• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Help firing it up

Share this page

G

Guest

Guest
Guest
Offline
Ok, so I have a friend with a TR6 he's built from a shell he bought on Ebay, and the application of a LOT of cash and a ton of time.

He's at the point where its time to fire it up, but it won't start. He flooded the garage with gas making sure it was getting to the carbs (which were rebuilt for a pretty penny).

He reckons there is a spark and the timing is ok. He has a rebuilt distributor, running a pertronix, but it just cranks and won't start.

I'm going over tomorrow to have a look at it. I'll double check all the stuff he already did, but my question is simple - is there anything specific to a TR-6 that one can get wrong that will give these symptoms, and if so what is it.

I will of course provide proper credit if anyone hits the nail on the head. I haven't seen it yet, and am hoping its something simple...

TIA, Alan
 
[ QUOTE ]
...He reckons there is a spark and the timing is ok...

[/ QUOTE ]

That is where I'd start, being sure the ignition isn't 360 degrees off. An easy thing to do and will give you spark and look like the timing is right.
 
[ QUOTE ]
... being sure the ignition isn't 360 degrees off....

[/ QUOTE ]Don't you mean 180 degrees off? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyway, it's not difficult to install the distributor out like that, but it's tricky to figure out that it is the problem. Been there, done that. Another easy one is mixing up the wires and throwing off the firing order, which should be 1-5-3-6-2-4. Been THERE, done THAT, too! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif
 
Easy to figure out, just take the valve cover off and make sure the rotor is pointing to #1 when valves 1&2 are closed and the engine is at the timing mark.
Or take the #1 spark plug out and when the compression blows your finger off the hole you know it is aproaching the firing position. Just move it far enough to be at the timing mark and check the rotor position. Note, there will be a slight feeling of compression on the exhaust stroke while the piston is trying to evacuate the cylinder but it is weak and you can probably hold your finger tight to the hole.
 
If the dizzy is right, and there is good spark, and there is plenty of fuel, then double check the cam timing. having that off a couple of teeth will cause a no start or hard start condition. A compression test will give a good indication of a problem here. but check the other things first
 
Alan,
Why not tell him to put some points and a condensor back in to get it started. There is a remote possibility that the Pertronix unit is faulty. Leave the key in the start position for more than a few minutes and you will fry one.


Bill
 
I remembered the 180 deg distrib - was one of the things I was going to check

Bill - Because he's being awkward. I suggested that before he even started. He doesnt want to...

Ben - I'll check the cam timing if all else fails thx.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
... being sure the ignition isn't 360 degrees off....

[/ QUOTE ]Don't you mean 180 degrees off? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Oops, I was using crank degrees, not distributor degrees (where 1/2 turn = a full turn of the crank).
 
New, gapped, spark plugs?
 
Confirm that it is indeed getting spark and fuel. If it is getting both, it should at least try to fire or backfire regardless of timing issues.

I'd confirm spark first. Then check firing order, timing, etc.
 
I didnt make it there today. Too much else going on.

I'm going tomorrow am instead. Hopefully it'll be something simple...
 
Fire, fuel, timing. It's got to run. Given that, once you verify that the plug wires are in the proper order(I've done that with my 4 cyl) take small tye wraps and install one to the first plug wire, two tye wraps to the second, etc. and one more problem will never happen again.
 
I got a new Sorensen distributor cap to replace the Lucas unit in my TR4A. I moved the wires one by one from one cap to the other, only to find the motor would not fire. These caps have the side-facing wire exits, with a center coil wire outlet. Everything looked identical when I had the caps in my hand. When I did not get the motor to run, I looked more closely, the wire-exits on the Sorensen cap were at 180 degrees to the low tension wire inlet, or 90 degrees offset. Subtle!

Five minutes later, purring right along!
 
Its fuel - the spark is fine and its sucking air at the intake. No joy from the 'rebuilt' carbs with gasoline though (and fuel gets to the carbs fine). I know nada about carbs so wasnt able to be much help after that. He's off to a pro.
 
Was the fuel bowl empty? I have had brand new needle valves stick closed so that no fuel would fill the bowl. When that happens it won't start. Sometimes you can remedy this situation by giving the carb a firm rap with the handle of a screwdriver. This may unstick the needle and get gas to flow.
Some of the newer needle valves I have seen are very suspect in their quality, but I do not have a solution other that trying to replace them with different ones of the same type until you find one that works.
 
Must have the answer becouse one of these days I tend to try to start my 7 year project and am afraid will be in same boat.(new SUs,new Mallory dist.....)
 
Back
Top