Project Rusty Triumphs in Scotland - Fleet functionality = 0% - 06/02/25

[Eddie Honda]

46196922_10218114936524120_2928313783359111168_n.jpg

 

1/10 for photography. Needs more signage.

 

[lanciamatt]

So you have no spark?. Have you checked you have 12v at coil with ignition on?

[SiC]

Nothing as in no spark? Or nothing as not starting?

 

I still strongly suspect the electronic ignition module. Disconnect the negative wire from the coil to the electronic ignition, then connect the test light on the negative lead of the module, the other wire of the test light to earth. Cranking the engine should cause the light to light.

 

I wish I sent you my spare 25D points and condenser set now. I couldn't find it when I was looking and put you that package together.

 

At least it with it being completely dead, it's going to be easier to find the fault. Rather than trying to chase it when only happens when warm.

[captain_70s]

By nothing I mean so signs of starting, the engine spins but there isn't even a cough from the thing. There is spark, it just doesn't seem quite right:

 

 

That's the spark plug tester (badly out of focus, had to balance the phone on some things). There is an obvious flash when the plug is supposed to fire but it doesn't look very strong/reliable, it also seems to do a small flash for all the other cylinders firing?

 

I loosened the fuel line on the carb side and petrol came out, so it is at least reaching the float chamber.

 

The car was running a practically new points set up when I first bought it but it was swapped for electronic ignition after being an utter nightmare to start. logically all the bits to convert it back to stock should be kicking around in my big box of spare bits should I fancy it.

 

 

(As a bonus to this whole ordeal when I was pushing the car backwards uphill I had to jump in it to yank the handbrake to stop it rolling back forwards, in doing so I managed to smash my head against the B pillar or roof. It is quite sore.)

[captain_70s]

1/10 for photography. Needs more signage.

 

 

[chancer]

Kirkton flats. Lovely. If Mr Fowler cant make it then i could probably bring the van and a rope to get you out of there mate. My beloved 190e died just a street up from there...wee fuckers couldnt start it so set light to it. Bastards

[vulgalour]

That does seem like a less than optimal spark.  If you were still on the old points then a clean up of points, rotor and distributor cap would certainly be the first port of call.  From what I recall you've gone through the earth points already.  It doesn't seem a battery issue, it's cranking nicely, so that's something, and since you're getting fuel that's another thing to rule out at least.  I reckon I'd be pointing the finger at the electronic ignition module on this one, possibly it's out of synch slightly so the spark isn't happening at quite the point it should, I don't know how adjustable these things are.  I also wonder if there could be play in the distributor itself so the rotatey bits aren't rotating as perfectly as they should.

[lanciamatt]

I know you say you have fuel upto float chamber, but is it getting out of the chamber, I'd pour some down inlet and crank it and see if it goes, also are the plugs wet when you have been cranking

[purplebargeken]

Good luck tracking it down mate. In relation to getting oil to the top end most of us 1300 owners went with the pipe that you affix to the oil pump and that little bolt on the end of the rocker cover. It helps splash a bit more 20/50 over the top end bits and is worthwhile considering.

[Zelandeth]

I know you say you have fuel upto float chamber, but is it getting out of the chamber, I'd pour some down inlet and crank it and see if it goes, also are the plugs wet when you have been cranking

My thoughts exactly. Especially as the carb has recently been off.

 

This was the cause of one of a very small number of occasions I had to call a breakdown service when the float stuck on the Lada Samara I had at the time.

 

RAC man's solution? Smack the carb with a hammer. Admittedly it worked...

[LightBulbFun]

 

 

[captain_70s]

Local legend Mr Fowler popped over this morn, after his shift finished and before mine began, and towed the Doloshite home.

 

I did try turning it over while bopping the carb with a rubber mallet to no avail.

 

While attaching the tow rope a drop of water went right in my ear rendering me half deaf. This car is the gift that keeps on giving...

