CRT Skiff Crafter
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2003
- Messages
- 100
Hi all.<br />Well, I started this new post to hopefully make it easier to navigate and to perhaps attract some additional interest. It was originally posetd as Power Issues 188 HP Merc 302 Ford<br />here's the link<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=004040 <br /><br />Just to recap, this all started out with surging that seemed like fuel problems and I've drained off the fuel, changed the separator, rebuilt the carb, replaced the points, plugs, plug wires, cap. rotor. et al. <br /><br />Today I tackled the timing issue. I found the timing marks finally, but I also discovered one of the springs in the distributor was broken. So I marked everything up and pulled the distributor and went to a local hot rod shop and got the Mallory spring kit. <br /><br />Well, I really have no idea how the timing curve is supposed to be for my setup and I couldn't find any appropriate data on the web, so I put in the 2 springs which appeared to match the ones already in there. <br /><br />I put it back together, set the points and turned it over. It didn't want to start so I moved the timing around until I was able to get it running. However, now the relative physical position of the distributor does not agree with the marks I made when I removed it. I was clobbered by darkness and had to quit for the night and didn't get to put a timing light on it. <br /><br />Here's where I think I'm at now. Hopefully someone will give this a reality check and help me sort it out: <br /><br />It seems to me that with the a broken spring, the timing was advancing immediately. thus, it seems likely that the marks I made for alignment purposes wouldn't be correct anymore (too far retarded), thus creating the need to advance the timing to get the engine running ( which is what I had to do). <br /><br />I want to be sure that I get the distributor setting right and I guess the only way to do that now is to pull number 1 plug, cycle the engine through until I get compression on number one and make sure the rotor is pointing where it should and the points are doing their thing. Then I assume I'll set the timing as normal?<br /><br />The good news may be that the crappy running I was experiencing, (which began this entire process weeks ago) was due to way too much advance too early. <br /><br />Any thoughts are much appreciated! If I am missing something or making this harder than it needs to be, set me straight. <br /><br />Regards, crt.
<br /><br />The ONLY way to find TDC, without a feeler guage and your valve covers removed, is with those timing marks that you found. I assume the 188 hp<br />Merc 302 is about the same as the 190 hp OMC 302.<br />OMC calls for initial advance of 10 deg BTDC. If your motor runs at all, currently, you have at least got the distrib in on the right 180 deg option. If you made a scribe on the rim of the distrib, at # 1, and reinserted the distrib with the rotor pointing to that scribe, then you won't be a tooth off. If you are no more than a tooth off, there is probably enough rotation(against the plug wires) to compensate for it. Leave your distrib clamp loose enough to turn. Now turn your engine around, using breaker bar and socket on the crank pulley nut, till the static pointer points to 10 deg BTDC. If you go past it do not back up, you'll need to go around 2 x more. Take your circuit test lite and clip it to ground. Hold the probe on the swing arm of the points. Rotate the distrib, slowly, back and or forth til the test lite comes on. Tighten down distrib clamp. You are now timed. <br /><br />As for the curve, at least a Seloc repair manual for Merc, will have a graph for your 188. Or look up your local distributor guru. He will probably have it too. You should definitley have him check out the bushings when he checks the curve. Worn bushings can cause big problems. Probably cost you 50 bucks.