Help, where am I going wrong. I have a just built a new Xflow engine for my Locost.

We have now fitted it into the car with a new type 9 gearbox and have a new battery, alternator, Weber 36DGV and now a new Bestek electronic ignition system.

First time we tried to start the engine it would turn over on the starter motor, but it wouldn’t fire. We checked with Bestek and discovered that we shouldn’t have wired the negative side and could have cooked the coil is it got very hot but could not discharge.

Now we try to turn over the engine and it will only turn a couple of degrees each time we turn the ignition switch. The battery only lasts a short while before we need to recharge it, and we have 2 batteries on a rota!!

I don’t believe it to be the engine per se as it does turn, and being newly built I would expect it to be tight, however I shall die of shame if has seized.

We have now bought a new ignition system so hopefully should we be able to turn the engine, hopefully it should then fire.
Bearing in mind everything is new I’m not sure whether we tackle the timing or the carb first.

Any thoughts as to where we go from here would be appreciated. We’re too late for Silverstone this week, but we really want to make Brands Hatch next month

too much static ignition timing would cause a slow turn over

Sounds like either a bad earth or a bad starter. Try wiring the battery straight to the starter and see if it turns over
Hth

Start with the basics.
Spark plug out but in a lead lay it on the exhaust manifold check for spark
Is it getting fuel?
Is the cam timed properly don't forget the cam turns at half engine speed so you can get 180 degrees out
Check engine and gearbox earth straps.

Blimey such a quick response.
Yep we have the battery wired straight to the kill switch and are starting it from that, before we wire the dash back in
Tried plug against the bare metal
believe fuel coming through as first and only time it fired we had a flame out of the exhaust (too rich?)
don't know about cam as such but believe earths are all ok

Firing order 1243

Put a tiny splash of petrol down the carb to prime.

Try zero static advance to get it turning over - not kicing back n flattening the battery then hopefully firing.

Check your cam - I have a BCF2 fast road cam - this needs 16 degrees static advance idle 1000rpm !

Sounds like too much static advance.

If its an old inertia starter motor id almost have money on it it'll be that's knackerd

I remember rebuilding an engine some years back that had the wrong ring size fitted. It made the engine very tight and turned over slowly. Filed the ring gap and all was well. Just a thought.

If you are confident that timing etc is as it should be tow it and bump start- that way you eliminate the starter motor circuit/earth problems and get the oil pumping around which must help a wee bit.
Also if you slacken the clamp bolt you can turn dizzy a bit until engine sounds like it is catching then tighten bolt and check where timing is at

hth
Mike

Hi Max.

Did you establish wether you had the actual position of the potor arm and distributor cap in alignment as suggested on the other thread that was started on FB. Also from the pictures on there where all the vacum take off points on the carburetor blanked off as they looked open on the pics.

Cheers Matt

Would be worth turning the engine over by hand (e.g. by pushing the car whilst in gear, or socket on the crank pulley bolt) just to make sure it's not tight.

The way I'm reading it is they messed the ignition wiring up a little but the engine turned over normal as soon as the ignition is wired correctly it turns slow surly the two will be related so would still guess to much ingnition advance
Retard the timing a little and see how it sounds

Our pinto did this with webers it needed 14 degrees btdc to run at idle but was slow turning over but started but with 20 btdc it would Not turn over

Right then, bearings in and engine turns though then stops engine turned other way then stopped. Loosened cylinder head, loosened rocker then tightened both now turns 360° but feel an obstruction in one spot. Is this likely to be just readjusting tappets or something else????