[lanciamatt]

You need to find out if its spark of fuel. Spray something flammable in carb and turn it over, you will know then. I spat coffee all over Reading comment about water in ear, genius

[Noel Tidybeard]

The ever charitable Mr Fowler of this parish has offered assistance in recovering the car tomorrow.

 

hands up who wants the recovery vehicle to be yellow and fcukin mahoosive

[lanciamatt]

I've been looking on auto data for you, put ignition on and measure voltage at positive side of coil. Ideally you want 12v, also measure same when cranking engine, you want same ish voltage. Make sure its not 9v

[captain_70s]

Fucking thing. The piston was stuck at the bottom of it's travel and there was oil in the chamber, dash pot was empty. Seems that the 3-in-1 I put in got a bit thin when heated and all pissed out.

 

 

Once that was unstuck it started pretty much instantly. Still runs fucking terribly, of course. I filled in the suspicious gaps for the brake servo vacuum pipe on the intake manifold with some epoxy putty stuff to no avail. I'm now starting to suspect carb issues given all the oil seemed to escape it's not exactly unlikely that air is getting in somewhere it shouldn't be. Idle speed surges by about 20-50rpm constantly and generally drops over time.

 

I also accidentally shorted my test lamp and killed it to death...

 

 

Then I found my multi-meter was dead, think I left it on the last time I used it and the battery died.

 

Fun fact, Acclaim's have a stupid wiper attachment which doesn't fit the vast majority of wiper blades, including all the ones I buy.

 

 

Bearing all this in mind on top of this having been a long and shit week I couldn't be arsed and have retreated back inside...

[davehedgehog31]

Bearing all this in mind on top of this having been a long and shit week I couldn't be arsed and have retreated back inside...

 

The days when a Dacia Sandero on Hire Purchase seems strangely appealing. 

 

Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

[SiC]

LOL you managed a good job on that one.

 

I forgot to put tape/something insulating on the bottom of the bulb holder to be fair. I did make it with one of those bulb holders (rather than soldering direct to the bulb) to make it easily user-repairable. If you can find a replacement bit of wire (tbh most will do - even old mains flex), just solder the croc clip on one end and crimp/solder/jam wires under the screw on the other end.

[captain_70s]

I forgot to put tape/something insulating on the bottom of the bulb holder to be fair.

I kept meaning to do this and never quite remembered. I'm sure I'll have a suitable length/gauge of wire somewhere to replace it.

[Guest Hooli]

Have you cleaned inside the dash pot? They can get rings of gummy old oil that makes the piston stick. Bent needles can do it to of course.

 

I only ever run engine oil in SUs. 3 in 1 just vanishes out the top the first time you put your foot down.

[Yoss]

If you spray some sort of oil, or grease even, over the ends of the butterfly spindle and the jet and it briefly runs better then air is probably getting in there. It won't last long as the oil will soon get sucked in with the air but it'll give you an idea.

 

I also noticed the brass disc of your throttle has one of those little round valves in it. See here.

This has a spring behind it. The idea is that if you back off the throttle suddenly this opens briefly to allegedly smooth the throttle slightly. These can also be a source of air leaks and most people throw them away along with the waxstat as they're pointless and replace them with a solid disc from an earlier carb. Might have one in the garage somewhere. Alternatively you can solder them up to stop them opening.

 

Edit:

 

I mean here.

[Datsuncog]

Fun fact, Acclaim's have a stupid wiper attachment which doesn't fit the vast majority of wiper blades, including all the ones I buy.

 

IMG_20181114_114640134.jpg

 

I always wondered what car that weird metal peg that came bundled in with certain wipers was for.

 

Now I know.

 

 

Glad the Doloshite's up and running again! I've never owned a car with an SU carb, and TBH I'm in no real hurry to do so...

[SiC]

SU Carbs are great as carbs go. Incredibly simple to work on, repair and tune. Like 6 or so moving parts on the things - unlike the vacuum, multi-jetted mess on other carbs. They also take wear really well by still just about working even if worn out. Which is part of the problem with them now, as they're often all knackered at this age if they haven't been maintained.

