bleeding the clutch and not running

Hello

After my BN 4 was sitting for three years. I decided a while ago trying to put her back on the road again. At the beginning the car didn't start (which appeared to be a problem with the coil)

Drumbrakes were frozen and lining was sticked to the drums so replaced all the lining. One bolt of the Handbrake (attached to frame) was broken. changed the rubber pieces in the brake cylinder. Waiting for the parts for the clutch cylinder and the cylinder at the bellhousing ( these two were all frozen as well) Hopefully when the replacement kits of the later two arrive I will have a clutch again)

Question 1) Are there some trics and tips to bleed the clutch system.

When i start the car she runs for a few seconds and than with some shaking the engine stops. Tried it several times but it is each time with the same result. By using the trottle so doesn't make more rpm

Question 2

What could be the origin of above problems and what are your thoughts about solving the problem

Many thanks in advance



Harry

1) The 'trick' is getting access to the slave cylinder. You either have to remove the transmission tunnel, or come up from below, in which case it's easier to unbolt the cylinder to get access to the bleed screw (there was a man making an extension of the bleeder to the engine compartment but, unfortunately, he is no longer with us). I made a pressure cap for the reservoir out of an old reservoir cap and a tire schrader valve, but I've heard just letting the cylinder drain by gravity works. Otherwise, bleed as you would brakes; i.e. pump the pedal and release pressure, repeat until pedal firm and no bubbles in fluid.

2) Sounds like fuel starvation (with ignition problems the car wouldn't start at all or would run badly). When you first turn the ignition on--not to 'start'--did the fuel pump pump furiously for 5-10 seconds then slow down and eventually stop? If not, it's likely the fuel pump. If you have a points-fired pump the points can oxidize and they'll need to be cleaned with a file or emery paper (clean by drawing a piece of paper through them). Disconnect the fuel line at the carbs and see if the pump will fill a small jar in a 'reasonable' amount of time. Also, check to see if the fuel augmentation system--aka the 'chokes'--are working. It sounds like they might not be.

Does anyone sell the remote clutch bleeder kit anymore?

Hello Bob,

With reference to the cluth it will be the method pumpand release

The fuel pump works according your description. When i took the cover off the fuel pump i saw it spark ( will have a closer look to double check) I will have a closer look at the choke (before the cable was broken and the choke was never used before maybe i have to do somthing with the adjustments)

Could it be a valve tining problem as well?


Harry

PHulst said:

Does anyone sell the remote clutch bleeder kit anymore?

Click to expand...

Denis Welch has something similar: https://www.bighealey.co.uk/flexi-clutch-bleed-pipe-cclu130?search=clutch slave

I think Doug Reid's solution was superior, though, as it was routed into the engine bay and supported with a bracket on the bellhousing. I had air in my clutch line on a long road trip; was able to bleed the clutch in about 10 minutes in a parking lot.

hama61 said:

... Could it be a valve tining problem as well?

Click to expand...

Anything's possible, but the valves would have to be grossly mis-timed to prevent the engine from running at all. Sounds like the 'chokes'--they aren't really chokes--have been messed with; your symptoms sound like a car that is trying to start on a cold day without any fuel augmentation.

Here's my method for bleeding the clutch. My drawing isn't very good but I hope I can get the principal across. I unbolt the slave cylinder from the bell housing and let it hang on its hose. I cut 2, 1/8th inch steel bars about 4 inches long and drilled holes in them for long bolts. Take the pushrod and rubber boot off the end of the slave and insert a 3/8" socket of the appropriate length into the bore of the cylinder. Choose the correct length socket that will position the piston in its at rest position, which will be found by inspecting the length of the pushrod and its required position relative to the clutch fork. Use the 1/8th inch steel bars and long bolts to clamp the socket into the bore against the face of the piston. Now with the slave held in hand and bleeder screw accessible, bleed by the pump and hold method. Works a treat.
Another point is that I don't believe the gravity drain/bleed method on the Big Healey clutch slave cylinder will work because the clutch line goes up across the fire wall before it goes down to the slave.

A somewhat unusual method is to fill the clutch hydraulics from the slave cylinder towards the master: An easy way of doing this is to connect a piece of bleeder tube from a convenient brake bleeder nipple to the clutch slave cylinder nipple. Open both nipples and press the brake pedal like you would when bleeding the brakes, that way fills the system and pushes the air out the clutch master cylinder.. Keep an eye on the level in the brake reservoir obviously. Close both nipples, remove the tube and you're done.

