Engine cut out

[Dotty traveller]

Hi can anyone help please. Just refitted my cylinder head exhaust manifold etc all new anti freeze in started her up running really sweet approx 5 minutes pressed the throttle pedal she coughed and spluttered stopped and now won't start again.any ideas please

[myoldjalopy]

Think we could do with a bit more information - when was the car last running well? When you say 'running really sweet', do you mean just ticking over? Why did you change the head? Is there oil in the dashpot? Fuel supply ok?

[Dotty traveller]

OK she popped a core plug on the way to a show last Sunday. I found out later it had previously been incorrectly fitted.as she had run dry and overheated. I took the precaution and decided to change head gasket and renew valve seals I reassembled as per manual instructions refilled rad etc.she started immediately. Prior to setting of last week I topped up the dash pot etc.she was ticking over perfect. Then when I pressed the throttle pedal she just cut out

[svenedin]

Did you set the valve clearances after changing the head gasket?

[Dotty traveller]

Yes reset tappets she turns over freely just won't fire up

[svenedin]

It's probably something simple. Do the usual, check for spark and petrol. Perhaps you disturbed a wire when you were doing the cylinder head? Check the manifold isn't leaking and that the choke is working (I'm assuming you disconnected the choke and throttle cables when you did the head gasket).

Stephen

[Dotty traveller]

I never disturbed the cables nor the carb I just moved the manifold away from the head still connected to the exhaust. I can't as yet see any electric fault but I just can't understand how she just stopped. I have fuel etc

[svenedin]

It may just be a coincidence that you just changed the head gasket and the fault is unrelated so check for fuel flow from the fuel pump and a spark from a plug lead and go from there. At a guess I be suspecting an air leak from the join between between manifold and head but that's only a guess based on the work you've done. Did you change the manifold gasket for a new one? Remember the manifold stud nuts are only torqued to 15 Lb/ft. If too tight the manifold could crack when it heats up and expands (it gets extremely hot).

Worst case scenario is that your head gasket has failed. If you have fuel and a spark you could move on to a compression test. Compression testers are not that expensive and a useful tool to have or perhaps you could borrow one. A very crude way of judging compression is to turn the engine over on the starting handle. This relies on you having a feel of what a normal engine is like. If very easy to turn over there's a compression problem.

This is a useful reference to print out for the garage: https://www.holden.co.uk/uploads/tech-docs/pdfs/484.pdf

Stephen

[simmitc]

Did you re-torque the head after the first heat cycle? Is the radiator level OK? Check compression on all four cylinders. Examine the spark plugs for clues. Beyond that, normal fault finding - start by checking for sparks and fuel.