F60S Engine timing
 

We have been bedevilled by lack of power from the engine in our F60S LAAT.
It is true that the current engine fitted is the 85HP Dagenham engine but this does not explain why even the most modest inclines drop the speed to 12mph. Had we had a full complement of crew and ammunition, and if we had a Bofors attached, goodness knows what the performance would be like.
Having checked everything else and based on the fact that performance increases the more we advance the ignition, I am pretty sure that the engine rebuilders have mistimed the camshaft.
I see from the exploded diagrams that I can get access to the camshaft gear by removing a plate at the front of the engine but there are no timing marks that I am aware of external to the engine.
Is there an easy way of determining top dead centre on piston number 1 without removing the head?
Am I right that it would be possible to pull the camshaft timing gear off in situ so as to avoid pulling the camshaft forward (and ending up with a tangle of valves and cam lobes) and then retiming the shaft to the crank shaft?
Are there timing marks on the gears?
Regards,
Alastair
F60S LAAT
Lynx I MkIII*

Hi Alastair
I had a similar problem with Willys F Head Engine.
Low power...
The Gear was off one tooth..
Maybe you have same problem...
I never disassembled my V8, so I don't know what to answer him..

Are you sure that the distributor is correctly adjusted, we had to make a device to regulate the synchronism of the points, this is essential

Alistair, There are two types of camshaft set ups. A pressed on gear and a bolt on gear. with the bolt on gear, (later type) it can only fit on one way because one bolt is offset. The earlier press fit gear has marks that line up, (gear to cam) These need to be within 1/64th inch. (the fibre gears have a reputation for turning on the hub? I imagine that if this has happened to you, that it would not run at all)
Yes there should be a camshaft and a crankshaft gear timing mark.
The British engine is a bit of an enigma (at least they are to me) In Bren (Universal) Carriers, they were built as: #1 which was a 60h.p., #2 which was an 85h.p., and #3 which was a 95 h.p. engine. The British engines have the firing order on the heads (I dont know how else to I.D them) They have flanges on the bearings. I don't know much about them. When it comes to the American continent engines, I believe they changed over from poured babbit in 1937 to insert bearings. Up until then they had flat topped pistons. You might have flat topped pistons in an engine thats heads should be used with round topped or domed (yes 3 types) topped pistons. Carriers came with British engines fitted with American auxiliaries, American engines with British auxiliaries (distributors, carbs, generators etc.) in different combinations. Then there are the Canadian engines. Basically the British were the only ones who built 60h.p. engines, The Americans built 85h.p. engines and the Canadians built 85 and later 95 h.p. engines. There is lots of interchangeability in U.S continent Fords. You have to know what you have.
Back to timing marks: there are marks on the crank gear and cam gear , so if you pull the timing cover (cam cover) you will see that they will line up vertically. At that point you are at TDC, #1.
Before you pull anything apart, you should perform a compression test on a hot engine. Check your results against the specs in a Ford manual. Take the air cleaner off when you warm it up to see if that makes a difference. Is your exhaust restricted? I assume it runs smooth and that you have no misfire?
Good luck hunting down the problem, also check what I have said before you dive in.

F60S Engine timing
 

Pauletto: thank you for the suggestion. I hope my distributor is set up correctly as I paid a lot of money for it from a chap who showed me the special jig he had used to set the points.

Lynn: you have given me a lot to think about. Thanks.

Alastair