Hey, Trevor!
I have been reading your trials and tribulations getting your B to awaken
from the dead. I too have spent many frustrating hours trying to get a
motor going. Sometimes it seems that divine intervention is the only hope.
However, I have developed a procedure of sorts that usually works. I use
this on my snowblower in the winter and also on my big bore motorcycles
(before I sold them :-( ) for the first start of the summer.
First things first, though. From your correspondence, I don't think this
is the problem but remember, TDC occurs twice for every cylinder and the
whole distributor could be 180 our of phase. The book says that no 1 is a
certain hole in the dizzy cap but yours would not be the first engine where
someone just tossed the dizzy back in and it is no longer timed like it was
from the factory. This can be compensated for by plugging the spark plug
leads into different holes until number one fires around tdc on the
compression stroke. The easy way to check this is to turn the engine until
no. 4 is tdc on the non compression stroke as signified by both valves
being open. Look where the rotor is pointing and install your cap/plug
wires such that number one is in the general vicinity and follow the firing
order anti-clockwise.
To start a recalcitrant engine first charge the battery then pull all of
the spark plugs. If you have a battery charger with a booster function use
it. You need to get the motor spinning. An engine that has sat often has
the rings dried out so they don't seal well or a fuel flooding condition
can wash the oil off the cylinder walls. In either case, I squirt a little
oil down each cylinder then crank the engine for a while. This will help
the rings seal and aid starting. If you can, turn off the fuel supply when
doing this. On an MG, you can do this by propping the dashpots full open
as long as your float needles seal.
The next thing that I do is bring the spark plugs in and heat them up on
the kitchen stove if you have a gas stove. Electric works too but gas is
quicker. You could also use a propane torch if you have one. If an engine
has been flooded then fuel can get on the spark plug electrode and cause a
weak spark. This used to be real common with snowmobiles so I always
carried a spark plug wrench and a cigarette lighter when I rode. If you
have a propane torch, you can also blow it into each cylinder to get rid of
any pooled fuel in there but if you turned it over with the carbs disabled
you should be OK. The torch also warms the cylinders a bit which doesn't
hurt.
Next, install the warm plugs, hook everything up and spray just a wisp of
ether into each carb- a 1 to 2 second spray is all that is required. Turn
the engine over for 3 or 4 seconds max. If it doesn't fire or kick back,
advance the timing a bit and spray a little more ether until it fires or
kicks back. If it kicks back, retard the timing until it fires. This
method removes carburation from the equation so you are just dealing with
spark. From your description, it sounds like you have plenty of spark you
just have to get it to the right place at the right time. If it takes too
long, you may have to clean/dry out the plugs again.
Once you get it to run on ether, you can work on your fuel delivery.
As always take precautions against burning anything down. Don't use the
torch right after the ether can, etc.
Of course we all know that the true solution is to buy an older model ;-)
Good luck and I am sure you will get it sooner or later
Bill Eastman
61 MGA
Hack mechanic extraordinaire
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