Distributor/Oil Pump assembly
Ignition timing – what it is and how to set it – often eludes most Jeep owners. Here we hope to shed some light on this commonly misunderstood subject.
Internal combustion engines rely on spark plugs to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. Ignition timing is simply the process of setting the time that a spark will occur in your engine’s combustion chamber. When the spark occurs is relative to the position of the pistons and crankshaft.
If the spark occurs too soon, the rapidly expanding air-fuel mixture will push against the piston causing lost power. If the spark occurs too late, maximum cylinder pressure will occur after the piston has traveled down the cylinder, causing high emissions and unburned fuel.
So, your engine cannot operate properly if the timing is incorrect. Incorrect engine timing will result in loss of engine power, decreased fuel economy and if the problem persists long enough it could eventually lead to engine damage.
Jeeps have mechanical ignition systems which makes it pretty easy to set the timing yourself without the use of any special equipment. Mechanical ignition systems use a mechanical spark distributor (distributor cap) to send a high voltage current to the correct plug at the correct time.
Distributor in its native habitat.
If your distributor gets removed or replaced you should be able to get it back in time easily. However, in classic Jeeps the distributors are run off the bottom of the oil pump. So, if your oil pump is ever removed or replaced and the gear that runs the distributor isn’t aligned correctly the timing will be thrown off. This is a common cause of timing issues with your Jeep!
Coming soon, new video – how to set the timing on your Jeep!
