Baffled.

[Harold R]

I've been busy replacing the front engine cover on my cub. While disassybling, I left the distributor attached and removed the govenor, pulley , and then the engine cover. Installed newer front cover with an intact fan mount, re-installed pulley , and, while going back with the govenor.....couldn't find the two dots on the gear that turns the govenor. After rotating the engine, I found them in a position that didn't correspond to any timing mark. Remembering when I removed the govenor, I don't recall seeing them then. I triple checked TDC on the fan pulley, and it corresponds with the number 1 piston at top. I didn't remove any of the gears from the front of the engine. Is it possible, that the previous owner didn't bother to match up the dots? Just made sure that the engine was at TDC and mounted the distributor first, placed the rotor in #1 firing position....then installed the govenor to match the drive of the distributor? I guess I'll have to do the same.......or pull everthing back off.....

[Matt Kirsch]

With a distributor, it's not critical to have the governor timed properly. The only time it's crucial is if you're running a magneto.

[Charles (49) Mo]

Be shure its ready to fire on #1 cylinder. Its possible its 180 degrees out.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

HR, you are probalby correct in your assessment. When I bought Missy (49, originally had a magneto) it had been sloppily rebuilt and the shop that did the job had told the owner the mag was bad and sold him a distributor. When I went to instal a magneto on it I discovered the governor gear was out of time. Apparently the rebuilder forgot to time it and was to lazy to pull the fornt cover back off, so he sold the owner a distributeor and kept the mag. Probably sold it to someone else.

[Harold R]

Just for review, for my own benefit, with the #1 spark plug out, standing on the carburator side looking down into the combustion area, the intake valve is NOT the outermost valve. Rotate the engine until intake valve opens....closes and piston reached peak of stroke. Check to see fan pulley is indicating TDC. ?????

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

put your thumb over the spark plug hole for #1. turn crank untill you feel pressure start to build. piston is then coming up on compresion for cylinder and timign mark should line up soon.