Starting The Engine

TedAllen · Post by **TedAllen** » Tue May 15, 2007 11:36 pm

Hi Alan,
Nice to see you are 'fettling' the old girl. I met your dad a few times in the seventies.
My own personal choice would be not to use a pressure washer. I found, the only time I tried it, that muck and water went all over the car, the path and me.
A much more satisfying and better way of cleaning it is with a drip tray, a gallon of paraffin and a paintbrush. Start at the top of course and chase all the muck and oil downwards. Scrape any solid muck off with a non metal scraper ( you should be able to sneak something out of the kitchen) ! and then use the paraffin. Clean off with a soft cloth. Old 'wincyette' ?? bed sheets are good if you can get them. Try charity shops, they throw this sort of thing away. I got a bagful for a small donation.
Good luck
Ted

Keith Clements · Post by **Keith Clements** » Wed May 16, 2007 6:19 pm

Pressure washing is not a good idea as the water will get past any seals and into places it does not normally find. Then quite happily rust everything solid.

AlanBartlett · Post by **AlanBartlett** » Wed May 16, 2007 8:18 pm

Does anyone know what size chain the timing chain is? I've lost the chain link inside the engine casting, I cant seem to get it out, anyone know the size? Does anyone know how I can get the crank out does it simple pull out if you undo the cover and cogs at the front?

AlanBartlett · Post by **AlanBartlett** » Wed May 16, 2007 10:26 pm

I've decided to strip down the whole thing and clean up the engine due to dropping the chain link in the oil bay. Anything I should be careful of when taking it apart? For the moment I'm taking it apart putting it in to boxes and cleaning then putting it back together.... A GIANT jigsaw puzzle

AlanBartlett · Post by **AlanBartlett** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:51 pm

Well sods law, I took the engine apart, and it wasnt in there, but then I noticed it on under the bottom gear at the front of the engine, so all that was a bit of a wasted effort, well at least I gave it a bit of clean....

AlanBartlett · Post by **AlanBartlett** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:10 pm

Just started turning it over in hope it will start, but for some reson the fuel supply floods the carb resiveor and spirts out, Any ideas what would cause this? any solutions.

k. rogers · Post by **k. rogers** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:20 pm

It could be that the little levers under the carb cover and/or the needle they push down are worn or the float could be punctured - try taking off the round cover by pushing the steel tab out of the way, you will then be able to remove the cover and see what's going on inside.

Keith Andrews · Post by **Keith Andrews** » Wed May 30, 2007 8:57 pm

An engine that has not been started for a long time, it ids common for a littlr dirt to accumilate in the petrol lines/pump/tank.
It dosent take much to get stuck in the float level valve.
Since u are just 'firing up'
Put an elcheapo fuel filter before the fuel pump in the petrol lines...
later remove and flush out the tank tank lines and pump...best to check there is no dirt in the pump valves..
The put in a new elcheapo filter.

It is also not unusual for cars that are dtored for long periods between runs, when the fuel level in the tank get low to pick up the crap

A quick test to see if the flaot level valve is ok
When the bowel is off, and fuel lines connected, manually pump or turn the engine over with light pressure on the valve, nothing should come out.

Hint....when reassemnling the carb....the gaskets, smear a nery thin layer of oil or gease on them...this stops them sticking and tearing next time, and can be reused on the 'side of the road'

You mentioned before about gasket sets....with a little care one can make them...get a elcheapo set of hole punches
A smear of dirty oil on the metal surface, then using a peice of gasket paper, the correct thickness, press hard against it...this gives a marking of the holes.
Get some small sheets of gasket paper of several thickness...the gaskets paper for inlet manifolds, bottom off the carb, use thickness' quite thick.

An alternative is to use the orange locktite gasket maker.
If using on the carb, be very careful that when the surfaces are bulted to gether the 'spead' doest block off holes

Again there is a trick to using it.....inlet manifolds/carbs...places where u may remove on the side of the road.
clean both surfaces well, smear on the surface, maniflod surfaces more generous than card bowls....
Smear oil on the other surface
tighten up till just a little more than finger tight
leave for a few hrs
then torque down.
This creates a gasket, stuck to one surface, but not to the other, so canbe reused.
This canbe used in many places from the above to diff , gearbox tappet covers etc

Tony Fearn · Post by **Tony Fearn** » Thu May 31, 2007 12:02 am

Hi Alan.

