Miss Kitty - 1965 Jaguar S-Type 3.8 RHD

[cass3958]

Set number one cylinder to top dead centre. You can find this by taking out the plugs and turning the engine over one jump at a time until number one is at the top. A screwdriver in the plug hole will give you an idea of when it is at the top but do not try and turn the engine over with the screwdriver in the hole. Once the piston is at the top check the timing mark on the front pulley lines up with the timing mark on the indicator which is bolted to the block. Just prior to the piston getting to TDC you should see the inlet cam pushing down on the valve guide. If it is the exhaust cam that has just opened you are on the wrong stroke and need to go around again.
With the distributor in place but able to be turned by hand you can put the rotor arm on the top and this will point to where number one HT lead should be put in to the distributor cap. Note which way the rotor arm rotates and then add the rest of the HT leads in the firing order 1 5 3 6 2 4. This should have the timing set roughly so the car will start. Fit the plugs back in and HT leads on the plugs and then try starting the car. If it does not start straight away try rotating the loose distributor slightly clockwise or anticlockwise until it fires and runs then you can fine tune it by moving the distributor cap until it runs smoothly. Once it is running you can fine tune the timing with a timing/strobe gun and the timing should be between 5 and 10 degrees before TDC.
The distributor can only be set in one way as I recall because the bar at the bottom of the spindle is slightly off set so you cannot be 180 degrees out as you can on other cars. From memory when the distributor is in and number one (which is the rear most cylinder) is set to TDC the rotor arm should be pointing to about 5 o'clock when looked at from over the top of the wing.
Anyone else out there please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

[Glyn Ruck]

The only way you can get the distributor 180 degrees out is if you disassemble it & reassemble with the point cam 180 deg out which puts the rotor slot 180 out & thus the rotor 180 out.

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[cass3958]

Thanks Glyn that is what I thought.

[DevilDog]

Since I had mine rebuilt by a pro, it will only go in one way. Got that part right. LOL.

[DevilDog]

Making progress. Hope to start her in a couple of weeks.

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[Glyn Ruck]

Looking good Joe ~ you really are making progress!

[DevilDog]

After a couple of tries, Miss Kitty fired up for the first time in 4 years and 9 months.

https://www.facebook.com/1965JaguarRestoration

or here: https://youtu.be/KjYR8E-UALA

[cass3958]

Your link does not work Joe but this one should.
https://www.facebook.com/1965JaguarRestoration
Great to see she started and is running again but is it really 4 years and 9 months since you took her off the road?

[Glyn Ruck]

Fantastic! ~ Good news! Congratulations Joe.

[DevilDog]

Yup....4 years and 9 months. So happy. Thanks guys for ALL your help.