• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

TR4/4A 1964 Triumph TR4 - Not Starting/Running

jrev77

Freshman Member
Country flag
Offline
1964 Triumph TR4
Dual Zenith Stromberg Carbs

Hello,

I purchased a TR4 this past spring that drove well on the test drive. I got the car home and after doing
some brake work, took the car for a test drive, but it would stumble and stall. I removed both carbs and
noticed both floats were cracked, and there was sediment in the float bowls. There was also some leaking
fuel around the edge of the fuel pump.

I started by draining the fuel from the tank. I replaced the fuel pump with a stock, OEM mechanical fuel
pump and installed an inline fuel filter. The fuel filter is located after the fuel pump, before the
carburetors. I replaced the floats, O-rings, float bowl needle valves, float bowl gaskets, and cleaned the
carbs. I replaced and gapped a new set of sparkplugs.

I centered the jets, baselined the jet adjustments screws 3 turns from the bridge per the workshop
repair manual. I baselined the idle 1.5 turns after the idle screw makes contact. I adjusted the float
height to 18.5 mm per the workshop manual.

After these initial adjustments, the car started after cranking multiple times (lots of times) and ran well
for 5 minutes after turning the idle down a little.

A couple days later, I attempted to start the car and it would not start again. While trying to start the
car, it would run for a second or two, then die. I checked the spark plugs and noticed they were wet and
replaced them with a new set. I’ve verified that the fuel pressure is correct at 2.5 psi. The front carb
(closest to the grill) is now leaking fuel out of the front vent hole and fuel is backing up to the vacuum
advance. (distributor) The car will not start as-is.

The car did come to me with the battery set up as a negative ground. (I thought a 1964 would come from the factory with a positive ground) The coil looks relatively new (Lucas Sport DLB105), the positive on the coil (white wire with a black stripe) is hooked up to the coil. Is this correct? Could it cause starting issues?

- Without the car running, is there a way to verify if the car is not getting enough fuel or flooding
the engine?
- Is there anything else you would look at to get the car running?
- We did not touch anything related to timing, but could that potentially be causing any of our
issues?
 

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
Gold
Online
Interesting that the car ran well on its first drive. Maybe the distributor shaft worked loose while driving, causing timing problems.

If the plugs are wet, I'd say there's a spark problem. Remove a plug with its wire attached, turn ignition on, wear a glove and hold plug near cylinder head, and crank engine. See if there's a continual, repeated, spark.

And if fuel is backing up at the carbs, if fuel pressure is correct, I'd think the floats are set incorrectly.

Timing could certainly be an issue: fuel/air gets to cylinder but spark occurs at the wrong time. (Note reference above to possible loose distributor.)

Check one thing at a time, and let us know what you find.

And ... welcome to BCF!
Tom M.
 
Last edited:

Geo Hahn

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
The white/black wire from the coil to the distributor should be on whichever coil post conforms with ground... in your case the negative post.

Sounds like something is stuck open on the front carb... most likely the little valve. You want to clean them thoroughly when new lest there be anything on them that might make them stick. The action needs to be very free as there is not a lot of force applied by the float.

Not original but I replaced the screws holding the bowls with socket head cap screws... much easier to do and undo than when using a little flat-head screwdriver.

Hopes this helps but also a good time to verify everything... points gap, rotor advance, etc. Generally, ignition causes more running issues than carbs.
 

Sarastro

Obi Wan
Silver
Country flag
Offline
I answered this on the other forum, but I'll do it one more time.

You have wet fuel on the plugs, fuel leaking out of the carb vents. The problem is staring you in the face! Fix the carbs, and I'm sure all will be well.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
N For Sale 1964 Triumph TR4 street racer Triumph Classifieds 0
S 1964 Triumph Vittese Sport Six for sale........... Triumph 2
George Zeck SOLD!! 1964 AH Sprite MKII Spridgets Classified 0
S SOLD!! For Sale 1964 AH 3000 MkIII BJ8 Phase 1 Austin Healey Classifieds 2
BJ8Healeys Location of VIN tag, 1964 Sprite HAN8L43421 (I know it's stamped on the frame. Looking for the tag.) Spridgets 8
J BJ8 Rear Seat Changes, 1964 to Later Austin Healey 9
S 1964 BJ8 Project Valuation Austin Healey 21
Hamish Racing General TR 1964 period racing uk Triumph 1
L For Sale 1964 Austin FX4 London Taxi Other British Classifieds 1
C Wanted WANTED Heater fan motor and housing for 1964 MK3 Sprite Spridgets Classified 2
S For Sale Sunbeam Tiger Factory Workshop Manuals – 260 and 289 Models - 1964 - 1967 Other British Classifieds 0
L For Sale 1964 Austin FX4 Black Cab Other British Classifieds 0
Mick2me For Sale Various MG Midget/Austin Healy Sprite parts for sale [approx 1964] UK only Spridgets Classified 4
Mick2me For Sale Various MG Midget/Austin Healy Sprite parts for sale [approx 1964] UK only MG Classifieds 0
FredApplerot For Sale Pace Setter muffler for 1964-74 Spridget - Brand New Spridgets Classified 5
crya For Sale 1964 Austin Healey 3000 Austin Healey Classifieds 2
T Rebuild kit for fuel pumps 1955 to 1964 Spridgets 1
H trunk floor pan replacement 1964 BJ8 Austin Healey 2
Marla TR4/4A Just bought a 1964 Triumph 23
4tecdog Fleet of new Morris Minor Vans 1964 Other British Cars 4
Lin Fuse box - new product in my current project, a 1964 jaguar mark tw Austin Healey 10
R New to Forum and Excited to start restoration on my New AH 1964 Sprite Austin Healey 6
AUSMHLY Any 1964 1/2 mustang fans here? Austin Healey 4
J 1964 AH 3000 operating temperature Austin Healey 10
Elva164 Mike's 1964 Elva Courier MkIV Build Thread! Racing 56
S 1964 Starter MG 7
H AH 3000 SCCA race photos, Austin 1964 Austin Healey 12
apbos TR4/4A 1964 TR4 on BAT Triumph 1
L 1964 BJ 8 Grille Austin Healey 6
J Finding a correct 1964 BJ8 steering wheel Austin Healey 1
JBann Spitfire Do you think it's worth it? - 1964 Spitfire MK1 Triumph 33
J Is the Tach lit on a 1964 BJ8 Austin Healey 3
M 1964 3000 MkII Austin Healey 11
I 1964 Sprite for Parts or Restore Spridgets 1
walshja $10k for a 1964 sprite Spridgets 5
Tabcon TR4/4A Automotive Review - 1964 TR4...WOW! Triumph 5
thechileman TR4/4A My 1964 TR4 Triumph 23
N Clutch Wanted 1098 motor 1964 Sprite Mkll Spridgets 4
N 1964 sprite engine paint color Spridgets 3
Exotexs 1964 MK-X LHD 4-speed maual Jaguar 6
tony barnhill 1964 MkII Midget Spridgets 41
R 1964 Austin-Healey Austin Healey 5
RickB 1964 Midget on eBay -closing today, nearly 10K nfi Spridgets 10
kurts100 MGB Can you help verify this is a 1964 MGB MG 12
Shinsen774 Painting 1964 MBG Heater MG 2
tiga2 SLO c. 1964 Spridgets 6
Keoke 1964 AH BJ8 Austin Healey 2
D MGB Hi, Restoring a 1964 MGB MG 18
R Rack & Pinion Conversion Healey 3000 1964 Austin Healey 11
G Lotus super seven 1964 Extra car to buy Lotus 1

Similar threads

Top