Hi again all you listers (well, the ones who noticed I'd gone, anyway!)
Intrepid girl-mechanic from hell is back. <g>

My 1962 campervan has been neglected by me as it has been exam
season. I've been using it alot & carrying quite heavy loads (oh why do
I volunteer for these things?). It started sounding pretty rough a few days
ago & the red light was flickering sometimes. Turns out the fan-belt was
slipping slightly. I managed to chip a piece off the generator pulley
trying to get it off yesterday (oops), but I got it tight again.

What problems are there with too-loose valves - just lower power? I
did them a couple of months ago, but when I checked them yesterday
some were more like .008 than .006  (I erred too much on the safe side
last time).

Timing question:

This van has a 1966 engine..
The crankshaft pulley has TWO notches in it -- Muir says in an early 
edition that the first (LH) notch is 7.5deg. BTDC , and the second (RH)
notch is 10deg. BTDC.  Is this right?
According to a later copy of Muir I should have 3 timing notches.

My boyfriend has taught me a presumably unorthodox timing method
without using a static light. Set the engine at 7.5deg BTDC (or whatever),
set the distributor at the exact point it sparks as you rotate it.

What advantages are there to using a light over this method?

The spark was all over the place - big difference in strength & position.
Would this be because the point gap was wrong? (that was a nightmare
too... I need to get some emery paper & file it down & try again).

specific advice & general encouragement welcome.

Bonus question: does it matter that I broke a little piece out of the
generator pulley? I've effectively lengthened one of the notches, but
haven't warped it.

The brakes are still doing great BTW :-)
Clutch is hanging in there (that'll be my epic job for this winter).

Sarah
'62 Dormobile
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sarah@sprynet.co.uk
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/slg/