Technical Pinking

[Peterg]

Hi Guys
I have recently replaced my exhaust and vacum advance and now find my car is slightly pinking on acceleration.
I take it the mixture maybe too rich.
Can anyone tell me how to reduce this or whatever please
1991 1108cc carb 60s
Thanks
Pete

 

[custard]

have you tried retarding the ignition tiing if its adjustable?

 

[Peterg]

I will have ago when I get hold of a strobe light.
P

 

[alexGS]

Mixture too rich will reduce pinking (pre-ignition) rather than increase it (as far as I know).

I bet that the timing is now too advanced, like custard boy said, because somebody dialled-it-up when the vacuum advance was broken, in an effort to get the engine idling smoothly.

I think you're right to get hold of a strobe light and reset it yourself. From the Uno (series II) handbook, the correct advance is 3-degrees for the 1108cc (and only 2 degrees for the 999cc!) I think I have seen different advance specifications elsewhere, particularly in Haynes which lists the figures by distributor model.

This 3 degrees is without the vacuum advance - remember to disconnect it first! Also the engine needs to be idling as slow as you dare (but definitely below 1000RPM) since this is a 'static' advance, to be set without the centrifugal distributor advance coming into play. I use the timing marks on the flywheel under the black rubber cover on top of the gearbox, as they have nice clear pointers.

If the distributor seems to be at the end of its travel, check the cam timing (it's surprising how that can be wrong with little ill-effect).

Cheers,
-Alex

 

[Peterg]

Thanks Alex for your usual detailed advice, do you get time to actually do some hands on mechanics these days or can you type very fast lol.
I am a one finger bandit hence my brevity in responses.
Pete

 

[alexGS]

Ha!
Hands-on mechanics: most definitely! Take a look at the pic - see the blood as proof - it's hard work to get those bolts through the two brackets and the subframe.

Just yesterday I finished off my Uno Turbo (again!) - now it has two new control arms, new anti-roll bar bushes, and I took it for a wheel alignment. Much smoother to drive now, drove up to Auckland last night for a party (Steve: Mt. Roskill, so drove within a few hundred metres of your place!) and took a friend for a blast in the Uno, a most unusual bit of hooning around terrorising the motorway. Some of the traffic appeared to be stationary in the right-hand lane - Aucklanders just cannot move over to the left... (Question: How fast is an Uno Turbo? Answer: it doesn't matter, it's how and where you get there that counts).

Typing speed: about 55-60WPM, you get better with practice. I use a Microsoft Natural Keyboard that I bought in 1994 (!). I don't use a computer at all for work - if I did, I probably wouldn't spend as long here I feel a little sorry for you using one finger - I think if I typed with one finger, this message would take half an hour instead of a few minutes... I think I use six fingers and a thumb.

Brevity: always good, if there isn't much to say...

-Alex

 

[custard]

ah yes,those were fun on the cinq too.especially with a mis threaded bolt from the factory i assume lol

 

[Peterg]

Glad to hear it Steve, when I was in Auckland last year I saw loads of street racers mainly in Jap cars burning the streets up.
Cool place especially around the harbour done the jump off the tower which was fun.
Getting hold of a strobe light on mon so will sort the timing then.
Pete