Another Car!

['The Gaffer']

Fingers crossed for you on the smoke Bri

[Bulldog Bri]

Well. The car has had an MoT. Failed on a fair bit. Lol. I've sorted most of the problems now, electrics, welding etc... I've also had on the way back, very bad running, missing on a couple of cyl's So took the head off found 1 valve seat badly burnt and some of the others on their way. reground them all and with a new head gasket put it all back together. I know I've got spark and fuel. The engine turns over but won't fire just the ocational cough. I've tried to test the compression but my tester is old and may not reading any more as I can't belive it's gone from running to no compression that quick. Has anyone got a compression tester that they could bring over  (kingswood area) or lend before I rip the head off again. PLEASE 

['The Gaffer']

Sure you havent put the plugs leads back the wrong way round or something as simple as that?

Hopefully someone will have a compression tester you can borrow.

[Hairy Santa]

Hi Bri,

just spotted you text on the phone

think your engine is 1-3-4-2, make sure you dont have the middle ones ass about tit, or you will have 1-2-4-3 and it wont like that

take off rocker cover,  recheck the tappets, dont forget only adjust inlet when the opposite inlet is down  like wise for the exhaust ones, this is important

I do have a tester here but trying my hardest to put my engine back in at the moment so a bit stuck at the mo, but if you want to come and grab it feel free

Pete

[Bulldog Bri]

Thanks Pete, Have checked firing order, the dizzy can only go in one way as well so not 180 out, tappets checked and rechecked. Might drop by tomorrow morning to borrow it, if thats ok.

[Bulldog Bri]

Thanks to Pete for coming over and working through things on the engine with me. I've now taken the head back off and going to reseat the valves through again. I've also taken the pistons out and have a new set of rings on order. Will get hold of some Wellseal to help seal the head down next time. MoT is booked for Tuesday morning. Fingers crossed. 

['The Gaffer']

Strange one that, hope you get it sorted.

[Bulldog Bri]

Just a quick plea...  Has anyone got a ring compressor I can borrow for Saturday, Please 

[Sumov8]

Brian

I have one and can take it into the mail centre for tomorrow if you want

Steve

[Bulldog Bri]

That would be great. thanks. could you leave it in the key office. otherwise I get there around 1:50 I could meet at the entrance door. Thanks.

[Sumov8]

I will drop them into the Key Office around 08:00

[Bulldog Bri]

Thanks Steve. just picked it up. Will get it back to you at a meeting probably easiest. 

[Sumov8]

No problem Brian, we shouldnt need it for a while, "Hopefully"

[Bulldog Bri]

In the words of Victor Meldrew. " I DON'T BELIVE IT!!!"

I have now completely stripped and rebuilt the engine.... Pistons out. cleaned and new rings. the head off and the valves rechecked and a little more regrinding. new 'o' rings int the carb to stop the leaks. New head gasket checked and fitted with Wellseal to help seal it down.

Turned the engine over and got water shoting out of cylinder 4 to start with then spitting out of all plug holes. Though on the plus side did have some compression to start with but back down to 50psi on all cylinders.......

Think I'll be looking for a new engine soon at this rate. 

['The Gaffer']

You are not having much luck there mate, I recon you must have a warped cylinder head.

[Krazyken]

Bri

Sorry to hear about your engine woes, with this many head gasket problems you might be better off with a Rover K Series. 

[Bulldog Bri]

Update. What's been done.

Engine was running on only 2 cyl's, so took head off to do a decoke and see if there was any other problems. 1 valve had almost burnt through its seat and a couple others were starting. Ground them back in, they are all good now.

Rebuilt the engine with new head gasket, found I was getting a lot of water in No4 cylinder and no compression.
So took the head off again checked for anything that could be stopping the gasket sealing, nothing. So put it all back together, same thing,

Removed it and rebuilt it again, this time a little compression and no water. Did a wet test with oil down the bores, that lifted the compression very slightly. (10psi at most) and water again. I've still fitted new rings as well at this point while the engine was in bits.

Removed the head again and refitted using Wellseal to try and get a good seal to the Head. No difference. So one last idea, I put the old head gasket back in (with Wellseal again) and Compression now between 135-150psi on all cylinders.

From there I refitted all the ancillaries and tried to start the engine.

I have...
1. Fuel. Pump was stripped and cleaned, lots of sludge blocking inner filter. Carb I took apart as well 50 years of muck in that to. Fitted new o rings to the brass adjuster underneath as it did leak a little
2. Compression. New rings and valves re-seated. Tested with 2 different testers
3. Spark, even ran direct wire from battery to coil
4. Timing chain wasn't touched, and ran ok before and checked since.
5. Set the carb to leanest setting and increased in small bits
6. Engine also ran for about a min but then would not restart (on Sunday), and started again yesterday but quickly died. Managed to start again this morning only for a brief time (few secs) but in that time the down pipe from the manifold I could see was glowing red !!! wondering if exhust pipe could be blocked. Could this be a cause?

Big Thanks to Pete again for coming over and working with me on it.  and Steve for the loan of the Ring compressor.

Now got mobile mechanic coming in this afternoon, MOT has been put back a day. 

