Spitfire HT leads

[Mel-S3]

I've just replaced the 1300 engine, with a complete used unit i recently purchased. The engine runs, but it could be smoother. When i was investigating possible promlems, i noticed the HT lead from number 1 piston was going to number 4 on the distributor, basically all the leads are in reverse order on the distributor. Before i put things in the right order and time it up, just wondered if there could be a reason for this or is it just a mistake. I would have thought the engine should not even be able to run like this.

[//j17]

How do you know they are in the wrong order - from memory the Haynes manual diagram is wrong...

You say it runs but could be smoother. In my experience a Spit. won't idle on 3 cylinders, let alone two. If it idles, they are probably in the correct order.

[Mel-S3]

//j17 said:

How do you know they are in the wrong order - from memory the Haynes manual diagram is wrong...

By the Haynes manual. Is it just the distributor diagram that was wrong? I persume number one cylinder is the one at the front, by the timing gear.

[//j17]

Mel-S3 said:

//j17 said:

How do you know they are in the wrong order - from memory the Haynes manual diagram is wrong...

By the Haynes manual. Is it just the distributor diagram that was wrong? I persume number one cylinder is the one at the front, by the timing gear.

Number 1 is at the front of the engine, but of course the engine goes through two rotations of the crank for one rotation of the distributor/one cycle of suck-squeeze-bang-blow. If your dizzy is 180 degrees out when the crank is at TDC the rotor arm can be pointing at either #1 or #4.

Set you engine to TDC and pop the dizzy cap off - the dizzy cap terminal the rotor arm is pointing to is #1. From there the firing order is 1-3-4-2, anti-clockwise (put the car in 4th/handbrake off and push it forward to check which way the dizzy is turning).