Could things get any worse ?

[beanpole]

I'm not going to let this beat me but I am beginning to wonder what else could go wrong.

Not only have I not solved my ignition problems but now I have lost Oil pressure!, I get 5 psi cold when spinning up with the drill, after priming again with Vaseline.

The engine is a fully reconditioned unit from Freckleton Rover Centre, I rang then concerned about no oil pressure, (well you would wouldn't you !), and they seem to think it is the pump and are sending me a new one.

I hope that will solve the problem of the oil pressure.

As for the startup/ignition problems

I have connected a timing lamp to No1 lead and watch it as the engine is turning over on the starter.

depending where I turn the dizzy too depends on how 'bright' the timing lamp flashes. Unfortunately at the correct timing position the timing lamp has a very dull feeble 'flash', however gradually turning the dizzy (advance), the timing lamp eventually gives out a very bright 'flash', but by now I am way off the correct BTDC position. (The engine will sometimes start in this position but run's like a pig).

Sometimes there is no spark (flash) at all, checking the coil and I find that there is no spark there either. Then after a while (fiddling, swearing etc), the spark is back again.

My immediate thought is to chuck away the dizzy and buy a Mallory Unilite, complete with coil and ballast resistor. However before spending nigh on £400 I have arranged to buy a working, second-hand Lucas dizzy, just to see if this is where the problem is.


What next...




:} :} :}

At least the body has arrived now and looks very good..


Steve

[Bernie]

At points where I've got really depressed 'cos it just isn't going right, I just shut the garage door for a few days. After all (I tell myself), it's just a hobby, there's no deadline, and no-one is going to give me a hard time if things don't go well.

I did the same stuff with the oil pump, though I didn't have the gauge connected, and I didn't use vaseline, just a drill thingy. I took the pump apart once, getting paranoid, thinking it was all going wrong, and loads of oil went all over the floor. I was pretty certain it was going to be ok when I saw a tiny amount of oil oozing amongst the rocker arms. When I started it properly the other week, I had 50psi.

As for ignition, I junked the Lucas and bought a Mallory magnetic - started first time.

Now I'm panicking about wheels, and the fact that I only put water in the cooling system when you should have anti-corrision anti-freeze. I'm going to drain it at the first opportunity!

[TINKA]

Hi Steve, sorry that you are having all these problems. I have reread your past posts and after a close look at the diagrams, I wonder if the new pickup is firring at the wrong time as it is about 22.5 deg out from the old setup? can you remount the pickup so that everything lines up as the old system used to?
The fact that the intensity of the timing light changes depending on the position tells you there is something fundamentally wrong somewhere.The position of the distributor will only change the time of the spark not the intensity.

Hope this helps.

I have recently had loads of problems with my distributor and in the end put an igniter in the fire the coil but also fitted an MSD system and the difference is dramatic, plus I now have a rev limiter. I didn't change the distributor as mechanically there was nothing wrong with it and the MSD was only $195 from Summit.

Good luck Martin :tu :tu :tu :tu :tu

[beanpole]

Cheers guys and thanks for the optimistic words, makes me feel a bit better.

I am going to put oil and ignition problems to the back of my mind for a couple of days, then have a fresh look.

Regards

Steve

[beanpole]

Well didn’t let It beat me..

I managed to get hold of a second hand bog standard lucas dizzy and ballast resistor, from another member, (thanks Dave).

Plonked the dizzy in, setup static timing, didn’t check anything else, just turned the key and she fired up first time purring like a kitten, (well a loud one). I have to say I was getting pretty pi**ed off but am a happy bunny now.

Obviously there was something fundamentally wrong with my dizzy, so A Mallory Unitlite for my birthday I think.

Just have to sort out the oil pressure problem now, (8 psi MAX), I noticed the oil pump and filter was full of very,very black dirty oil, the so called engine re-build obviously didn’t clean out the old oil properly. I will drop the sump and check the pickup pipe etc.

I have new gears and relief valve to put in anyway.

Steve


:tu :tu

[perky]

Hi Steve

Good to know that the dizzy and ballast did the Job, I knew they were ok but like anything else when you are buying/selling from other memebers we all have to put our trust in the spirit of the CRC. A few months ago o bought a LT77 'box from a CRC memeber, paid good money, and was told it was a good one, only to find that a bill for £156 was required to make it 'a good one' a case of buyer beware.


Best Regards
Dave