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Engine wont start :(
https://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=61099		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  spraycanmansam [ Sun Feb 14, 2010 11:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Engine wont start :(
This prob shouldn't be in 'Mini' chat, but I really need as much advice as possible!

As the title, my freshly rebuilt engine wont start... It's a Datsun A14 in my Morrie with a 32/36 Weber and electronic distributor.
Short story, I had it running fine for about 30 secs till the fuel ran out of the fuel bowl (due to faulty FPR)
I removed the FPR and now the bastard won't start.
After *much* fiddling I can get it to 'run' but it sounds like it's not running on all cylinders and any adjustment of the distributor makes it piss and fart and backfire out the carburettor. All the spark plugs except for #3 are black as the ace of spades.

I have been thinking it's a timing problem, but I've inserted and timed the distributor as per factory instructions and tried different distributor/leads/coil which as of 5 mins ago has got me thinking that it may be a fuel problem...

How can I tell if it's running too rich or too lean? Being a Weber would the fuel pressure be causing this problem? I'm running an electric fuel pump rated at 2.5-4.5 psi and I've read that Webers need 3.5 psi max... (Keeping in mind I had it running for about 20 secs without the FPR but then the idle kept dropping until it eventually started backfiring out of the carb again :? )


I'm so fried, at a loss and I think I'm missing something simple so after some fresh perspectives :)


Cheers,
Sam
Author:  Drexxle [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
is the dizzy 180 degrees out, did you put the dizzy spindle gear in the correct location when you built it. Are the leads on correctly.
Author:  Monaco [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Sounds to me like the leads are not in the correct order on the distributor cap? It is obviously firing when the inlet valve is open to backfire out the carb like that?
Author:  Hanra [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 2:42 pm ]
Post subject: 
Are the plugs fouled now? Have you confirmed you still have spark?
Author:  spraycanmansam [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Okayyy so today I started with a fresh mind. I removed the carby and went through it with a fine tooth comb with the carby cleaner = bloody spotless.
Bolted it all back up, same damn thing, not running on all cylinders.
My uncle came out to help and after much, much stuffing around (including putting in a brand new coil, different plugs, etc) we removed #3 spark plug lead and it ran exactly the same = something wrong with #3.
Came to the conclusion that the #3 exhaust valve wasn't seating properly so ripped the head off and the valve seats are bloody terrible.
I'm not too impressed with the machine shops definition of re-seating the valves.
Sooo I'm off to get some paste and grind them all in again...


If it's not that, I'll cry.


:P

EDIT:
@Drexxle: tried switching the leads 180, no improvement.
@Owen: tried all different lead combos, no improvement.
Tried changing distributor back to mechanical thinking the elec module might be faulty, no improvement.
Author:  mini maxx [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
If you paid your Machine shop to do the valves, take it back to em
Author:  drmini in aust [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 6:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
mini maxx wrote:
If you paid your Machine shop to do the valves, take it back to em

I agree.
This is a common problem, the `engine experts' who seat them don't always get them right for a variety of reasons. And 5/10 times they don't check them afterwards.
I always lap mine with a bit of fine paste, if only to check they were done concentric.
Author:  GR [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 6:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hi Sam
Before you go back yelling and screaming about the seats check this first,
if they have put new valve guides in and they have pushed them in a little to far it may be hitting on the raised section under the head, as some valves ar'nt under cut enough and are held open by the valve hitting the guide, this happens with small bore more often as people forget to shorten the guides down to the small bore length,as you can only buy 1275 length guides now.
Graham Russell
Author:  drmini in aust [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Graham this is a Nissan A14 donk, not a BMC... :wink:
Author:  spraycanmansam [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
drmini in aust wrote:
mini maxx wrote:
If you paid your Machine shop to do the valves, take it back to em

I agree.
This is a common problem, the `engine experts' who seat them don't always get them right for a variety of reasons. And 5/10 times they don't check them afterwards.
I always lap mine with a bit of fine paste, if only to check they were done concentric.


I felt like ringing his neck earlier today :P
Soo I lapped all the valves in properly this afternoon, put it all back together and cranked it over...
It sounds like it has muuuch better compression but now it has so much the bloody battery hasn't got enough oomph to crank it over :P
I'll see how I go tomorrow, my uncles coming around again so I'll get him to bring one of his truck batteries.

I also got an email from the fella who supplied the elec dizzy saying 2 of them he's sold had problems with uneven spark-age... but I don't think this is the problem seeing I had it running beautiful at the beginning?
Author:  Convertible Mini [ Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:25 am ]
Post subject:  Hard to turn over....
My suggestion about your lazy starter. If it sounds Lazy it might pay to get it checked and repaired. It is most likely suffering from the effect of excess winding over when engine would not start before you fixed the valve problem. Using a bigger battery to turn engine over is only going to help a sick starter burn out quicker by supplying it a Bigger Current source. That is a definite No No.. Datsun 1200 starters are getting very hard to get so look after it. You are more than welcome to bring it to me to sort it out for you. 0408731441. Tony. Good luck.
Author:  spraycanmansam [ Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hard to turn over....
Convertible Mini wrote:
It is most likely suffering from the effect of excess winding over when engine would not start before you fixed the valve problem.


Yep, I pulled it apart and gave it a good once over - Problemo fixed :) Stuck a fully charged battery in, roughly timed the dizzy.. started first pop 8)
Soo happee! :D
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