Engine not starting

[jugsy]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and new to the world of Morris Minors and Traveller's so firstly I'd just like to say hello and to apologise for starting another 'engine not starting' thread!

I'm the very proud owner of a 1970 Traveller that I've now had for almost 2 weeks which needs a lot of restoration. This is my first car project so I appreciate that I'm on a steep learning curve and this forum has been an invaluable source of information thus far.

The first thing I'm looking at is the engine which as the title suggests doesn't start. To date I have followed some advice that I've come across on this forum but am now looking at where to look next. From an electrics perspective the car has a new battery, new HT leads (as the old ones were cracked), a new distributor cap (again old cracked), new plugs which I am confident have the right gap and a new rotor arm. The car also has a new solenoid however this wasn't fitted by me.

From a fuel perspective there is a new fuel pump (not fitted by me) and I have stripped and rebuilt the carb with all consumables replaced.

When I try to turn the ignition, I can hear the fuel pump (and have checked fuel is entering the carb) and the start motor turns over but the engine never fires. I have taken the plugs out and can see them sparking when I try to start and I have tried the trick of putting an egg cup worth of petrol into the carb and seeing if it started - all this did was blow vapour out of the air filter intake. I have also performed a pressure test and the results per cylinder were as follows:

1 - 155 PSI
2 - 152 PSI
3 - 155 PSI
4 - 157 PSI

From what I can make out these all seem pretty standard. Does anyone have any ideas on where to start next?

Thanks

Julian

[ianmack]

If you have fuel and sparks check the timing next, and also whether the new leads are on correctly.

[bmcecosse]

Check the HT leads are in correct order -1342 anticlockwise round the cap. then move them all round one place at a time to see if it starts in one position.

[simmitc]

Take out number 1 plug (the front one) and place your thumb firmly over the hole. Turn the engine by hand until you feel pressure starting to build. Remove your thumb from the hole and continue to turn the engine until the piston gets to TDC. Take the cap off the distributor and note to wear the rotor arm is pointing. The corresponding position on the cap is the lead that should be going to number 1 plug.

If you have not had the engine running, then it would be worth checking valve gaps (although with those pressure readings, the gaps should be OK) and the ignition timing. Good luck.

[jugsy]

Thanks for the next steps. The HT leads are in the right order but I'm not convinced by the distributor setting as looking online today it appears to have been turned 90 degrees anticlockwise. I'll look at that with the moving leads one position and at the ignition timing next and will let you know the outcome.

[jugsy]

I ended up having to replace pretty much all of the dizzy and spend a while on the timing but for the first time in 24 years the engine is running and better than that she is purring!

Thanks all for your advice, it's really appreciated.

So, brakes next!

[bmcecosse]

Well done - but be aware you may have fitted poorly made 'new' components which are very unreliable....

[aupickup]

fit accuspark dizzy for reliable perfermance