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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Firing order

The firing order is 1 – 3 – 4 – 2


number one cylinder is nearest to
. the radiator
. the front of the engine
. the front of the car


be aware that as you look under the bonnet (hood) at the distributor the rotor and thus firing order from the rotor goes anti-clockwise (counter clockwise, CCW)

below is a used cap that is not normally the type fitted it’s used for easier illustration

when fitted it also is not usually pointing it that direction, the angle will vary with your timing set up

it is a good idea to have the HT (high tention / plug) leads and even the distributor (dissy) cap marked up once you have the correct firing order on your car



Nigel Atkins

Another illustration this time taken from the net

this shows a standard top fit dissy cap and dissy with a vacuum advance unit

HT in this illustration represents the lead going to the coil (the coil lead is sometimes known as the king lead)

again the angle of the cap (and therefore dissy) will vary


Nigel Atkins

thanks to FRM for the very clear photo of the Triumph engine dissy position and HT leads layout appropriate to the midget 1500

again the firing order is 1 3 4 2

number one cylinder (far left of photo) is nearest to
. the radiator
. the front of the engine
. the front of the car

as you look at the distributor the rotor and thus firing order from the rotor goes anti-clockwise (counter clockwise, CCW)


Nigel Atkins

Did I miss something??????????????
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

I certainly did!!!!
Ray Rowsell

Looks like you did :)
Nigel Atkins

Oh, it is just a case of "firing order" meaning that the message thread is out of order.

Nigel, please tell me the firing order for an A series engine please?


There, now it all makes sense.

:o)

Norm "fixing the universe, one message thread at a time" Kerr




Norm Kerr

Before someone else says it


for £8 or less you can buy a reprint of the original Driver's Handbook that you would have got when the car was new, it tells you all about the car and only needs a very few updates, it also tell and shows you the servicing work required for your car and is more accurate to your car than general web info - (Ref:0058) - http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Handbooks_5.html

there maybe quite a bit more to servicing and maintaining the car than you realise but most of it is very straight forward


mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

you lot, grrrr :)

thanks for asking Norm

this was for the Archives

on another thread FRM put up that photo and it was just what I wanted but couldn't find at the time when I started this

firing order and in relation to this plugs/HT leads/dissy cap order comes up often as a question (and recently) these are my non-tech, non-jargon, simple illustrations

and of course the firing order is stated in the Driver's Handbooks, and not just Ref: 0058 :)
Nigel Atkins

Oh god, reverse threads, now all we need is porp to get involved...
d brenchley

my threads are always set to reverse

I think Prop's default is sideways or diagonal

I don’t think Prop relies on any order of firing or on all cylinders
Nigel Atkins

Perhaps i can bring clarity to this thread

#1 dissy is at 2 oclock and goes to plug 1, then #2 dissy is at 10 oclock and goes to # 3 plug

Ect ect... Now whos confused???

Hahaha

Then agian the confusion could be the result of a bad condenser

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop,
you're looking at the engine from the wrong direction and not allowing for time zones

and you're one cylinder short (again)

:)
Nigel Atkins

Hahaha... Well, I need a cly head 1st before i can worry about spark plug timing
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Still confused because if anyone wants info on firing order and how to set it up there must be hundreds of threads describing as such in the archives.

However I generally like to hear new threads on the subject as it just keeps the BBS alive.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Well, as someone who is old and had a series engines a long time ago and just reads this to keep in touch and is trying to get his triumph 1500 going - thanks for pointing me at the owners handbook for the ordering from the front and firing order Nige.
Anyone able to tell me where to get a good workshop manual from rather than the rather limited Halfords one?
Dave Squire

Oops,

Meant 1500 midget going. (I definately don't have a Triumph and I appologies for my miss typing)
Dave Squire

If you reverse the firing order, will the car go backwards? :)
Graham M V

When you look at a car sideways on, from the drivers side, the wheels turn in a clockwise direction, when the car is travelling forwards. Of course, the wheels may be stationary, for example when locked up when in skid mode with the brakes full on, irrespective of direction of travel.

