Starting Issue, Ignition or Fueling?
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi All,

Ok so i have an issue that i am not admitting defeat on but just getting your thoughts to help me out

So i rebuilt my turbo lump when my car was being painted about 4 years ago. I got the shell back and rebuilt the car but i did not complete it due to buying a house with my mrs. I was keen to get the engine running before i put her away and rigged up the engine with tempory wires and got her running. I also had a mate of mine who had an engine exhaust analyser and he adjusted the mixture.

4 years later renovated and extended a house and now married i have got the car out of storage to be finished hopefully ready for the shows this year.

I have now completed the wiring loom and all is good apart from the fact i am struggling to get the engine started now.

So this is where i am at.

I’m getting a spark on all the plugs.
The fuel pressure is running about 5psi

I can turn the engine over with choke open and the throttle half open and she wants to start, infect she does for about 5 seconds coughs and splutters and then dies.
Inspecting the spark plugs after, the cylinder nearest the rad the plug appears to be dry but the other three have definite signs of petrol on them.
I have a colour tune kit which is handy as you can see what is happening inside the cylinder, the cylinder nearest the rad (the dry plug) appears to have a yellow flame however the other three don’t seem to be doing a great deal.

A question regarding the coil, the negative terminal currently has connected to it the white and black cable that goes to the dizzy and the cable that goes to the rev counter. Does this terminal require a connection to a negative part of the body? I have a feeling i am asking a stupid question here! I don’t think it does but i would appreciate conformation of this.

So i am sort of wondering is this an ignition issue (could the spark not be powerful enough?)

Or is it a fuelling issue?

Way back when 4 years ago i did have an issue with the float, it stuck open but i resolved this 4 years ago. And it appears I am getting fuel into the cylinders but is it enough? Is it too much? I have not adjusted the mixture as i was under the impression that if it was set up before (granted not on a rolling road yet) but it should still run as it ran before.

I have not taken the carb off yet to inspect it as i wanted to get your opinion first.

Any pointers would be gratefully received boys

Fuel pressure should be 3.5 - 4 psi, but I doubt 1 extra psi would make that much difference.

Have you tried new plugs? Sounds like 3 have got wet and died.

Coil doesn't earth to the body.

Cool ok thanks for confirming that!
New plugs it is, I'll see if I can pick some up tomo!
I'll let u know what happens

it should be a nice blue spark if it isnt the coil could be goosed ?

also was it running when you stored it ?

if not you could have the ignition leads wrong!

dont for get to time it in to get you to the rolling road ....keep us posted

Hi Benross,

Ye it was running sweet back then, it did not go out on the road so i doint know what it would have been like under load but it idled fine. I suppose i should check the order of the leads tomo too however i think they are fine. Can one of you guys let me know the order please?
The plugs and coil were brand new back then so i hope its not the coil.
With Regard to the rolling road,i will flat bed it to Slarks in Salisbury so they can set it up on the rolling road, Mot it and set the suspension and wheel alinment to while its there.

you may be having the same issue as me. Fuel in my car is 18 month old. Are you using new petrol?

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

is the earth strap from the car to the engine making good contact, I had it once where the connection to the innerwing looked ok but was rusted giving a bad connection.. Alan

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Hey chaps.

I managed to get it going first thing today which i was over the moon about!
It was an error on my part i have to say! The ht leads were in the wrong oder on the dizzy cap. Number 1 was in the correct place which made sense as that was the only cylinder that was firing.
Thanks for all your posts!