Timing with a True-Fire System

[drpepper1885]

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a 1912 Touring car that has a True-Fire system. I realize that there are many opinions regarding this system, but it is all I have at this time. I really need some advice from someone that has experience with this system. The phone number of Bittner Engineering on its website is disconnected and I don't know how to reach the manufacturer.

I recently had to change out the head gasket and perform some long overdue maintenance on the engine. In the course of buttoning her up for a restart, I wanted to make sure that the engine was timed correctly. (I am using one of the new Lang's LED timer tools as pictured). The True-Fire module is installed in a new timer shell as per the instruction sheet that came with the system. I used a new Anderson timer shell.

What is confusing to me is the position of the top of the timer when the engine is timed at 15 degrees off TDC (on the compression stroke). The hole for the timer rod is much more to the left than I was expecting. I rechecked my timing tool and checked three times to make sure that I was at the correct position on the compression stroke. I took some pictures to show the position of the rotor at TDC. The small rod inside the rotor is positioned between 11 o'clock and 12 o'clock.

I also added a picture showing the approximate positon of the timer when it is supposedly at 15 degress off TDC. You can see how far the timer rod hole is to the left of 12 o'clock.

The main question I have is whether or not this is normal for this type of system? If yes, then I will have quite a job manipulating the timer rod to make sure that it gets to where it needs to be and still clears the wire posts of the timer and the lower radiator tube.

I sincerely appreciate your time and thoughts on this perplexing matter.

Thank you,
Mike in Houston