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Technical 123 Distributor issues? Or something else?

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Technical 123 Distributor issues? Or something else?

The Whitakers said:
Just to add a vital bit of info here and potentially why you keep having to swap plug leads around etc but it’s maybe something you should consider doing during your fault finding. When number one is at the top ensure the valves are closed otherwise the timing is 180 degrees out as mentioned. You may be forever chasing shadows otherwise. Leave the rocker cover off until it starts firing ok so you can easily check...
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Thanks. I think I may have it 180 out. Not for the first time I have misinterpreted a Haynes manual instruction.
 
Not so much an update as a vent. Having exhausted my limited fault finding talents and trying all the suggestions I have been provided with here I still can't get any life out of Barry (or Satan as he may now be known after today). I have fuel, I have spark and I have correctly adjusted tappets. Nothing more than a faint pop now. At one time it would run on one cylinder.
So, I thought I should check the compression after reading Labman's thread and purchased a compression tester online. It showed up today so I removed the plugs, attached tester to cylinder, had the throttle wide open, brother in law ready to pull the starter. Nothing. Check and find the cable has parted company with the lever and disappeared inside the tunnel. I tried operating the starter by hand and got a reading of 75psi on cylinder 1. Not great. Attached the tester to cylinder 2 and tried again. This time the excess, recently single, cable that had come through the tunnel, after deciding to separate from the lever, was on the pull and tried hitting on the positive terminal of the starter causing a burning sensation until I managed to disconnect the battery - a few seconds. Now the traumatised (and recently new) starter won't work. So I haven't been able to get a reading on the 2nd cylinder, have a seemingly damaged starter, a rogue starter cable that needs replacing AND an engine that won't run.
Vent over, feeling better:cool:
 
Fayray said:
Not so much an update as a vent. Having exhausted my limited fault finding talents and trying all the suggestions I have been provided with here I still can't get any life out of Barry (or Satan as he may now be known after today). I have fuel, I have spark and I have correctly adjusted tappets. Nothing more than a faint pop now. At one time it would run on one cylinder.
So, I thought I should check the compression after reading Labman's thread and purchased a compression tester online. It showed up today so I removed the plugs, attached tester to cylinder, had the throttle wide open, brother in law ready to pull the starter. Nothing. Check and find the cable has parted company with the lever and disappeared inside the tunnel. I tried operating the starter by hand and got a reading of 75psi on cylinder 1. Not great. Attached the tester to cylinder 2 and tried again. This time the excess, recently single, cable that had come through the tunnel, after deciding to separate from the lever, was on the pull and tried hitting on the positive terminal of the starter causing a burning sensation until I managed to disconnect the battery - a few seconds. Now the traumatised (and recently new) starter won't work. So I haven't been able to get a reading on the 2nd cylinder, have a seemingly damaged starter, a rogue starter cable that needs replacing AND an engine that won't run.
Vent over, feeling better:cool:
Click to expand...


Oh Jeeeeezzzzzzzz……...Lock the garage and crack open a beer
thumb.gif
 
Fayray said:
........................................
Vent over, feeling better:cool:
Click to expand...

I have learned over time to simply walk away and leave things for a while (although you probably already have done that previously)
It is often frustrating that you want to use a car or such, but we have all been there........
 
good advice fellas. I went and fixed my sister in-law's Renault Clio tailgate to make myself feel better. Then had a beer. Then was awoken at 4am by my dog vomiting in the next room. Couldn't get back to sleep, just quietly seethed about the previous day's events.
Anyway, I'll get there eventually
 
Fayray said:
good advice fellas. I went and fixed my sister in-law's Renault Clio tailgate to make myself feel better. Then had a beer. Then was awoken at 4am by my dog vomiting in the next room. Couldn't get back to sleep, just quietly seethed about the previous day's events.
Anyway, I'll get there eventually
Click to expand...

sorry but that actually made me chuckle....
 
Progress update: Fitted a new starter cable with the help of a friend (starter motor survived the short) and was able to perform a compression test on cylinder 2. This one only reads 65psi (cyl 1 75) so would this be enough to get it to fire up? It hasn't run for a few months now so not sure if that'll affect the reading. It ran pretty well prior to this problem, I thought at least.
The two of us went through everything again today. We have spark, fuel, tappets correctly adjusted, plugs gapped, installed new carb that Dave (Toshi) brought over for me. Still nothing:confused::bang:
 
Update: So, I had to admit to myself that I was, if anything, going backwards in my attempt to get Barry running again. So I enlisted the help of a mechanic who I met at a party (used to go to parties to meet girls years ago, now I meet mechanics at them). He had no specific knowledge of the 500 but loves old cars. He towed me and Barry to his workshop and set about fixing him. A week later and he's running like a top in the mechanic's words. He also replaced all 4 wheel brake cylinders, a front wheel bearing, fitted a new clutch cable, fitted the new carb I got from Dave (Toshi) and set it up and tidied up a few other things.
I'm not really sure what the initial problem was but over time I had made it worse with my tinkering. But it seems to be a timing related issue. He suspected my low compression readings were probably due to excess fuel in the cylinders from trying to start it causing some glazing. This turned out to be the case when he had to spend some time blowing the fuel out of the bores.
So I had a decent run in it today in 30 degree heat and not a hint of a problem. I'm happy again
 
Delighted to hear that your 'wee beastie' is running well again Andrew. It is the solving of these, often obscure, problems that helps everybody.
 
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