Not started in years, what to do first?

Post by **Mogster** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:05 pm

Cheers fellas, have ordered a new pump and when it arrives I'll hotfoot it down to nearest plumbing supply company and see what they can do. There must be a union that will fit and be leak proof and I'd imagine there must be a device to make a join onto the existing pipe?

Post by **Dean** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:19 pm

I'd guess so, it's all standard size stuff really... no plastic push fit stuff though

!

Post by **Mogster** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:31 pm

Thanks Dean. Do you (or anyone else) happen to know the diameter of the original copper(?) fuel line from tank to pump please? Cheers.

Post by **alex_holden** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:50 pm

I think the original pipe was steel. Not sure about the diameter but it's slightly larger than the brake pipes.

Post by **Mogster** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:18 pm

Taadaa! Nice one fellas, it's running! Got the original type pump for it and some braided fuel line (Bull Motif) and as advised went to a plumber's merchants. They supplied a screw on fitting for the pump and told me I'd need 10mm copper pipe ideally. Only did a large roll (twenty odd quid) so I whizzed down to B&Q as I also needed some sort of 'male' joint to attach the fuel line to. B&Q supplied the joint but no joy with the pipe as again large quantities only. Anyhow I also got some fibre washers as the pump has one fitted and with putting the joint on I didn't want to take a chance. So, after a careful check of what I needed, I got cracking this afternoon, fitted the original type pump, connected everything up then checked/double checked/quadruple checked everything was on tight and in the right place and turned the key. Pump definately working but quite noisey and car ran but wouldn't rev up, then stopped altogether. Neighbour was near by and he checked the one small piece of old fuel line I temporarily re-used and discovered it was blocked. Different piece of fuel line on, all connected, pump goes noticeably quieter (so obviously being loaded with fuel) and I tried again. Bingo! Running and ticking over no bother but not firing on all four. The main thing is starts on the button and will stay ticking over so that's a massive result. Next is change oil and filter again, replace badly leaking rad and small piece of pipe so I can leave it ticking over for ages again, then check whether it's the leads, the old fuel or the points that need looking at to make it fire on all four. Engine sounds fine apart from mis-fire: no knocks, no rattles, no bangs so really chuffed with it now.
Oh, one thing I will need is about 6 inches of braided fuel pipe to go from metal fuel line and fuel pump. The problem here is the line from the tank is fairly narrow but the part of the pump the line needs attaching to the other end is wider so I need a sort of flared braided fuel pipe, one end wider than the other. Is that the kind of thing I could buy/have made from somewhere or do I need to adapt somehow?
Thanks and regards from a very happy Morris owner

Pictures of pump, as I say need more fuel line and some checking again afterwards...

And half hearted bash at some T-cutting...

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:10 pm

Well done getting it going. You will find braided pipe is quite forgiving and will likely fit both sizes of pipe if you clamp it up enough. Otherwise - get two bits of copper pipe - slide one inside the oethre and solder them together to make the stepped pipe you need.
The mis-firing - could be just a dodgy plug, or some HT ignition malady, or valve gaps needing adjusted, or a burned exhaust valve, or (less likely) a blow head gasket. Try turning the engine over by hand on the starting handle - plugs in but ignition off. Do all 4 compressions feel equally hard to turn over the top ? Better of course to do a proper compression test with a gauge - but the handle will give you an idea if there is anything majorly wrong.

Post by **Mogster** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 7:14 pm

Cheers. Still haven't located starting handle unfortunately and being honest living in hope it's something like leads or fuel or points. Old petrol still smells sort of stale/horrible and though I've added some fresh I expect the mixture of old and new in the tank is probably favouring the old at the moment. Plugs are brand new so hoping they're ok but leads are not looking good at all. In fact I should have tried removing one lead at a time and see if it made any difference, can't believe I didn't think of that earlier. I'd like to sort the running (and radiator) problems out fully before moving on to other areas so fingers crossed it's a simple fix. Thanks once again.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:08 pm

If it's running it's probably not too serious - but try to borrow a compression test gauge.

Post by **Dean** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:07 pm

Great feeling hey Mogster? Glad you finally got it going, I'm sure it'll be something simple.... once right there's nothing like the sound of a revving moggy.

Oh yes and you had to slip in a polished bonnet photo! Everyone does that... why oh why oh why do we always get a polished bonnet photo...

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:03 am

Youare going to have to spray that bonnet anyway - so don't get any wax on it!

Post by **Mogster** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:56 am

Cheers Dean, you're dead right mate it's a brilliant feeling, especially to someone like me who has the mechanical abilities of drunken slug!
We had T-cutted a bit of the wing and some of the roof first incidentally, just easier to photograph the bonnet due to car's location. The seats are coming up well too, bought some professional interior cleaner and slowly but surely years of grime are coming off.
BMC should be able to borrow a compression tester I would have thought, bonnet (and other paintwork) very much on the back burner for now though! How easy is it to get rattle cans in the original colour (Almond green?) by the way please? I'm going to have temporarily repair the door bottom on one side and I'll need to blow it over. Thanks and regards.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 12:07 pm

Rattle cans in most colours from Bull Motif and no doubt others. Not too expensive for touching up.

Post by **Mogster** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:16 pm

Right then....

went to it today after at least a week of standing and wouldn't start. Changed batteries after one went flat trying and then it ran. Still not perfect but running non-the-less. I'm thinking it could be the cruddy old fuel coming through that isn't helping.
Anyhow decided to do the plug lead test after we had it fired up: removed one, re-started car, tried to see if it made a difference and then replaced lead and moved on to next one.
What we found was that with nearest an farest leads off (individually) the car wouldn't start but with either centre ones it would. We thought we'd see what would happen if we removed both centre leads and the car still started and sounded the same. What we haven't tried is swapping the known good leads for a duff one to eliminate leads, but is there a likely reason both centre ones when removed didn't make a difference? I could understand one (faulty plug or lead) but not both. Incidentally last time we checked (admittedly a while back now) all were sparking but didn't really observe how well, or can't remember anyhow.
If anyone has any idea why removing the centre leads made no difference I'd be grateful of your suggestions. Thanks in advance.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 11:44 pm

May be the head gasket has blown through between 2 nd 3 cylinders. Are you sure the firing order is set 1342 anti-clock round the dizzy cap - no chance 2 and 3 have been mixed up ? Or -it may simply be that 2 and 3 have slightly burned exhaust valves - they do share a port and are therefore more likely to come to grief than the other two. If external checks/swaps don't help - then OFF with it's head!