsten (Göttingen)

[swendt]

Hi,

thanks for your quick and helpful response.
I am located in Schlitz, near Fulda, ~120km south of you.

Regards,
Sebastian

[Durango2k]

Hi Sebastian,

Are you restoring yours ? V12 oder Straight 6 ? My advice is for the 6.

Carsten

[MarekH]

The s3 has a fuel return pipe, so once the float bowls are full, the twin SU fuel pump will pump the excess flow back to the tank. There is a check valve by the twin left hand carburettors.

The crank damper does have a mark and the script "1A" scored into its face and will benefit from being smeared with white paint so that this will stick in the groove. The timing mark is visible from the front and below the engine by the oil filter. You will have great trouble seeing it as it is probably rusted or without paint.

My advice is for the v12.

kind regards
Marek

[jagwit]

My advice is for the v12.

In the very near future, most cars will have sub 1.0L engines with 2 or 3 cylinders...or batteries. To therefore encounter an E-type, with its sensuous shape and then see and hear its creamy 5.3L V12 will become a life memory - a monument to where mankind has been.

[christopher storey]

The later 6 cylinder cars have the pointer on the left side of the timing cover, at about the 2 o'clock position viewed from the front of the engine

[chrisfell]

Hallo Sebastian,

It is visible from below the car. Crawl under it, see it.

I think it is absolute nonsensen that they did put it there, because you have to crawl under a running car to check.

The fuel pump ticks a bit slower then stops when there is enough pressure. If it does not stop either fuel is coming out somewhere, or, best guess, the rubber diaphragma inside is burst / has a rupture.

Where in germany are you ?

Carsten (Göttingen)

Life would be so boring if we didn't have these little trials to test us every so often. Why indeed would anyone design a car where the pointer was at the most inaccessible place on the engine, underneath everything so you cannot see, where it gets covered in oil so the timing light will not show, if only you could get it there as the timing light wont reach, and when you get it all lined up, you find you need your reading glasses.

As for modern cars? Just wait until you have to change a headlamp bulb on a French car. I had a Renault for a few years. When the headlamp blew I checked the handbook which pointed me to an inspection hatch in the wheel arch, which I couldn't reach as the wheel was in the way. So I removed the wheel to find the inspection hatch wasn't in line with the headlamp! I could just reach the back of the headlamp from the top, but only with the same long thin flexible fingers one needs to put tighten the wingnuts on the washers on a S1. Fortunately, I have a set of those fitted as standard.

I recall early 3.8s had timing marks on the flywheel, accessible from the top of the bellhousing. So someone changed it to make it worse. We should identify who that was so they can be shamed for posterity.

[swendt]

Hi,

I have bought a 1973 S3 V12 (I already own and restoreed a Cougar which has the straight 6 engine of the e-Type so I need a new challenge).
I recently imported my S3 from New Jersey - it is some kind of survior:
It has only run 30000mls from new, everything incl. the paint is still original - I am the second owner from new.
All the service history starting from 1973 is present - so I could not resist buying it ;-)

I just got it through German TÜV and registered - now I am carefully restoring it without touching it's patina. So the fuel tank needs to bee freed from rust and recoated, the engine needs to be returned, ...
Smaller things - not a full restoration.

Regards,
Sebastian

[helge.kassel]

Hallo Sebastian ,
if You are looking from the right side of the car beneath the wheel, what is disturbing the view to the timing marker ,is not the alternator, but the airpump of the air-injectionsystem. The Butec-alternator is mounted between engine and radiator under the aircon compresor.
It is a good place to install a modern alternator with integrated controller in the case the original Butec alternator has to be changed due to any reason. Viel Spass beim Schrauben
Best regards from Seville
Helge