Hi everyone, I'm playing with an 1100 motor at the moment, I know the firing order is 1342 anti clockwise on the dizzy however the motor will not fire like this but when I put it 1342 clockwise on the dizzy it fires up first go, all the timing marks line up etc, can someone tell me what the problem could be
Thanks

It should be something like this

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Yeah I know that's how it should be but won't fire that way, fires up 1342 clockwise on the dizzy, trying to work out why and what needs to be changed

Can you take a picture of the distributor and leads?

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Distributed drive gear 180degrees out ? So distributer is upside down?

Pull the gear out and rotate 180, don’t drop it in the gearbox, use a long bolt and hold onto it

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1966 Mini Deluxe - “Gabby” 34 years under restoration and counting...
1970 MGBGT
1959 MGA

Yeah thanks was doing that now, see how it goes

Long 5/16" bolt, the drive has thread so makes it easy not to drop it. I think the workshop manuals show which side the offset should be

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1966 Mini Deluxe - “Gabby” 34 years under restoration and counting...
1970 MGBGT
1959 MGA

No 1 piston at TDC - on the firing stroke. Wherever the rotor arm is pointing IS No 1 lead, then count the rest off anticlockwise in the correct order...

The distributor orientation has absolutely nothing to do with the firing order .. or the proper running of the engine.

The recommended dizzy orientation makes for neat plug leads ..nothing more. Although, an "incorrect" orientation may mean that the vac advance unit may interfere with other things.

Cheers, Ian

When you describe 'anticlockwise' direction are you viewing from the outside of the engine and not from the inside of the engine?
If you are viewing the distributor from inside the engine, it will be 'clockwise' but direction is normally viewed from the outside.

Uuuumm are you saying I’m right???

When you look at the engine, its mostly from the outside ...especially when installed in the car...

But you did make me go and check.

Stick the car in gear, pull the car forward and the rotor will move from right to left ..at the top of its travel... ie anticlockwise.... when you look at it... from the outside.... just like indicated in Timmy’s earlier photo....

??????

Cheers, Ian

Don't pull the gear out.
The is never any need to pull the gear out. If the drive is 180° out you just swap the plug leads in the cap 180°. If it is one tooth out you rotate the dizzy a little bit.

I have seen a lot of amateurs drop the gear into the gearbox. The worst was a guy in eastern Europe that wouldn't listen to me and he dropped the gear, next thing he was asking about cutting a hole in the gearbox to remove it. We all said no but guess what came next?

Bill B makes a good point for clarity , All the other car naming references are assuming you are sitting in the drivers seat, so the radiator is on the left hand side of the engine, and the plugs are numbered like Timmy's pictures (reading left to right from the driver's seat). Ian's distributor explanation is 100% correct also. - - vagaries of the mini!

Thanks guys, all good now

Yes! because its very difficult to view from inside the engine

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"Show me the Mini!"

I thought your comments were very useful and exactly what I understand too.
I was trying to work out how the poster could 'see' the distributor as going the other way. All I could think of was that they were viewing the distributor from the inside looking out.