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TR4/4A TR4 Nearly Running

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TRDejaVu

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Well I am nearly there. Rolled the barn-find out of the garage and attempted to start it. The key word is "attempted". Engine turned over, but no start. I am not surprised after 28 years in a barn.

Firstly, no spark at the plugs. I tried using a dizzy with points etc. then with a Pertronix - no good. I have power to the coil, but I think that it is shot, so I will be getting a new one tomorrow.

Secondly, fuel not getting to carbs. I have fuel to the pump and it was getting into the bowl, but no further. I took a pump diaphragm from a spare and fitted it, but still no further. I have just primed the line by backfilling from the carb inlet to the pump outlet. However, the gas fumes got to me so I haven't tried it yet. Anyone got any words of wisdom on this or the ignition (in case it isn't the coil)?

Also, how do you set the dizzy timing with the Pertronix fitted?

Thanks
 
"Wisdom"? We'll see (you can call it that if my suggestions help)!

Ignition: I'd stay with a points distributor for now, unless you know for sure that your Pertronix unit is good. Make sure you clean up the points and reset them. Did you see any spark as the points opened?

As for fuel system, I'd pull the pump off and do whatever you need to do to clean it out. Odds are that several decades of sitting in a barn has clogged that pump something fierce, and that's likely true of parts of the line back to the tank and forward to the carbs. Meanwhile, you might consider a temporary "gravity feed" fuel line (out of a can) to the carbs, although I'd probably want to at least clean out the float bowls first.

Resurrecting a car from a long slumber is always so rewarding. But from recent experiences, I've found that it tends to take more and more prep (i.e., cleaning up bits) the longer the car has sat, and some of today's gasoline formulations make it worse faster than ever before.
 
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