Wont start after rebuild!

[lockupchap]

This is a really useful thread - I'm having a very similar problem on my Traveller project after fitting a recon engine bought from a supplier with good feedback on this Forum.

I'll try the suggestions given to Mr Coulson.

[bmcecosse]

Every supplier gets good feedback on this forum!!!

[kennatt]

[stag36587]

Delighted and somewhat amazed that my Minor started this morning for first time in 20 years

I ran the fuel line from a plastic 5 litre petrol can at rear of car and it started first time, so looks like it's time to shell out for a new fuel tank because my extensive de-rusting/cleaning efforts on the old one clearly haven't worked. I still have leak between exhaust and manifold joint, but am still in shock so will sort that another time.

Big thanks to guys on here for their help, especially bmc and Kennatt, on this thread and "first signs of life" thread on the Electrical forum. I'm sure there will be lots still to do to get it running exactly as it should but getting it started now gives me fresh motivation to finish off bodywork and mechanicals.

[beero]

Well done, great feeling eh?

[bmcecosse]

Well done !! Retorque the head after the first heat cycle.

[stag36587]

Well done, great feeling eh?

You bet!

[lockupchap]

Rewarding to get the old beast running, is it not?

Had a similar experience today when - with help from this thread - my recon motor fired up.

After looking at the valves I deduced that the timing was out by 180 degrees. But the dizzy spindle would only go into the block at 180 degrees 'out' after several attempts to make it fit how I reckoned it should be. To add to the confusion, the only way the dizzy fitted was clearly wrong, but the same way up as it was in the old engine, and the same way up as the dizzy on a scrap A series engine nestling at the back of my 'nigel farage'.

I got round the problem by moving each HT lead on the dizzy cap by 180 degrees. I'm not familar with how the dizzy drive mates up to the camshaft(?), but I didn't think it was possble for the dizzy drive (as opposed to the fitting of the dizzy onto it) to be 180 degrees out. Is it?

It didn't fire straight away, though. It cranked and then struggled to turn, but the problem disappeared when I disconnected the HT lead from the coil. So I deduced the remaining problem was down to pre-ignition. The few degrees of adjustment in the rectangular dizzy mounting holes wasn't enough. So I slackened the pinch bolt and retarded the dizzy about 20 degrees. Success!! That's a head scratcher, though. The old engine ran well - if smokily - with the dizzy at the mid point in the adjustable mounting holes, but it needed to be retarded by about 20 degrees in the new engine before it would run. I didn't move the pinch bolt between taking the dizzy off the old engine and putting it in the new one. This is only of theoretical rather than practical interest, but it doesn't add up to me. Does it to anyone else?

[bmcecosse]

The dizzy drive can be put in many different positions - so yes -one spline round is perfectly possible - as is 180 degrees! Don't worry about it -it matters not. Well done realising it was kicking against the starter. To set it up to best advantage, you need to road test and listen for pinking - if none, keep advancing till it DOES pink, and then retard very slightly so it's 'not quite' pinking. Simples!!

[lockupchap]

I was going to dig out the old strobe, hope it wakes properly after a few years' hibernation and use that to set the timing. Must admit I'm not looking forward to laying underneath the front of a car with the engine runnning. In view of what's happened, I suppose it's a guess as to whether the strobe should be attached to HT lead 1 or 4.

[bmcecosse]

Why would you want a 'strobe' - what are you going to set it to? The only way is to road test and adjust.

[lambrettalad]

bmc what took you so long

get the engine hot ,then turn dizzy slowly till tick over peaks .this makes a good reference point ,remember where every thing is attach strobe and note timing mark,1 or two degrees btdc at around 800-900 revs makes a good starting point you can return to if every thing coc*s up.road test from here

[bmcecosse]

I was given a strobe 40+ years ago - it's still in the box, unused.....

[stag36587]

I've found my strobe quite useful - but only when I have a car with timing marks. I can't find any on my car where they supposedly should be, though I do have a notch on the flywheel.

[bmcecosse]

Even if you have marks - what will you set it to???

[moggiethouable]

"Strobes" excellent for when I get me saturday night fever gear on.
"Get down you funky white seks machine"

[bmcecosse]

Crikey.....

[IslipMinor]

'Stag36587'

What do you have as the connection between the fuel line and the tank? The connection fulfills two functions - the first is to connect the fuel line to the tank, and the second, and separate one, is to make a sealed connection between the fuel line and the pick-up tube inside the tank.

If the second part is not achieved, the pump will suck air rather than fuel. I bought a 'pattern' fuel line and did not realise that the fitting at the tank end was wrong and did not make the secondary seal, so that whenever we were going uphill with anything less than a 1/4 full tank, it would 'run out of fuel'. Changing the tank fitting for the proper type, sealed the fuel line to the pick-up tube as it should do, and all back to normal.

[lockupchap]

Even if you have marks - what will you set it to???

I'll use the BTDC figures in the workshop manual.

Maybe I'm conditioned by owning 1980s versions of the A Series/A Plus years ago in Metros, where the timing needed to be spot on or they ran dreadfully, especially in the overstretched, high-geared 1 litre.

It took me a while to find a timing mark on the camshaft pulley whilst I was cleaning and painting the Minor's block and ancillaries before re-assembly. It's as shallow as a gnat's armpit, and I'm not surprised that stag36587 can't find his mark. I decided it looked far easier to paint the notch white then than groping for it in the dark with the whole shebang back together.

[bmcecosse]

The figures in the manual are so out of date to be nothing more than (and possibly always were) an approximate guide.... Just set the dizzy to give best idle, then road test and listen for pinking - and adjust until it it's not quite' pinking. If this results in an uneven idle - then you will need to ( very probably will have to) modify the mechanical advance in the dizzy...