Hope that's useful. :)

Lawrence Slater

:)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Unless it is a N American export model, when they turn anticlockwise, or more correctly, counterclockwise.
Guy Weller

:) :)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Are you certain about that Guy? :)

Don't you mean Australian? It's all upside down there.
Lawrence Slater

To run them clockwise you would need to reverse the spiral moistion of the fuel flow to match that of asutrilia
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

And is Asutrilia somewhere on your home planet Prop? Sounds vaguely familiar, in a parallel universe kind of a way.
Guy Weller

Just curious...if you reversed the starter gear and the water pump propellor and the points rubbing block... And shifted around the water hoses.

Could that make the engine run backwards.. ???
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Guy...look at a globe,

its just left and up of mitt rom. (Amerceia)...hahaha
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

No, but if you substituted the wheels for legs, and gave them each trainers, that could enable it to run. :)
Lawrence Slater

If I had buddies like these then I would really worry

http://tinyurl.com/dychyx
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

March, nobody was interested but June and all the info flows in !
Nigel Atkins

if nothing else the 1500 photo shows how neatly ans sensibly the HT leads can be rather than some of the way overlong and knitting pattern sets fitted to others I've seen
Nigel Atkins

talking of stupid I opened the electric operated boot on my wife's car (more car troubles) just enough to get my head in to check something then pressed the button to get the boot lid to rise further but instead it started to close on me and I shout out "stop"

and my wife told my mate today that I was too stupid to let go of the button to stop the lid coming down on my head and she had to tell me to let go

did she really think I was that stupid and not just joking about - well she has known me for a very long time - so the answer was yes she did think I was that stupid
Nigel Atkins

Robert, if even half of that video was factual, that's something of a worry. :),

Nigel, medication has to be monitored. Suggest you have yours checked again lol. Just kidding -- kinda. :P
Lawrence Slater

I must admit we have a family supply of stupid pills, my wife who is an intelligent person sometimes comes out with some cracking 'silly' questions that have me in fits of laughter, OTOH she can ask a simply question that cuts straight to centre of a matter
Nigel Atkins

Lawrence, I live here, and I can say to you with sorry confidence that it is not only factual, but probably tended to paint us emuricans in too positive a light.


Remember, by definition, that about half of the population (any population) are at, or below average.




Norm "shaking head in disbelief" Kerr

"No matter how cynical I get, I find that I still can't keep up" - Lily Tomlin

Norm Kerr

Norm, I was actually thinking that it was a spoof vid, with actors. But then again I wondered why americans would want to portray themselves in such a way. Scary.

But then again, there are thickos aplenty where I live too. I was one once :).
Lawrence Slater

what you have to bear in mind with average is how low that average might be
Nigel Atkins

Law of averages... If you ask enough people enough questions... You can find some stupid answeres. If you notice only a few people answered more then 2 -3 questions

I think it would be interesting to see how many people answered correctly

But i have to say... I dont think its so much stupiidity as it is ...situation and enviorment.... If you think about it, if your vistiting histiry of govermnent... You would probably answer ??? That relate to 100 year old events much easier then questions about pop culture... And vise versa.

But i think its like all things... If you dont use that history info...it gets lost out of the ears while taking a shower


Prop and the Blackhole Midget

A friend of mine was holidaying in Ireland and was staying in the same hotel as some Americans who had flown in from France as part of their European tour. In conversation at the bar after dinner one night the American guy said "How did you get here?" My friend said "We brought the car so we came by ferry from England". Back came the reply "Oh, wouldn't it have been quicker to use the tunnel?"
So,I guess the video, which is hilarious BTW, is not a fake.

Bernie.
b higginson

Im not sure i understand.... Isnt there an underground tunnel from england to france

According to the movie pearl harbor with ben aflack...in the movie its a sad scene when ben gets on the trian in san fransco and says a teary good by to his girlfriend as the train chugs a way to hawaii...

ive often wondard if that train was a direct route, or did it make stops along the way

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop,
the tunnel does go as far as Ireland, it stops at Londonshire where the Queen lives
Nigel Atkins

Prop.I rest my case.

Bernie.
b higginson

kind of like this...
(open attached)


Norm Kerr

This thread was discussed between 07/03/2012 and 20/06/2012

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.