Too little fuel to start

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serieslandy65
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Location: Victoria, Australia

Too little fuel to start

Post by serieslandy65 »

Hi all,

I have a 1986 moke with an HS4 carb on that never wants to start... It would take ages to get her going but she would run perfectly after that. Now I've moved country and she wont start at all, just putters for a few seconds and stops. I thought there might be an airleak in between the manifold and carb so sealed that... no difference. Then I discovered the choke bellow the mixture adjustment was completely stuck, so I freed that and still no difference. I set the main jet 2mm bellow the bridge and still nothing. I don't think I can adjust the float so I can't do much there but when I take the top off the carb the fuel sits way down in the jet, not up high like in my other Su carbs on a land rover. Also I blanked off the vacuum advance and still no difference. At this point I cannot think what to do next so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Rory
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grantourer
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by grantourer »

Hi Rory. Have you checked the fuel pipe from the tank to the Pump? if this is rubber it could have blocked, due to more modern unleaded fuel attacking the rubber, was told it is something to do with the quantity of Ethanol in the fuel, . I have put 1/4 inch Copper/Nickel on both my Mokes to stop this, an awkward job, but worth it.
Regards, Graham & Judith
1981 Aussie Moke
1989 Portuguese Moke
1979 Clubman Estate
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serieslandy65
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by serieslandy65 »

grantourer wrote: Sat Mar 02, 2019 9:49 Hi Rory. Have you checked the fuel pipe from the tank to the Pump? if this is rubber it could have blocked, due to more modern unleaded fuel attacking the rubber, was told it is something to do with the quantity of Ethanol in the fuel, . I have put 1/4 inch Copper/Nickel on both my Mokes to stop this, an awkward job, but worth it.
Thanks for the suggestion but I had taken measures beforehand by having 3 fuel filters and one butted up against the carb so non could get in. In Cyprus the fuel was pretty bad, the carbs would varnish up within a week if not run. I think it may actually be some naff ignition leads... something I thought wouldn't be the cause. Thanks for the suggestion

Rory
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Tim
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by Tim »

What happens if you manually top up the float chamber with fresh fuel?

Tim
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serieslandy65
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by serieslandy65 »

Tim wrote: Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:25 What happens if you manually top up the float chamber with fresh fuel?

Tim
Hi Tim,

We thought that might help thinking that maybe the facet pump was too weak but it made no difference. Then we took the plugs out and some where wet and others not. we did this a few times after cranking her over. Then one time she started and ran, albeit only on 3 cylinders which leads us to believe that the ignition leads must be faulty. Hopefully that is the case, but we will see...

Rory
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Tim
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by Tim »

It could still be carburettor adjustment, but if you top up the float chamber with fresh fuel it does at least rule out insufficient fuel level. Its certainly worth checking the ignition leads, points and condensor.

You could try a squirt of ether (I like our local brand "Start Ya Bastard") down the carby intake. Its quite useful for proving that an engine will at least fire. Don't overdo it though.

Tim
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serieslandy65
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by serieslandy65 »

Tim wrote: Tue Mar 05, 2019 4:10 It could still be carburettor adjustment, but if you top up the float chamber with fresh fuel it does at least rule out insufficient fuel level. Its certainly worth checking the ignition leads, points and condensor.

You could try a squirt of ether (I like our local brand "Start Ya Bastard") down the carby intake. Its quite useful for proving that an engine will at least fire. Don't overdo it though.

Tim
Hi Tim,

We would spray some in and sometimes it would start and other times it wouldn't, which made us think it might be ignition leads, but we will certainly check out points and condensor. On another not a clattering has developed in I think the gearbox... this is since it has been shipped over here. Would you have any clues on what that could be? It goes if you rev the engine but at low rpm or idle it clatters and you can see the pin and bolt out the back of the gearbox shake violently. There is also a clatter when I shut the engine off but I think this is an A series characteristic?

Rory
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Tim
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by Tim »

Its normal for A-series to have a rattle in the rocker cover, and you can often hear that when you shut down, but a clatter in the gearbox doesn't sound good.

I had one that got really rattly once. The bearing for the transfer gear had worn out. I was travelling interstate at the time. I made it home, but the end housing of the gearbox was too damaged to re-use.

Tim
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serieslandy65
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by serieslandy65 »

Well I will have to check out the clatter, its just nothing should really be that worn out since the engine was new a few years ago and should only have a couple 100 miles on it. I suspect something in the clutch might be at play. The shaft that come out of the clutch housing and goes in when you use the clutch shakes pretty violently and the nut on the end swivels slightly if you twist it. Never having owned a mini before I'm not sure if it is normal or not.

Rory
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Dean
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by Dean »

The nut can move around but it shouldn't shake and clatter like you describe.
Did you say you were in QLD?
Dean
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serieslandy65
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by serieslandy65 »

Dean wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2019 10:38 The nut can move around but it shouldn't shake and clatter like you describe.
Did you say you were in QLD?
Dean
Hi Dean,

Any idea what could have caused this? the only thing I can think could have done something was we had someone replace all the front bushings and they bolted the lower inner wing to the subframe which made the inner wing push up against that part. I'll take another look when the weather settles a bit, but I unbolted it as soon as I noticed it and the wing moved back to normal.

Yes I am in Queensland in Mackay.

Rory
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by Nigel(no top)Sykes »

That’d be about 600 miles from you then dean.....just around the corner I suppose
Come on summer
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Tim
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by Tim »

JImboomba to Mackay is just a sunday drive by Aussie standards. It would be a few days for me, a ferry trip and a change of timezone. About the same as London to Moscow.

Tim
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serieslandy65
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by serieslandy65 »

They may be Sunday drives for you! Moving from Cyprus which I think is less than 1/3 the size of Tasmania driving interstate here is like travelling to the moon... Discovered this driving from Port Fairy all the way up here...

Rory
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serieslandy65
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Re: Too little fuel to start

Post by serieslandy65 »

Hi,

My Moke still wont start. I have checked the leads and they all spark well. If I take the plugs off most are wet from fuel. The engine should have compression because when it runs (which it does sometimes) it runs perfectly. It has a engine that's a few years old but should only have very few miles on it. It has a facet fuel pump on it could that be too weak to push fuel in, most of the time it splutters for a few seconds and stops, then it wont do anything. I am totally lost at this point I cannot think of anything else that could be wrong.

Rory
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