starting problem

S

steve owens

New Member
When starting my tc it takes ages for it to fire up,and i have to use damp start for this.
When it does catch and i depress the pedal or pull the choke it just dies.The car worked fine before i laid it up for a while.
Its as though it is being flooded.i have checked the floats they are ok.
anyone got any ideas.
ps although the car had only been laid up for three months i drained the fuel just in case it had gone off but there was no change.
 
Basics first!!
Is the battery FULLY!!! charged!!,,,if the battery just turns it over slowly there is not enough power for the spark to work or proper compression to happen!!when the plugs are out for cleaning,I would give it a damn good whiz over on the key to blow any crap out and pre lube/prime the engine b4 starting. can you manually pump fuel at the pump to prime up carbs!!,,, check electrics on coil and lead ends havent corroded,clean plugs and points,check carb pistons, choke and throttle cables,and float chamber needles are not sticking open,once it does catch and start,just let it run,dont use more throttle or choke,let it come back to life gradually and settle down for 15 mins.
That will keep you busy till dinner time!! :p
see how things go :D
 
have checked everything .new battery had electrics checked by a mate who is in the trade.i got it fired up last week eventually but again its struggling.it catchs but does not run.
 
is it spitting and farting loudly as if really trying to start??
does it seem as if the engine wants to go backwards,ie it starts off turning fast then at the point of almost starting,it almost slows to a stop for a few turns then goes fast again??
do a quick compression test,use your mates thumb pushed tight over the plug hole if no tester to hand!! make sure the points havent closed up,dizzy hasnt slipped round a bit, plug firing order is correct "easy to cock up".when you check the float chambers,make sure the needle isnt jamming shut!! and there is a clear flow to the jet,use an airline to blow it through. also change the condenser,this can be intermittently faulty,easy and cheap to do!!
 
you,ve got it spot on .it turns fast then when i apply the gas it slows right down.i changed the condenser as a matter of course.i havent moved the dizzy.and all plugs are showing a good spark.
 
I would double double check that you have the right firing order!! remove no 1 plug,bring it up to compression just b4 t.d.c,,see where the rotor is pointing on the cap,and that is no 1 the others should follow anticlockwise 1,3,4,2. also when you take the dizzy cap off,just try turning the rotor arm around in situ?? sometimes the little lug inside can break causing mis-alignment and bu##ering up the timing!! you could still get a good spark when you check at the plug!! rare but have known it to happen!!
if it was running ok b4 you laid it up,refit the original condenser,as new ones can be duff!!
I hope harvey will add a few ideas,as it is best to have ones head under the bonnet for diagnosis
 
pilkie 0 said:
I hope harvey will add a few ideas,as it is best to have ones head under the bonnet for diagnosis
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I think you've pretty much covered it all. Only thing I would add is start with the basics and have a methodical approach.
Starting/running problems are probably the most difficult thing to diagnose over the forum.Chances are someone who knows what they're looking at would get it straight away, there is no substitute for being there!
 
I used to leave mine for a few months at a time sat on the drive in all weathers, and it would always be tricky to start the first time.
Oxidisation builds up on all sorts of components when they're not used, I would....

Pull the plugs, wire brush them and heat them with a blow torch

Remove dizzy cap, make sure its fully dry with some kitchen roll, then give each of the tips inside a light wipe over with some 600 grade wet and dry, also the rotor arm tip and centre.

Also wipe the 600 grade through the points, just once or twice.

Remove the air filter so you can see into the carb throats, use the little lifters on the sides to lift the pistons and check that the needles are clean, I've seen a white crusty substance build up on the needles, if you see any, remove the carb top and piston and give the needle a VERY light polish with Brasso. Also make sure the piston slides up and down in the cover easily.

That lot used to get mine back to running perfectly.
 
just had a mate check it over everything is set up right but he said i have a misfire on the rear cylinder.He checked the electrical side and this was ok.he said it could be a sticking valve.i did notice lately that the exhaust was making a popping sound.can i check this myself and would this be the reason for difficult starting.
 
My p6 sat outside for nearly a year and when i tried to start it yesterday it just turned over and over . i could smell petrol but it never even spluttered . I changed the condersor then flicked the points with a srewdriver and i saw a small spark but when i took the plug out there was no spark from it at all ....it was running fine before i laid it up ..


puzzled?/?????
 
steve owens said:
just had a mate check it over everything is set up right but he said i have a misfire on the rear cylinder.He checked the electrical side and this was ok.he said it could be a sticking valve.i did notice lately that the exhaust was making a popping sound.can i check this myself and would this be the reason for difficult starting.
Click to expand...
Do a compression check, if it's low investigate why, if it reads OK, swap plugs and leads between number 4 and another cylinder and see if the misfire moves.
 
peter2000 said:
My p6 sat outside for nearly a year and when i tried to start it yesterday it just turned over and over . i could smell petrol but it never even spluttered . I changed the condersor then flicked the points with a srewdriver and i saw a small spark but when i took the plug out there was no spark from it at all ....it was running fine before i laid it up ..


puzzled?/?????
Click to expand...
Check all the things suggested for steve owens.
 
Was going to have a bash tonght till i came home to find my dog has destroyed my brand new 2k leather settee :angry:
unbelievable !!!!!!!! Back under the tarp for a while :(
 
peter2000 said:
Was going to have a bash tonght till i came home to find my dog has destroyed my brand new 2k leather settee :angry:
unbelievable !!!!!!!! Back under the tarp for a while :(
Click to expand...
Thats the dog taken care of :laugh: what about the car :D
 
took the day off today as i wasnt in the mood for work but popped out back and what do you know ....got the old p6 fired up .
Heres what i done

1. cleaned up plugs
2.sanded all plug lead ends
3. put the old condensor back on
4. turned the distributor first one way then the other

then bingo it fired up.It runs ok and dosent overheat but it is a bit shaky it hink it may need the carbs set up properly.

anyway thanks guys and hope this info helps someone else.

also got a guy comin tuesday to repair my settee. :D
 
i was having similar problems with the convertible, i put new points in yesterday and all seemed ok? the only thing is now it over runs when you turn it off, any suggestions as to how to resolve?
 
If fitting the points is all you did to cause the problem , check the gap and the ignition timing
If it was out of tune to start with , fitting new points could have speeded up the tickover enough to make it run -on . In which case , slow it down a bit
 
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