Is this a sign of a blown head gasket or worse?

Post by **ptitterington** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 9:19 am

I swapped all the parts from my old engine to the supposed low mileage one purchased locally. So I have not altered the carburettor.

I cranked the engine over (stupidly without removing the old plugs)

I have replaced plugs points all high tension parts and I get a spark and the odd miss fire. I think the timing needs setting from scratch as I think the previous owner may have removed the distributer and put it back in.

Anyway when I crank it over I get short squirts of petrol from the front (Radiator end) of the carb. I cant even see a hole where it would come from. Is this exaust gas forced through the inlet manifold?

Any help appreciated.

Post by **alzax3** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 10:32 am

It could be, but this sounds like timing - and I also had similar problems once with a defective distributer. The fact that you're getting a 'squirt' from where you're describing sounds like back pressure forcing fuel out of the float chamber: there is a breather hole covered by a thin metal cap just in front of the fuel inlet. Head gasket will affect water and oil in their galleries, and could cause a misfire between two cylinders, but the valves should usually prevent blow back through the carb, and if the fuel had been through the carb and was being blown back it would be as a mist (or small explosion!) through the intake not a squirt.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 11:00 am

Have the valve gaps been set -and are the valves all going up and down ?

Post by **ptitterington** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 5:34 pm

Thanks for the replies.

I removed rocker and doing basic ignition setup (establishing TDC on ignition stroke) found that the rotor arm was pointing at a different place to the way the leads were set up. I then just re-placed the leads to suit 1243, and it fired up and ran just fine. Apart from no exhaust pipe.

Will borrow a strobe and set in the week when hopefully the exhaust kit arrives and I find if I can fit a saloon s.steel exhaust to a pickup.

Oh and thanks to another post about oil filters. Thought something was wrong when I replaced, yes no spring or plate present.

Post by **PSL184** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 5:38 pm

ptitterington wrote:I find if I can fit a saloon s.steel exhaust to a pickup.

Yes, you can ie its the correct length but you will have to make up hangers for the rear as the pick up / van originally had the exhaust exiting out the side....

Post by **ptitterington** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 5:59 pm

Does it matter what the position of the distributor is? on my other minors, when all was correct if you took a line from the vacuum pipe it pointed towards no.2 cylinder plug, on this one it is pointing at lhs of no 3 spark plug.

Post by **PSL184** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:11 pm

Firing order is "1 3 4 2" so if yours is firing "1 2 4 3" then something is in the wrong place. However, if it is running OK then it probably doesn't matter ;-)

Post by **ptitterington** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:36 pm

Sorry brain on backwards today. Of course you are correct as rotor goes the other way around.
Peter

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 8:05 pm

It doesn't matter at all where the dizzy points - but some ways it's tricky to get the side clips on/off - and as above - the vacuum unit can end up facing an odd direction. Well done swapping the leads around! It was going to be my next suggestion after you confirmed valves were going up and down. The way you described initially - I wondered if one or more valves were maybe stuck open.

Post by **ptitterington** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:10 pm

Just double checked, Idiot, I had it set 1 4 2 3 and it ran pretty well, trouble was with no exhaust and timing not set was hard to tell!

Now with the correct firing order runs lovely. Need to get some unleaded into the tank now.

Post by **ptitterington** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:42 pm

Well still need to tweak timing with strobe but drove fine around the block, bit of a grumble from clutch release bearing. Knew I should have changed it.

Anyway will look at brakes next as spongy and binding.

I was also given these, no use to me, not sure if any good but the bloke who sold me the engine was planning to fit it.

Post by **PSL184** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:50 pm

Top one is a useful upgrade especially if done in conjunction with some head porting, cam swap and a decent exhaust system. Bottom pic I'm not sure about but it looks like a twin carb intake so it couldn't be used if you were fitting the single carb in the top pic....

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:48 am

Aye - the twin carb inlet is pretty hopeless - Vizard criticises it heavily! But clean it up and stick it on ebay - maybe get £10 for it! The Howley inlet is supposedly very good - and that larger HIF carb is good too! Can't see if it's size 38 or size 44 - not much point fitting to an otherwise standard engine - although it would release maybe 3 extra horses. Will give of it's best (as PSL says) with head and possibly cam improvements - but cam not essential if you have a 1098 - it's ok as it is.

Post by **ptitterington** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:42 pm

Well has found a home with a member on this site.

linearaudio · Post by **linearaudio** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 5:06 pm

ptitterington wrote:Well has found a home with a member on this site.

Not such a cavernous great 'ole as the MG Metro one! Many thanks again!