First start after rebuild

Call me crazy, but some answers about the problems I'm getting with this rebuild, come at night when I'm in bed:

so the distributor comes with two advance/retard tiny hoses. I disconnected them, plugged the holes ( as instructions )

I realized I've done a stupid thing ( I guess ): I plugged the distributor not the lines that goes to the carbs.
I will do the timing again with the lines plugged and see the difference.
 
Call me crazy, but some answers about the problems I'm getting with this rebuild, come at night when I'm in bed:

The forum never sleeps ;)


I realized I've done a stupid thing ( I guess ): I plugged the distributor not the lines that goes to the carbs.
I will do the timing again with the lines plugged and see the difference.

Yes plug the line GOING TO the carb. When timing the first time with an open vac line the idle may have been high and lumpy, this will not have helped you at all.
 
Problem solved! Have you checked oil pressure to confirm a bad gauge or sender unit?
edit: scrub that just saw the post. Nice pressure!
 
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Problem solved! Have you checked oil pressure to confirm a bad gauge or sender unit?
edit: scrub that just saw the post. Nice pressure!

Yes !! Things are getting better: I made a deep clean of the sender with brake cleaner and ...it works !! ( saved 95 GBP ).
 
Excellent news! How long before you go for a test drive?
Now is time for carburetors. Yesterday I read your complete article about balancing the SU and despite they are not HS8, is going to be very useful.

Apart the good news about the oil pressure sender, I made a new ignition timing with all the pipes going to the manifold plugged.
In my car, because is for export with emission control, there are 3:
- 2 to from the advance device in the distributor and
- 1 from a vacuum valve in the air filter.
The car was idling al 1800 rpm and too retarded, and after moving the distributor at 6 BTDC, the revs dropped at 800 rpm.

A question: Is it ok 6 BTDC ?
May car is 9:1 compression and I use 98 octane.
Do I have to try a more advanced timing ?

Excellent news! How long before you go for a test drive?
I think next week I´ll make a test drive. The engine sounds quite sweet.
I will drive very gently the first 500 km and then change oil and filter. and after 1000 km check the valve clearance ( a real pain )
 
I think 6° BTDC is a good starting point. I’d drive it at that first and listen for pinking. If you have some retard the ignition a little. If not, leave alone. If it feels a little flat under acceleration advance it a little.
 
I think 6° BTDC is a good starting point. I’d drive it at that first and listen for pinking. If you have some retard the ignition a little. If not, leave alone. If it feels a little flat under acceleration advance it a little.

Thanks sdibbers !!
...and what is your opinion about replacing the original air filter ( with the funny vacuum system flap ) for a couple of nice pancake filters :)..I don't mind about originality, I would like more space to work on the carbs.
 
Thanks sdibbers !!
...and what is your opinion about replacing the original air filter ( with the funny vacuum system flap ) for a couple of nice pancake filters :)..I don't mind about originality, I would like more space to work on the carbs.
Don’t do it! I tried pancakes first on my car. Induction noise was too loud, performance was much worse. The factory air box picks up much colder air from the front of the engine bay (a good thing). Not to mention that pancake filters don’t have the best airflow.
 
Thanks sdibbers !!
...and what is your opinion about replacing the original air filter ( with the funny vacuum system flap ) for a couple of nice pancake filters :)..I don't mind about originality, I would like more space to work on the carbs.
The flap will just stay open if not connected so I would leave well alone.
 
Don’t do it! I tried pancakes first on my car. Induction noise was too loud, performance was much worse. The factory air box picks up much colder air from the front of the engine bay (a good thing). Not to mention that pancake filters don’t have the best airflow.
Got it !! The noise does not worry me, but I don´t love to loose performance.
 
Me too...the air valve is designed to keep the air entering the carbies to 80 degrees F in the cooler climates. For warmer climates doesn't really do anything most of the time. You can get a small power improvement if you duct the standard cold entrance to the slot under the headlights on the same side as you will then be picking up the cooler air that hasn't already gone through the radiator. You can adjust the temperature sensor for cooler are but be very very careful as they are unobtainable (they are a US part which goes with the US cars that use the same vacuum servo to open the flap so someone may do a run of them someday).
 
Hi people, since the last time some things happened.
I've managed to tune the carbs using a couple of Colortunes. Its quite accurate and after a couple of long test rides, the sparks looked quite nice.

I replaced the distributor for an electronic one (Accuspark), Its a good value for the money and it works quite well.
Deleted the vacuum line that goes from the rear carb to a flap in the air filter, in this part of the globe the weather is not too cold.

New rear shock absorbers, I went for a pair of cheap Monroe. They looked really tiny in comparison with the originals. I´ll see how long they last.

The engine sounds and pulls beautiful. I thank all the people in this forum for the encouragement and advice during the process of rebuilding the engine ( it was my first time ).

In order to get the new registration ( Historic Car ),the car passed the MOT without problems, except that they found two "chassis Nr", one on each side of the engine bay ( the same nr. of course ).
Is it normal ? According the people doing the inspection, should be only one Nr. Anyway they approved the test.

Now is time to correct some problems: water pump noisy ( time to replace it ), funny noise in the front wheel ( right side ) when turning ( today adjusted the bearings end float, both wheels ); tomorrow a test drive.

I'm attaching several photos of the rebuild and the car
 

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Congratulations on all your work and the great result. Those photographs of the engine in bits look very familiar to me…

Your car looks great. I hope you have many enjoyable kilometres in it next year as all this Covid stuff goes away (we hope).

John
 
More pics:
 

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Congratulations on all your work and the great result. Those photographs of the engine in bits look very familiar to me…

Your car looks great. I hope you have many enjoyable kilometres in it next year as all this Covid stuff goes away (we hope).

John
I´ll tell you that I really fell in love with that car. The engine is a beautiful piece of engineering.
It likes so much that I'm thinking to sell the other two British classics and go for 3.5 v8 and install a 5 speed gearbox...I hope:D
 
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I think the engine was a great piece of engineering and design. And you’ve done a beautiful job on the rebuild. The car looks very handsome in those country shots you’ve posted too.
 
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