How do I chec engine timing -- engine chugs --

have ruled out compresion, got sparc, engine fires over but chugs and wonder if timing problem, how to chec with out doing tear down to timming chain??

its a gas B414 tractor

With a timing light.

Rick

I'm guessing that you don't have a timing light etc. It would be easier, but you can still get pretty close without the. If you take the valve cover of and the spark plug out of you number one cylinder, and slowly jack the engine over. As the piston decends on the intake, watch the intake valve open open by watching the valve stem depress. As the piston rises on the compression stroke both valves will be closed. As the piston reaches just BTDC stop. Follow the spark plug wire from the number one piston to the distributor. Gently remove the distributor cap and the distributor rotor should be aligned to the number one prong on the distributor cap. 10 degrees BTDC is a normal point, but check your manual for anything that may not be generic. This will get you very close. Return the cap, as it was. If this is good, reinstall the plug and the valve cover. Now that everything is reassembled, return to the distributor and you will notice that the distributor is held to the engine by a fork that is secured in place by a single nut or bolt. Loosen the nut suffeciently to turn it, but no looser. Start the engine. set the engine to idle. Turn the distributor slightly in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, but only a few degrees. If it sounds better, turn it slightly more, and reassess. If it sounds worse, however, return it the direction from where you started, and turn the opposite direction, ever so slightly. Small adjustments are the ticket. When you reach the point where you have the best sounding engine, tighten the retaining bolt, or nut. It is easier with timing lights and osliscope, but I'm guessing you don't have any.

NO need to remove the valve cover..just remove the #1 sparkplug and slowly turn the engine over until you feel compression on your finger (over the sparkplug hole)..
Carefully bring #1 piston to TDC (or to the Starting Timing Mark ).
Have the Mag or Dist. loose enough to move by hand (and retarded)..turn on the ignition and (with the sparkplug in the plug wire, Grounded to the engine), rotate the Dist of Mag just until the plug Fires..
Tighten the Mag/Dist and it should be good..
Ron..

Sometimes you can feel the valve with the plug removed, but if not, removing the valve cover will assure that you can tell when each valve opens and closes, but often on many engines, it is enough to remove the spark plug. I also don't know but that he has big fat digits that won't fit. I do realize, however, that most of the time it is not needed to remove the valve cover.

I like the idea of having the valve cover off that way it you hit TDC on the timing mark and the valve isn't closed you then turn it over another 360 degrees, valve still not closed then you timing chain is bad, provided you don't have GEARS. Yes you should be able to do it with out taking the cover off but if you're not sure take it off you'll see more and be more confident that it's right or wrong. Chugging could also be fuel problems, rich engines chug. Some guy on one of the boards today stated most ingnition problems are really fuel- I thought it was wise.

Your BC144 engine does not have a timing chain.
Set points as .014" Static timing (non running or idling)for early engines is 5 degrees BTDC. Timing at high RPM at full advance is 39 degees BTDC. Timing marks are on the crank pulley.

You don't need to "feel the valves" or get your fingers INSIDE the cylinder to find TDC on the compression stroke.

All you need to do is PLUG the spark plug hole. Fat fingers work best for this.

You pull the plug, put your finger OVER the hole, then crank by hand until air whooshes out around your thumb. Line up the timing mark on the front pulley. Boom, you're at top dead center on the compression stoke.

When plugging the spark plug hole with a finger
be sure to hold the plug with the other hand.
then have a friend turn the engine over.

Confused yet?

Engine is British (or sometimes Indian).

They all have a TDC mark on the crankshaft pulley. Some also have marks to 50 degrees and some do not.

#1 cylinder when cranking is supposed to get spark when the pulley is at 5 degrees BTDC (before top dead center). That's when it's on the compression stroke. Easy to tell. Just loosen a spark plug and when it hisses because air is coming out - it's on the compression stroke.

If you have an engine with a crank pulley NOT fully marked, you can mark it yourself with a tape measure.

Points get set at .014" in your Lucas distributor. Static/initial timing is 5 degrees BTDC. Full advance is 39 degrees BTDC at 2200 RPM. Timing marks are on the crankshaft pulley. If your's only has the TDC mark and no 5 degrees BTDC? 5 BTDC is 9/32" before the TDC mark. 39 degrees BTDC will be 2 7/32" from the TDC mark.

When the engine is at 5 degrees BTDC, you can time without a timing light if you want. With power on, just loosen and rotate the distributor in the normal direction of travel - then back slowy until #1 wire sparks.

If you get working on your VN or VNN Zenith carb - keep in mind it is a British Zenith and has nothing to do with USA Zenith carbs.