Morris Minor Owners Club

I'm trying to get a 1275 engine to run in a Minor that has not been run for some time.
With a fully charged battery, I can get the plugs to spark happily. I have now got the petrol pump working and the dashpot is not stuck. Worried that the petrol may be old, I have swished a bit of fresh petrol through the carb (HIF) which I know got to the plugs...but it still won't fire.
The engine turns over easily enough, but it just doesn't try to fire. I am guessing that the timing is fine as it ran well the last time it was ran (around ten months ago I think)
Any ideas?

Thank you

How were the plugs earthed when you got them to spark? Could it be the engine earth strap underneath?

Otherwise I'd say points, condenser or a contact in the ignition system that needs cleaning if it's been laid up.

Going back to the old petrol-spark-compression mantra, how's the compression?

Plenty of oil circulation? It will all have followed gravity over the last ten months. If the oil pump is shot or not primed, you may have dry cylinders. Tried a bit of oil down the plug holes?

The plugs were just earthed against the cylinder Head. I gave the points a rough cleanup, but a proper bit of wet and dry and resetting the points may help. having said that, as the plugs were sparking, it should still have fired, or at least tried to fire.

There was good oil pressure too, but it is worth checking thankyou.

Good luck.

Please post when you figure out what it is.

Any of us might be in the same position in future.