SER1 The first trials to start the engine - Day 4

[prev] [thread] [next] [Date index for 2005/02/09]

Ulrico,
Make sure you are using new petrol. This modern low sulphur unleaded fuel
"goes off" after a two or three weeks and can make an engine quite difficult
to start. Even if it will start, it will run very roughly and this can make
you believe there is something else at fault.
There may be no need to dismantle the carb. You can check all the jets by
unscrewing them and blow them through. Sometimes these block with a tiny
droplet of trapped water, from the fuel or condensation, especially the fine
jets. You could check the diaphragm (Part no. 243394) in the accelerator
pump (Part no. 261562), to see if it's damaged, but check this last and
before you look, get a new one because it is very thin rubber and tears or
holes easily.
Check the glass fuel filter bowl and it's brass gauze filter. This will
probably need cleaning and is there to help trap water and dirt before it
enters the carb.
Putting neat petrol down the bores is not a good idea. The thin oil would
not prevent starting but would help prevent scoring of the cylinder walls in
an engine which has not run for some time, acting as an "upper cylinder
lubricant".
Regards
Martin


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ulrico Becker
To: series1@xxxxxxxxx.xxx
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 4:50 PM
Subject: SER1 The first trials to start the engine - Day 4


Hi there,

it warmed up a bit in the afternoon, so I could not resist and gave it a
try.

I removed the air inlet hose from the carb, the fuel hose from the pump and
filled the floating chamber to the top and injected some fuel directly into
the carb. Cranking the engine it a coughed a bit from the carb but not
inside the cylinders. Trying further did not produce one single kick. I
roughly checked the timing, but just by verifying that the rotor is opposite
the corresponding pins in the distributor cap when the first cylinder is at
TDC. I should have taken the rocker cover off to make sure it is in
compression stroke and not evacuating stroke. Next time.

Next step was to remove the plugs, fill some fuel directly into the
cylinders and cranking for about 30 seconds to remove any remnants of the
thin oil I had filled in some weeks ago. I cleaned the plugs again and the
next try produced some coughing inside the cylinders. So at least something
happened. But that was it then until the battery was empty. I can't really
call it a success.

Several questions come to my mind:

There is a lever for the choke, something I know of, and a lever for mixture
control. Could that be something to adjust the engine to high altitudes?
The fact that some coughing could be produced is encouraging. But it was not
the result of an "inhalation" through the carb, but burning the rest of the
fuel I had injected directly into the cylinders.

Could it really be too cold? Or could the carb be blocked somehow? Would it
be wise to dismantle and clean it, may be that helps at this stage?

The other question is of course, how much energy should be devoted to trying
to start the engine now? If it fires and idles for a minute or so I will
take it out and once the chassis is completed dismantle it to have a look at
the interiors.


Ulrico


To change subscription see www.landrover.net/series1/mail