MG Car Repair: wont start, wd 40, cylinder test

Question
Have 1275 mg engine it wont start have just put in a electronic DISTRIBUTOR I lost the timming so putting #1piston top DC put rotor inline with the #1plug wire NO go. have spark, Im alittle confusedas to the #1 piston is it facing the front of the car or at the firewall. Have tried both ways cant get it started

Answer
Hi James,
The 1275 Austin engine can have either the front cylinder called #1 but I always call the front cylinder #1.
Most mechanics will tell you that the easiest engine to fix is one that won't run and the hardest one to fix is one that won't run occasionally.
Over the years in dealerships when I would have a car come in on the hook that don't run I just went through a procedure.
First check the compression. Throttle open, all plugs out and turn the engine of at least 4 or 5 revolutions on each cylinder test. You must see from 135 to 180 PSI on each cylinder with little difference between cylinders. If that is not correct, it is no use proceeding.
If that is OK then I do a preliminary check of spark and timing. Put all the plugs on their plug wires and lay all the plugs on a metal part of the engine and so you can watch #1. Then put your thumb over #1 plug hole and key on and spin the engine over with the starter. As each time the #1 piston comes up on compression it will blow your thumb off of the hole with a "Pop" sound. At the same time the plugs will make a "Click" sound as they spark. The spark should be a thick blue spark and it will seem that the "Pop" is causing the "Click" of #1. If you see a "Click - Pop" or a "Pop - Click" The timing is possibly off enough for it to not start and thus it must be corrected. If it is OK to this point, put the plugs back in and be sure the firing order is correct in the cap (1,3,4,2)
Now hit the starter and spray either starter fluid or something like WD-40 in the intake while someone tries to start the engine. If it starts on a spray but will not continue to run, you need to test the fuel pressure (1.5 to 3 PSI)
These tests will locate any problem. Thus narrow the fault to a very small area.
Howard