Engine that's been standing

[mazzo]

I still haven't got the engine running on my HC yet.

It has been standing for ages (possibly years) and it was totally dry of fuel.

I have reset the points and timing (which were out) and turned over the engine with the plugs out, but:

1. Turning it over with the plugs out - the oil light does not extinguish.

2. With plugs in, it tries to fire up but can't. Possibly due to lack of compression. - Is it worth squirting some oil into the chambers?

Carb is OK and plugs are fine.

Any suggestions to get it going. I hope that the oil light will go off when it runs - but who knows.

I can see my chances of getting to Billing slipping away................ Haven't even started the welding yet!

[Vivanuts Glenn]

Had a smimilar problem once on a old HB of mine found it was down to the diaphram in the fuel pump had gone dryand was therefore preventing suction

so basically sloshed some fuel inside it and hey presto after a couple of turns of the key the little begger started

[mazzo]

Cheers Glen.

Had the same thing here too - and so fed fuel directly to the carb by gravity.

It definitely has fuel - I can see the carb's fuel pump squirt when the butterfly opens. Just won't start.....

[shamm]

If the engine has been standing then the bores may well be dry, a bit of oil down them could help.

The oil light will probably not go out until the engine is running, the pump needs a few revs to get going from dry.

Have you turned the engine with the plugs in by hand, you should be able to feel the compression stroke by the resistance, this will tell you if one pot is 'missing'.

How far out was the timing, maybe it was set that way for a reason?

If you are not running a stromberg then a quick squirt of WD40 down the intake can help.

Basicaly, expect to crank the engine a long time to get it running, a battery booster/starter is invaluable for this. If you don't have one then a running car is the next best think, just watch the jump leads, they get red hot.

[griffonmark]

My 2300cc griffon had been standing for 15 years. I won't lie and tell you it started first turn of the key, but it didn't have much seriously wrong. Unless the car was a duffer before it was stood it is unlikely to have major problems. I think the points tend to be the first to suffer. Because they spark they have no corrosion protection so a bit of emery and a check of the gap is must. Check that they spark when turning the engine over. The coil may well have overheated if the ignition has been left on, you won't get a spark at the plugs if this is the case. If the plugs spark and the accelerator pumps fuel it should fire.

Unless of course you haven't flushed the fuel tank. Petrol definitely degrades. I spent ages trying to fire up my Griffon until I realised that the fuel in the tank wouldn't even light with a match, despite smelling (and tasting!) like petrol. Failing all that, a can of Easy Start squirted into the carb (air cleaner removed) as you try to start the engine will fire up anything, compression or not. If it rattles its B******s off and the red light doesn't go out, stick it at the end of the garden and keep hens in it.

Regards, Mark

[lambaj]

Please tell me you did change the oil before 1st firing it up ???
Old sump oil is about as useful as old petrol......

If not changed, all the gunge will have settled out and is the 1st thing to go up the oil pump pick up pipe. Filter will block up and go into safety pressure bypass, then the oil goes and carrys all the sludge to all the small easily blocked oil ways, and your engine then lasts a couple of months before expiring in an expensive way............

DOH!
Tony (HA21)

[griffonmark]

Viva engines don't expire in an 'expensive' way. You get a free hen coop! By the way, anyone interested in some free range eggs?

[mazzo]

OHHH BUGGER!!!

The oil looks ok-ish, at least it isn't sludge. As for changing it - err no....

Good advice all round - so next:

Change oil (and hope it's not too late.
squirt some oil in the cylinders and hope.
Buy some Damp Start......

Pray the light goes out and Idon't suffer later on. Will probably do an engine flush when the damn thing finally starts.

[lambaj]

Yeah, I'd give it a flush, just don't go mad on the revs on flushing oil - its very thin..... Then a nice new filter and drop of decent 20-50 or at a push 10-40 and hopefully the ol girl will be happy.

If it still does not want to start, pull the Centre HT lead off the cap and stick a sparkplug in the end, then earth the body of the plug. Get somebody to crank the engine over on the starter whilst you watch the plug. You should get a stream of nice healthy sparks.
If you do, then good. Refit the centre lead and remove an engine plug. Check you get sparks the same way as before from the appopriate HT lead. If course, there will be fewer sparks, but they should still be healthy. From this point, the ignition system is working, but the timing may be well out, or even have the HT leads going to the wrong cylinders. Firing order is 1-3-4-2 (I think!) so you need to find out which cylinder is on compression and make sure the rotor arm is pointing at the correct HT lead in the cap.

Back to the coil.....If the centre lead does not spark, then you need to look at the low tension side of the ignition. Check that the voltage on the + teminal of the coil is 12V when the ignition is on. If ok, then remove the - teminal connection and measure the voltage on the - terminal of the coil with the ignition on. It should be 12V on both terminals of the coil now. If this is OK, then the chances are the coil is OK. Next measure the resistance between the lead going from the - teminal of the coil dowm to chassis. This should be either a short circuit, or an open circuit depending on the position of the contact breaker. If it is a short, the points should be closed. This is the only time there should be a short. Turn the engine over by hand and make sure the contact breaker is acting like a switch. If you do not have a multimeter to measure these things, the same checks can be done using a small 12V bulb with one wire connected to a 12V supply (the battery) and the other wire as the test point. IF the test point is short to chassis, then the bulb will light, if open circuit then bulb stays off. If the bulb glows dimly then there is a measured resistance rather than a short. In the case of the contact breaker , you want either fully on or completely off.

Still with me ??

Anyway, after these checks, you "should" have a functioning ignition circuit. Timing will be the next thing to check if she still will not play, then back to the fuel. The easy-start will work. Apparently a Lynx aerosol will also work just as well, and makes you exhaust very attractive to the opposite sex too....... Ummmm....

If it runs on an aerosol, then the problem will be down to the fuel/carb etc

Back to you.... good luck
Tony (HA21)

[mazzo]

I replied to your post Tony, but I've just noticed it's not there!! Thanks for all the info, I have done everything you wrote beforehand - with the exception of the oil change........, oh and the Lynx! I still think the big problem is compression, so will squirt oil into the cylinders today.

Well, I've just taken the sump plug out and I got clear water for the first few seconds, followed by the clear-ish oil, then the treacle.

Looking poor, to be honest. I will persevere with it and hope it runs. I've got a gasket set if I need it, but I seem to be getting more work to do everytime I start a job!!

I want this car to have run by the end of today...............