Reno---
As daunting a task as it *looks* the Lister is really simple to put back together. I feel pretty good when I only have a washer or so left over.
The pinion is just a go-between 'idler' for the cam and crank, so it is the cam and crank gear that must be in time with each other and the pinion can really fit anywhere and be right...BUT, they're marked so proper orientation to the other two gears are right. I took mine apart and the gears weren't marked at all! Here's the valve timing. Find and mark TDC and BDC on the flywheel closest to the fuel pump and then divide the circumference into 18 equal segments. Those marks will be 20 degrees apart.
The intake valve opens 5 degrees BTDC (Before Top Dead Center)
The intake valve closes 15 degrees ABDC (After Bottom Dead Center)
The exhaust valve opens 55 degrees BBDC (Before Bottom Dead Center)
The exhaust valve closes 20 degrees ATDC (After Top Dead Center)
Start with the fuel pump cam lobe pointed at eleven O'clock and the engine at TDC with both valves closed. Using the figures above it's easy to see if you're one tooth off (and it wont run that way
). once you see the valves opening and closing at the proper place on the flywheel you can replace the cam cover and fuel pump tappet, etc. When I replaced the cam and pinion gear not long ago I got it timed as described above, *after* I tried to guess at it and missed by a tooth.
I mark my stuff with an auto center punch. No grinding dust and it only takes one hand and no power.
Be sure to time the fuel pump accurately. That's really important at high altitudes. I've tried up to five degrees each side of 20 degrees BTDC and 20 degrees seems to be the magic number for 5500 feet.
Look close at the simple stuff---- the manufacturers of some of these engines can do the DUMBEST things for no apparent reason. There QC test is audio only, I think. If they QC guy can hear in run without bad noises it must be *perfect*!
...the pinch slot on my rocker shaft mounting block was too thin so the rocker shaft was able to move a little and loosen up. (I saved it). Casting flash had stopped up the cooling galleys on one side of the head...big dings in the head and cylinder deck. A point on the fuel pump tappet 'fixing screw'.
It pays to look close and often for the first couple months as it runs. I have an IR heat gun that I wore out a battery on...just shooting one place after another seeing where the heat came first and how hot each part got. That gave me a base-line for future reference. I found sludge in the cooling galley of the head closest to the exhaust manifold by noticing the temperature was climbing in that area by a degree a month.
These engines are just a natural HOOT to work on, IF you don't mind getting as greasy as a bilge oiler. Everything about it as laid out vertical and horizonal and the mechanical linkages are all intuitive. There are no hidden, super-secret, rocket propelled parts to zing off over the fence or fancy snap rings and special tool only fasteners. The whole engine can be taken apart with two Crescent wrenches and a screwdriver.
Word of caution:: The Indians don't mind mixing up parts...the valve keepers on my engine are different from side to side. Just because two bolts of the same size are side by side does NOT mean the same wrench fits both nuts. Look out for the little spring in the top of the fuel pump. It comes out with the nut and then will fall out and bounce into the nearest hiding spot.
Gunsmiths lost part trick-- STRONG flashlight laying on the floor and sweep the beam around. The tiniest of irreplaceable parts become immediately visible....unless your ankle deep in shavings.
READ and look at ALL of George's CD...not just the meaty part about improving them. He's got some truly great ideas and diagnostics contained on that one disk
Bottom line-- IF the fuel lines are free of all air, and the fuel pump is timed right, and the injector works (squeeks), IT WILL CRANK and run. If it doesn't, look at what YOU did wrong. They are not at all tempremental. Mine fired (without the muffler on it) when I was just screwing around wondering how much compression it had!! The FIRST time I'd ever pulled it through a compression stroke.... No fuel pump on it, no nothing! And it fired off the WD-40 and 30 weight used to put it together. Talk about LOUD!
Nice place you have there!! I used to travel that area selling to the gold mines...stark, beautiful country with a LOT of horizons. Look out, I saw a spider that wouldn't fit in a Basque soup bowl east of Hawthorne one time.