[YellaBelly]

Kick me if I'm wrong Bri, but isn't glowing exhaust a sign of mucho weak mixture i.e. 'hot & lean' ?

Just a thought, not much I know.

['The Gaffer']

So much for the replacement gasket then .. Sue em' for your wasted time. Hope you get a result.

[paintman]

It's got to be warped surely or i would get it pressure tested at least......very strange.

[Bulldog Bri]

YB - Could be I don't know  but I do get wet plugs after trying to start it...

[Hairy Santa]

Glowing exhaust  - now thats pointing weak mixture, or ign timing to far advanced or a mixture of both, I dont think its the timing as when I set the dissy I thought it was fairly close   - when it ran on Sunday it sounded pretty good and on all 4 cyl's -

have you still got good compression

still recon its fuel  -  make sure no leaks on inlet manifold   - try for another carb from somewhere prob best idea

 

[Bulldog Bri]

Mobile Mech did manage to get the car running a bit though it now feels like its back to running lumpy again but did run!

I've got the car draged down to the garage now for its test, fingers crossed. I didn't start it this morning before getting it there as it starts better when cold. Now just waiting on a phone call. 

[Lucky Ed]

Have you thought about old/stale fuel?. I have had the same symptoms on generators and lawn mowers that have sat around for a while

ie. poor starting, running rough and glowing red hot exhaust.

Just a thought, a quick easy fix if it is

[Bulldog Bri]

Thanks for the thought Ed, but I've been through a few jerry cans worth of fuel while working on the car plus I also put in yhe lead replacement additive.

No call by lunchtime, so stopped of on my way to work, to be told the tester wasn't in now today. 

So I've got to wait another day. 

[Camber Dave]

Hi Brian

I've been following your thread and you have been doing everything obvious.
However your comments on the glowing exhaust reminded me of a couple of cars I had problems with.

Many years ago I was servicing a Lotus and replaced the plugs with the correct ones BUT previously the HT leads had been changed for the wrong resistor type  and the combination gave all the symptoms of weak mixture that was incurable until I changed the plugs back to a non resister type.

Also one of my own cars developed a 'fuel starvation' problem. Slowing on gradients, ect ect. After changing pump, fuel lines, flushing tank, stripping the carb 5 times etc. I cured this by using plugs of a different heat range.

Check your plugs and HT leads are the old fashioned non resistor type.

Dave

[Bulldog Bri]

Hi Dave

Now that is very interesting, I have fitted new style plugs, the triple tip type (Accuspark I think) When I get the car back I'll change them for the ones I've got in the Locost, see if that makes a difference.

[Hairy Santa]

what has the mobile mech touched or altered to get it to start again ?

thought those were the original plugs from before you stripped it, if they arn't put the old ones back in - there are to many things being altered at once to denote where the problem was in the beginning and why the problems now

are you still getting good compresion ?

[YellaBelly]

I agree with Pete. Best thing to do is try and get back to the original setup and change one thing at a time. Always makes it so much more difficult if you do several things at once.

JB

[Bulldog Bri]

Well got the car down to the garage for it MoT on Wednesday and the tester was off sick  same again on Thursday  He was in Friday so had a word with him, he said not testing that in that condition  I asked why he said it won't start, so I played for only a couple of mins and got it going even though it did run the night before I took it down. Once he heard it goign he came over and had a look noticed that 2 plug leads were around the wrong way  could have sworn when I left it they weren't, so switched them back and it ran even better with no smoke even with a good rev' so he then said he'd test it. Saturday morning popped in and its in the garage workshop but not been looked at then. so now will have to wait till Monday. 

Once it's back, will be making it pretty and getting a new hood made, then get it gone.

[YellaBelly]

Time to get a new MOT station methinks Bri?

[Bulldog Bri]

Finally...........




The news is good, it only failed on a lower trunion worn and a slighty freyed seat belt. So quick stop off at Moss and the new bits dropped off yesterday eve.... Hopefully done this morning. If it behaves for me I may be bringing it down to Queens Sq (Still unpainted  ) but a chance for a run 

Then all I have to do is make it look pretty and a new roof (getting quote today) and thats one done. 

['The Gaffer']

So what was the engine problem conclusion then Bri?

[Bulldog Bri]

To be honest... not entirely sure. Just seems to have slowly cleared up and runs a lot better could still do with a good tuning but it does run!

[Bulldog Bri]

MoT cert' issued today. Now to make it run nice and look pretty. 

[Hairy Santa]

congrats

I was begining to think a one way trip to the scrap yard might be neccesary on this one 

[Bulldog Bri]

Spent the weekend trying to make the Gentry look a bit better at last.

[Grin-a-lot]

That's incredible, do you have all the spray equipment at home and do it yourself?

It's inspired me to consider spraying mine myself now!

[Bulldog Bri]

I've got a compressor and spray gun, I've just use cellouse paints this time and still have to polish it up but it looks so much better. 
Just got to get the engine running now. lol.

[YellaBelly]

Good work Bri

Getting a dab-hand at this spraying lark now eh?

Must admit, I'm glad I did mine myself, such a good feeling when it comes out OK.

Keep it up mate