Hello All,
Yet another update in my continuing saga of getting my U-20 going…
After installing the aircleaner and filling the rad. I took the spark plugs out
and
Let the engine turnover a couple times to get things pre-lubed. Sounded great
and
Spun over just fine.. I was a little worried about the OLD starter but it seems
to be working just fine.
Time to check the engine before I put in the sparkplugs and really try
to crank her over. Checking checking
No oil leaking looking good.. whats this.. OH NO!! there is gas pouring from
the bottom of one of the Solex carbs!!!!!
Damn Damn Damn DAMN !!! Its coming from the coverplate on the pump…. I'm
thinking 'Hey, these are supposed to be
Freshly rebuilt carbs WHY ARE THEY LEAKING!!!!!' Go through the hassle of
taking it off to look at it…Make the huge mistake
Of working the throttle lever and Irene is highly amused as gas goes squirting
across the room in a thin stream… Yikes. Now
I realize that these carbs are so completely different than the SU's that I may
be in big trouble…I remove the
Pump cover expecting to see an old rotted diaphragm or rubber seals.. Hmm they
all look brand new.. as advertised but
You know those screws holding the darn thing on were not very tight..could that
be it???? It also appears that one of the screws
May be stripped out. Why in the heck do they use wimpy brass screws on these
things anyways?? I tighten the screws down
And hook the carb back up to the fuel line and Irene cranks the engine over..
NO LEAKS!!!!! Ya-hoooo!!!!! Bolt the carb back on
But leave the aircleaner assembly off.. Put in the spark plugs hook up the
battery charger pull the choke out a bit and ……..
Nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We spun it for a while and it was almost catching but
not quite… I check for spark. Yes good spark I check to make sure that I have
not but the dist in screwy again..nope it appears to be right.. Tweak the
timing to what appears to be 0 deg
And it comes awfully close to starting… Now is when I realize that I have no
idea how to start a Solex car…yikes again.. I kick Irene
Out of the drivers seat and hand her the fire extinguisher.. Maybe if I give it
a little gas….. And Vroom Vroom Vroom it started!!! I guess I had the idle set
to low so that the engine would not catch.. I have to hold my foot on the gas
and it idles at ~1000rpms!!!!!!
Woo-hoooooo!!! This is great.. Its not running very smoothly but its running
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The oil pressure is good and there is
Not any weird noises coming from the engine!!! Shut the engine off after about
5 minutes to check things..
No oil leaking, no gas leaking.. But boy did that header tape smoke!!! Egads
did that stink… Okay go to start it up again and rattle
Rattle chunk chunk is coming from a the front of the engine!!!!!
Oh-NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My heart falls into my socks.. I shut
The engine off and go to the front of the engine while Irene holds her foot on
the gas. Rattle rattle chunk chunk goes the engine
VERY loudly now… I look down at the rad and… Geez I forgot to tighten the
waterpump pulley and it has come askew and is
Taking chunks out of my electric fan cover!!!!!! 'Darn!!', I yell.. ( yea
right) The bolts that hold the pulley to the pump are to long
To tighten it down with out the fan there… Shoot!! I can not get the old screws
out cause the fan is blocking it…..I am going to have
To buy smaller screws and I am going to have to remove the rad to do it!!!!
Everything else seems to check out I did not miss anything else but
this and now I have to pull the rad to fix it!!!! Darn!!!
But at least it started… that's a start right???
Daniel 69 2000
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