Morris Minor Owners Club

So - when there was smoke - did the engine actually run for a few revolutions ? If so - then the timing must have been very close. I suggest you dry the plugs - maybe in an oven (see other thread) before trying again.

Well, I would say it didn't manage a full rev, but I could be remembering wrongly. In fact I'd say it only did a couple of cylinders!
I'm going to dry the plugs, as well as clean them and reset the gaps- what's the correct gap again?
Unfortunately tonight has been taken up working on the fuel pump, which started leaking through the filter bolt. I'm replacing the entire lower body, since the bolt is completely unmoveable by any method I know- so it's into the spares box, where I have at least five pumps, when I can find them...

Plug gaps 0.024 - 0.026 in. (25 thou to you or me.)

Well, this is how I set things up; I hope it's the setup that's wrong.
HT lead is connected to spark plug, whose body is earthed to copper heating pipe. The other end of the HT is touched to the rotor arm (all this with the ignition on). Then, a pair of (rubber-insulated handle) long-nose pliars is used to prise the contacts apart in the dizzy.
I did this and got no spark!
Time for some more diagnostic wizardry...
Incidentally, when the fuel pump is blowing out through the inlet and nothing through the outlet, I need to reset the throwover, right? Just that's what's happening now the lower body's been replaced... I don't think this car wants to start!

Also, I suspect (considering my references to valves five and six, not seven and eight) that my consideration of TDC is probably out... Not sure how much effect that has had on the timing, since I probably messed up anyway!

By the way thank you for the plug setting. They have duly been reset.

With the distibutor cap off, connect a single plug lead to the HT output on the coil (the one that normally goes to the centre of the distributor cap). Stick a plug in the other end, and rest it on the engine somewhere so it earths the plug body. Flick the points open with the ignition on, and you should see a spark across the plug gap. If not, you've got a problem with the LT wiring, the coil itself, the HT lead or the plug.

I think I see what I'm doing wrong- the HT doesn't go to the rotor, it connects the coil, that sealed unit on top of the dynamo! I'll retry...

So, all idiocies that I have committed aside, this is where we stand.
Of course, it wasn't the throwover at all. It was a missing disc in the outlet valve, and with some juggling of the body (and the addition of the disc) the whole thing now works.
I did the test with the HT lead to the ignition coil. (Which was rather hot- I left the ignition on this morning, idiot that I am.) It works- there is indeed a spark, a strong blue one. However, I did the next bit- connected up the dizzy cover and all the plugs, earthed them all to the block, turned the crank- no reaction. I could clearly hear the contact breaker sparking every half rotation (as before, certain points don't seem to cause a spark), but there was nothing at any plug. I loosened the body and did a little improvised test- I started at the most extreme anti-clockwise I could turn the body, and incrementally rotated the body clockwise, cranking the engine through two complete revolutions (just to make sure) at each increment. Not sure if this would be effective, but I figured it would be a good way to get roughly correct timing, as when I finally got a spark that would mean the timing was right. No increment produced a spark. Could there still be a circuit problem?
I'm not going to get the engineer in- I think I can do this. It seems so close! Just a little further...

Jack where are you located? Im in sylmar.
near veterans park.

If you have a spark from the coil direct to the engine but not when going through the distributer, theh the problom must bi inside the dizzy.
Just a silly question, if you remove the dizzy cap and crank the engine, does the rotor arm move?

It does, it rotates fully. Nothing is too silly for me to have forgotten!
I'm in NJ, Princeton... Not so grreat as CA but still ;)

Yep - as Steve says - the coil and points etc are all working. Now - the main HT lead should run from the coil to the centre post on the dizzy cap - if that lead good? Then inside the dizzy cap there is a little carbon brush in the middle which is spring loaded so it can bob up and down - is it there ? It contacts the centre of the rotor arm - which then distrubutes the spark out to the leads in turn. If the points are sparking when the rotor is not at a contact inside the cap - then no spark will get to the plugs! So - back to the #1 plug and as before - set it at tdc with both valves shut - then turn dizzy until the contact for lead to #1 plug is at the rotor arm edge. then set the other leads on the cap - 1342 anti clock. It WILL go!

I have sparks! Turned out the central HT lead from dizzy to coil was not working... I replaced that and bingo! Nice spark, weaker at first but I adjusted the body slightly and that seemed to help as the sparks became strong and blue-white rather than a bit pink. I've tightened the clamp, made sure that at TDC plug 1 sparks (using proper TDC- ie valves SEVEN and EIGHT)(Finally got that right ), which it now does, and they're sparking in the 1342 order.
So everything should start! I'm fixing a leak on the timing cover (I forgot to tighten two of the bolts the last time I removed the sump, which I went through a period of doing pretty often just before I started this thread) and I've made sure that there are no other leaks, all is set to go!
Actually, I have a question. My boot compartment always smells very strongly of petrol. I know the petrol tank's there, but should it really be that bad? Does it suggest a leak or something? Just wondered, it's never had any effect on the car but I'd prefer it to be fixed if it's dodgy...
I'll update this when it starts!
Out for now--

No, there shouldn't be a strong petrol smell in the boot. The most likely causes are the filler pipe or the level sender gasket.

Or the top of the tank is perforated with little rust pin holes! There should be NO petrol smell in the boot!
Well done finding that HT lead broken - fingers crossed for starting in time for Christmas!

fingers crossed for starting in time for Christmas!

No need! I just started it! It ran beautifully for about six seconds, then cut out- really nicely. Only issue was that it cut out, and that it produced rather a lot of smoke and some Eau de Burnt Oil- but I think that's the stuff I squirted through the spark plug holes before I started the car.

Great stuff !!!!
Your petrol smell - had this not too long ago, it had before i got it had a new fuel guage sender fitted, it wasnt fitted correctly on the gasket (being a trav its awkward to see without removing the floor shelf).
Simple to fix, take it off, refit so the gasket was in the right place and also used a bit of instant gasket for good measure problem solved.
Also check the rubber filler pipe to metal tank neck jubilee clip is done up tightly.

You should lose the smoking after its run warm for a while - all the time you were cranking it without ignition there would have been oil building up in the cylinder bores. Good time to make sure your plugs are nice and clean again now youe can start it.

Keep up the good work and got admire your patience

Great stuff Jack glad you are getting there at last, and as for the rubber filler pipe to the tank these can sometimes develop a split which may be causing the smell in the boot.

Well done at getting it started in time for Christmas.

The petrol smell in the boot could be the sender unit itself leaking. I had the same problem on my Traveller. I replaced the gasket to start with, and it didn't help. Eeventually found out petrol was coming up through the sender itself. A new unit cured it.

Try the gasket and check the filler hose first though, its cheaper!

What a great thread. You deserve success your for all your hard work and perseverance The advice you have been given is great. I have seen dizzys put back 180 degrees out more than once. It usually means a loud back fire. Congratulations to all of you Ray