New Product Idea. Distributor Timing Plate Re-Design

[Captain Obvious]

Yeah, I kept looking at Jim's disk and thinking "I've seen that somewhere before".

It's not Tron's disk and I couldn't find anything Klingon that looks similar.

[crayZlair]

[Persimmon240]

"About time" - as it has been over 50 years that this problem has been looking for a solution. "Time slots" maybe? "Time out".... stop me!!!

[Mike]

Nice idea.  Question comes to mind though...  could something like this damage an engine if timing is pushed too far one way or another?  Maybe the current plate was designed to prevent this kind of issue?

[SteveJ]

If you retard the timing too much, the engine won't run.

You can run the car with the static timing at 30 degrees. It will ping like crazy if you aren't running racing gas...So I've heard from a friend.

[240260280]

If you put writing on it.. be sure to include:

1-5-3-6-2-4

 

[Zed Head]

1 hour ago, 240260280 said:

1-5-3-6-2-4

This could be the name. 153624 distributor mounting plate.

[zKars]

3 hours ago, Mike said:

Nice idea.  Question comes to mind though...  could something like this damage an engine if timing is pushed too far one way or another?  Maybe the current plate was designed to prevent this kind of issue?

Interesting point. If the main bolt comes loose, I wonder which the dizzy body would naturally tend to rotate? At least a good point to include in the instructions. 

[zKars]

33 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

This could be the name. 153624 distributor mounting plate.

Since it works on the L4 as well, would have to include 1342 as well.  Maybe not a bad idea to inscribe both. It does add considerable expense to have them engraved however. The laser cutter cannot be used to do both cut and engrave. I suppose I should engrave a trade mark as well. Trying hard to make this cheap and easy, not get rich or make so expensive that it won’t do all the good I hope it does. I understand the danger of feature creep. Add this, add that, make it shinier, etc etc. 

[Zed Head]

A stamp should work.  Even an ink stamp.  There's some good inks out there that will hold up.

And the stamped side would be the obvious "up" side.

Edited March 26, 2020 by Zed Head

[zKars]

29 minutes ago, zKars said:

Interesting point. If the main bolt comes loose, I wonder which the dizzy body would naturally tend to rotate? At least a good point to include in the instructions. 

The danger is in the advance getting too high, retard is not an issue. Even things like spark plug wire tension might affect which way it would tend to wander. Maybe an addition “Stop” of some sort (small bolt and nut) to add to the slot CW of the main hold down bolt to prevent it wandering in that direction? 

[zKars]

21 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

A stamp should work.  Even an ink stamp.  There's some good inks out there that will hold up.

And the stamped side would be the obvious "up" side.

I like that idea. A quick browse of laser engravers that can do steel are out of the price range of practicality and $$. I may be able to find a service that does it that makes the per item cost reasonable. 

I know! I’ll hand engrave and sign each one. Harder to knock off. I have one of these.

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by zKars