Time and timing revisited

What was it I said about never learning?

Back in my first year of ownership (2016-17) I did get the car back on the road with much better performance than previously. Acceleration and speed through all the gears was fine. Only exception was that top speed was now 50mph, when it had been 55mph before the work on the cylinder head (and on occasion had reached a terrifying 60mph). And there was a rather odd 'burbling' when I reached 50mph.

And yet again, I started off on the wrong foot. First and foremost, I thought fiddling about with the ignition timing would make a difference. Did it? Very slightly, but only by 1mph and the burbling was still there. Secondly, and to my shame, I wondered if it was a result of the work done the previous year on the cylinder head, including the installation of valve stem oil seals. Fortunately, I didn't embarrass my self by pursuing that theory with anyone.

Despite that niggles, Adam and I headed off to Lancashire for the 2017 Singer National Day, 200 miles each way. All went well until south of Moffat, when speeding down a hill at nearly 50mph, the engine died. Panic sets in. Open the bonnet, can't see anything obvious. Get back in the car and try to start it (more in desperation than hope). But start it did, and off we went quite happily until the same thing happened again 10 minutes later.  And so it continued the whole weekend, all the way to Lancashire and back up to Scotland.  (Mind you, we did win the 'most travelled' prize, so that was a bonus!)  Of course, once we got the hang of it we realised we shouldn't go above 50mph, unless going downhill with the engine turned off.

Back home, I tried everything to fix the problem, but it just wouldn't go away.  Not least being multiple attempts to get the valve timing right (involving lots bruised and scratched fingers with the timing chain.  But the problem was quite simple. 

In all my fiddling about I had been using this diagram from the original owner's manual.  And in doing so I interpreted the diagram as showing the exhaust valves as being the right side of the engine, looking from the front.  Yes, I know - but the diagram is actually showing a bottom-up view of the valves.  So I was setting the exhaust valves as if they were inlet valves.  How the car ran at all, I'll never know.  Once set correctly, everything was fine.

And it was only later that I found this video by Martyn Wray which explained it all very clearly, and clearly shows the inlet and exhaust valves from the top:

Every day is a learning day!