• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

TR2/3/3A TR3A No Start

Share this page

Dave - You say that the float bowls are full. But does that "fuel" in them and what you manually added, have any calorific potential ? If the gas is old, the engine may not start with this old fuel, but it will with "Quick-Start".

Just keep trying the Quick-Start and starting with that till the "petrol" in the float bowls keeps it running.
 
Dave:
You might also remove the fuel line from the carbs, crank the engine with the line going into a bucket just to make sure your electric fuel pump is pumping. The fact that it will run when you squirt the ether in but not when you fill the fuel bowls sounds like a blockage in the carbs.
 
Hi Don and Terry,

Thanks for the replies. Here are the answers to your questions.

Don, Fuel is new. Got it the morning of the test start. I filled the bowls directly from this container.

Terry. Verified flow from the electric pump. I have a line plumbed directly from the jerry can with the inline electic pump to the fuel inlet on the top of the float bowl of the front carb.

Played around a little bit tonight again and verified that the manifold it tightened down and the little footballs are where they should be on the bottom of the intake. Gaskets are there as well. I didn't swap the manifold out yet.

Tried to test start again. Still nothing on a fully charged battery. Did get a few jumps for about 3 or 4 seconds on ether but nothing else.

Fuel is definately not getting into the cylinders. Plugs are still pretty dry ...and fuel levels don't drop in the bowls when I don't have the electic pump pumping as a test. Verified that I have spark at the plugs again. Cranked and rotated the dizzy again...So, pretty sure it is a fuel delivery problem.

Cheers,
Dave
 
I wonder if the valves and pistons are working in concert to suck in the gas.. In other words how about the cam timing ?
Second thought I guess that's not to likely since you did have it running on ether.
 
I had a problem once in which I could start a tr3 on starter fluid and it would run after a few attempts. Come to find out later it was that the coil was weak. I guess the spark color makes a difference and the amount of air the spark can arch across is important. If remember correctly, it takes 20,000 volts to arc an inch. IMO starter fluid firers easier and perhaps needs less fuel compression to do so, whereas gasoline needs a certain amount of compression to firer. I would get a good known coil and condenser (if applicable) a fresh set of champion plugs, make sure I have the correct fuel pressure and then try and start it.
Steve
 
Hi Steve,

Thanks. I have a couple of spare coils and it will be an easy swap out.

I am going to give it a go again this afternoon and will report back.

Still think that it is a fueling issue though.

Cheers,
Dave
 
Dave - I suggest that you remove the tops of the carbs (both domes) and try to blow through the inclined hole drilled right up to the top. You might want to use a drinking straw to blow through. It's possible that these holes are totally blocked with old gummy gas residue so you're not getting the piston to rise as it should. Therefore the needles are not lifting, therefore no fuel is getting into the manifold and engine.
 
Well, today is a good day :smile:

Took the carbs and manifold off this morning cleaned and rebuilt the carbs and set them up as best that I could while on the bench. SU's seem to be a little more simple than the ZS's at first glance.

Put the manifold and carbs back on and hooked up the electric pump.

I am very happy to say that she fired up and sounds great. The temporary exhaust is a little loud (the exhaust the car raced with) and rattles but the engine sounds great and doesn't burn oil or leak fluids (thus far).

A little video of the event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmdiLzInEZ0&context=C39527e9ADOEgsToPDskKFqZFDyR8P5PU_xQ5nW9Q1

Thanks for all the help and support!

Cheers,

Dave
 
Excellent! Love the custom switch escutcheon you used there, I have one of those in the toolbox somewhere! And I wouldn't change that exhaust sound, it sounds quite serious!
 
Sounds great, I'm glad you got it started. I hope to do the same thing in the near future.
 
Loved the vid...congrats!!

John

PS...how come your's didn't smoke and spit coolant like my first start?!?
 
Thanks all.

Don, nope not Fresh. The PO told me that it was running well when he parked it long ago. I thought that I would get it running and make an assement of the condition vs going straight to a rebuild. This is/was supposed to be more of a budget build :smile:

Cheers,
Dave
 
OK Dave, wondered about the way you started it if it was fresh
Enjoy it
 
Roger that Don. Yeah, good to point out. If it was a new build, I would definately have to go through the cam break-in procedure etc.

Will have to do that with the 250 engine when I get there next winter.

Question for the 3 guys. Looks like I have 60 lbs Oil Pressure at idle with 20/50W. I think that is pretty good but just want to make sure.



Cheers,
Tush
 
Back
Top