[captain_70s]

Yup, I reckon vast amounts of my car are original. Which after 41 years becomes a problem when the car had a estimated lifespan of 10 years at most! Dashpot is now full of 20w50 which seems less inclined to fuck off.

 

In other news the car is now back running it's original points system, 'cause fuck it. Why not? (I can hear Squire Dawson cheering from here). Still starts and runs and is certainly no worse than previously, it also makes me feel slightly warm and fuzzy that the car is a little more stock...

 

Sadly it is now dark so a test drive/warm up will have to wait.

[Guest Hooli]

Points are for winnahs. I'll always revert to them if I get another classic, they just work so much easier with this age of engine.

[Eddie Honda]

Fun fact, Acclaim's have a stupid wiper attachment which doesn't fit the vast majority of wiper blades, including all the ones I buy.

 

IMG_20181114_114640134.jpg

 

Pin fit. The plastic adaptor shouldn't even be there as the pin is mean to go through the holes in the wiper bridge and clip into the arm.

 

DSCF3329 by E Honda, on Flickr

 

Whilst on hols back in 2011,  I decided to buy some wiper blades - in Norauto - then I discovered that the miserable fuckers at Valeo couldn't even be arsed to put holes in the bridges! The rest of the holiday was spent re-pinning the driver's side wiper blade as it frequently wanted to break free and wobble and judder across the screen when it was raining.

 

Look! They're still in me shed!

 

[SiC]

Problem is getting points that don't wear out after a couple of miles that all the modern ones seem to do. I'm having this problem on my MGB.

[captain_70s]

Pin fit. The plastic adaptor shouldn't even be there as the pin is mean to go through the holes in the wiper bridge and clip into the arm.

 

Looks like the pin came with the adaptor as it is too small for the holes on any wipers I have... Any idea where to acquire some pins that might fit?

[Yoss]

My Triumph had Lumenition electronic ignition for about fifteen years because everyone said it was more reliable and would give you lots more horsepower. However I put another distributor in the boot with a set of points and a condensor already set up and ready to go just in case.

 

Fifteen years later, and it had been getting harder to start, it cut out on the approach to a major roundabout in Southampton. After Mrs Yoss helped me push it up on to the grass (which she was quite happy* to do and not at all resentful) I started doing the usual checks. Plenty of fuel, try the spark by holding a plug lead to the block and getting Lorraine to turn it over (again, happy* to help). Spark was very weak. Another coil made no difference. So I dug out this distributor that had spent fifteen years wrapped in a carrier bag under the boot floor (you'd be surprised just how many spares you can squeeze in around, and in, the spare wheel. I carry these permanently but the boot is still usable). Swapped the dizzys over and it fired first time. It started better than it had for years so I think the Lumenition had been slowly dying over a long period. That must have been three years ago and I'm still on the points.

 

We were on our way to Salisbury at the time but Mrs Yoss insisted we take it home and get the Skoda. I tried to insist that I'd fixed it and that it was fine, but to no avail.

[Eddie Honda]

Looks like the pin came with the adaptor as it is too small for the holes on any wipers I have... Any idea where to acquire some pins that might fit?

 

Hmmm. Dunno yet. There are usually a pair of holes in the bridge, one slightly larger than the other (as can be seen on your PoD-branded blades). They used to put them in the miscellaneous adapters box with the wipers back in the day, so millions must have been lobbed out...

 

A "4.75mm" (3/16") pin is listed as by Bob Bosch: 3 393 105 044,

 

 

However, it is showing as "discountinued" April 2017.

 

http://www.bosch-automotive-catalog.com/en_GB/product-detail/-/product/3393105044

 

Measure the pin and just nut and bolt it. An M4 would do and a nyloc would keep it safely attached (or a pain in the erse to remove when it's all rusty)