You say you repalced rubber pieces in cylinder, do you mean the cylinder cups and did you hone out the cylinder?

Hi Harry,

A couple of questions and suggestions. First, what fuel pump are you using and have you installed a filter and, if so, its location? When the car was last run, did it have gas in the system and was it run out before storage?

If you have installed a fuel filter, replace it, or if replaceable, the filter element as the sediment left from dried gas could block the unit and stop or diminish fuel flow. If the gas was not run out of the carburetors prior to storage, the dried gas sediment could also block passages within the carburetor and cause fuel starvation as well. In the case of the carburetor, you may need to disconnect the fuel supply and clean the screen as well as remove the float cover to make sure the float and valve is performing properly. Although other components should also be cleaned and dressed before an initial attempt to start, your description suggests to me that these would be my initial focus.

As far as bleeding the clutch, viewing a picture of the clutch slave extension supplied by a few vendors, I took a section of extra brake line and installed ends matching the bleed screw threads. After acquiring a coupler, removed the bleed screw and installed one end of the brake line into the bleed screw receiver of the slave cylinder and installing the bleed screw into the coupler on the opposite end of the brake line. After creating a bracket to attach the bleed screw end onto a trans bell housing bolt, I bleed the clutch slave cylinder enjoying the convenient access. Since I had the brake line with ends, my creation cost me around $3.00 for the coupler. Works well.

Hope this helps,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

@ Captrandy I meant the rubber cups and the cylinder was honed

@ RAC 68 (Ray) The original fuelpump is still on. The gas is at least three years old and there is no fuel filter installed. She finally start but doesn't run like I used to know she did. A few weeks ago when the brake cylinder was done It appeared tha the part of the inside thread was gone causing a brake fluid leak ( quite a lot leaked half a canister) and after a new Kevar radiator hose was installed the coolant came out via the seam of the heater tube. When the engine is on idle it still tend to stop. I think these substances are not evaporated yet as it creates a lot of smoke from the engine bay. I disconnected the fuel supply at the carb entry and it flewn out. I disconnected the choke cable ( but see or hear no difference when using this choke manually.When I took off the float cover of it was clean and wored proprrlybut this was clean. Allthoug she is running now roughly i think there is a backfire problem as i hear now and than a bang

Dealing with the clutch - I personally would NOT recommend honing the bore of the slave cylinder. If the existing rubbers are worn - fluid would be passing, then you could try a new rubber kit otherwise buy a new slave cylinder. When it comes to bleeding the system, I use a really long length of clear tubing fitted over the nipple and draped over a lighting stand and down into a glass jar, open up the bleed nipple and gently pump, you can see any air coming up the pipe and in my experience you may not need to pump your fluid to waste, cheap but effective.

Regarding the engine -
To double check the fuel pump - remove the connection from the carbs and put the end of the pipe into a clear 2 litre plastic bottle, switch on the ignition and check the time it takes to fill the 2 litres - compare with the specification in the manual. ( it seams that you have a good supply so you can ignore this part)
Next open up the float chambers on the carbs and see if there is any dirt lurking in the bottom to clog the jets.
Check the Points in the distributer and replace the condenser while you are at it.
Check the timeing statically with a 12 volt lamp - it will be good enough to at least provide a starting point.

Hope that this is of some help



Bob

Duplicate

3 year old gas is most likely stale and would not burn properly. Definitely drain the gas and refill with fresh fuel. Over the three years, I would expect water vapor to have been absorbed and separate. Going through your pump, water and other contaminants would have been dispersed through your carbs and ignition of this fuel would not be thorough and cause all sorts of problems.

I would take the drain plug out of the bottom of the fuel tank and flush it out. Additionally, I would disconnect the fuel line from the carbs and blow out the lines. For a thorough job, I would also take appart the carbs and clean them out as well.

Once you have cleaned out the fuel system, fill with fresh and then post how your Healey performs.

Have fun,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

This two-headed thread is an object lesson on the need for a separate thread for each topic.

Building a Doug Reid-style remote bleeder is easy for anyone with a decent flaring tool. See this previous thread:
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf...bleeder-setup&highlight=clutch+remote+bleeder

@ steveg you are right. As well for future reference for other enthousiasts. Realised it afterwards only

Harry