I think you said that you had the earlier bronze type carb on your 1934, in which case what Ken said is right. The 30VEFH carb which you saw on "Mary Ellen" at the National is the correct one for the car. The former as Ken says has little levers and a needle. The end of the needle fits into a hole in the bottom of the carb bowl and is cone-shaped to do this. When the float rises (floats) on the petrol in the bowl the little levers move and push the needle into the hole. This stops more petrol entering the bowl. If the needle is grooved at the pointed end, it may not be a proper fit in the hole and so petrol will just keep coming through and flood out of the top of the carb bowl however high the float is.

I don't know much about how to ensure a tight fit, but I understand that it's rather a tricky job to re-furbish the needle so it fits exactly in the hole. Perhaps others might comment on this.

Keith's tip about light finger pressure on the valve whilst pumping the petrol through to see whether it is worn is spot on and works for both types of carb.

The 30VEFH carb has a valve underneath the lid of the carb bowl. This also can wear. I put a fibre washer under this valve to stop petrol spitting through even though the valve is closed.

Don't forget to check that the float actually does float and is not punctured, otherwise the needle valves won't work.

Tony.

AlanBartlett · Post by **AlanBartlett** » Thu May 31, 2007 8:32 am

Cheers Tony, could some one send me a close up picture of a working carb, maybe I've got something missing, from the picture I took at the national of both kens and yours engines it looks like Ive got the one off kens, with the smaller intake hole and the round fitting. Not sure if this helps?

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Thu May 31, 2007 9:54 am

Alan: -

I am having EXACTLY the same problem with the (bronze 30 HZ) carb on my Long Four. It flooded and a backfire set the whole thing alight the other evening! Of course I had a CO2 extiguisher to hand - so no damage.

The needle on mine looks very good under a strong magnifying glass, so I am concentrating on re-seating the brass fitting at the base of the bowl where the petrol enters the chamber.

Unless you solve it beforehand, I will let you know if/when/how I have solved the problem.

As I have said before - the devil is in the detail!

Best of luck.

AlanBartlett · Post by **AlanBartlett** » Thu May 31, 2007 12:54 pm

Here are some photos of the carb I'm having trouble with, and another carb I have found but cannot fit because there is no screw thread for the pipe to go into, I've got the pipe but its a nut and there is no thread for it to screw on to.
The Carb I'm Using

The Carb I could use but havent got all the fittings

AlanBartlett · Post by **AlanBartlett** » Thu May 31, 2007 8:51 pm

Thanks to ken, problem solved about the leaky carb, but its still not doing alot, it turns over by the starter button, and thats about it, maybe my timings are way out.

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Thu May 31, 2007 9:13 pm

Looking at the two carbs, my bet is that the grey cast metal one is 'right' for the job. The bronze one is' I think' for earlier cars like mine.

However, if it could be made to fit the mounting flange it might work OK, so what is the problem?

We can clearly see the hole where the petrol pipe SHOULD connect, but is it that the thread has stripped and you cannot get a fitting to connect?

If so, there are at least two options: -

1/ Try a decent motorcycle workshop and see if they could restore the thread with a Helicoil or similar insert. These are very effective but could cost a bit.

2/ Clean out the remains of the thread and then modify and soft solder in place a standard BSP fitting to give a new thread.

Others may have better solutions, or I may have got the wrong end of the stick. Let us know!

Keith Andrews · Post by **Keith Andrews** » Thu May 31, 2007 9:32 pm

The hole can be machined out, a brass bush turned down to the correct size, inserted, by heating the bowl, then taped out.
Unless one has a lathe or access to one, and knows how to use it, get someone who knows what they are doing....
Also check. it maybe a taper thread.

JowettTalk

Starting The Engine

Help, Carb Problems