Irony
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 08:36 AM |
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RV8 Megajolt Carbs won't start after winter
Tried to get the car started this weekend to know avail. Checked the fuel, its got fuel, checked to see if its got spark, its got spark. Gave up and
put the battery on charge for 6 hours on Sunday. It was turning over better and faster but still no start. Found a bad connection to one of the coil
packs and fixed that but still no. Neighbour came over with his timing gun and confirmed its got a good strong spark. Still no start.
He says as the battery was a bit flat and the loose connection I might have flooded it/saturated the spark plugs etc and I should leave it for a day,
clean all the spark plugs and try again. Is this good advice? Its it possible to saturate a spark plug in petrol so it won't fire properly? I
am not a mechanic/engineer but in my mind something saturated in petrol burns way better than something that isn't saturated!
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 09:17 AM |
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Wet plugs won't fire.
take them out, dry them and even wave a blowtorch over the electrodes to get them a bit warm (picked that up from a breakdown chappie back in the old
days)
What is the fuel like? I understand it can go off if left, possibly making the carbs a bit sticky. they may (just may) need a clean out including fine
jets etc.
Will the car fire if you dribble a little petrol into the carb air intakes?
Just ideas.
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adithorp
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 09:18 AM |
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Yes, wetting the plugs enough to not spark is a good possibility. Where they wet? Clean them and if practical, warm them up before refitting and
startng to reduce the chance of it happening again... You have to work fast though for that to be effectice.
Another possibility is that the petrol has "gone off". With the latest fuels this doesn't take as long as it used to. Drain it off
(tank and carb bowl) and try some fresh.
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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Norfolkluegojnr
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 10:22 AM |
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I always find a bit of Easy Start sorts this out - if you have spark, and you gaps/timing etc are correct, then the fuel might be on the edge.
Bit of easy start on the filter, and if it coughs, fires then dies again, its probably off fuel 
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mcerd1
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 10:38 AM |
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I'm guessing that you've grown up with fuel injected cars then ? 
It can be all too easy to flood a carb'd engine when the are a bit reluctant to start....
(its a bit harder do on EFI cars)
So yes repeated unsuccessful attempts to start it could easily flood the engine.
Also if your carb has an accelerator pump, then every time you pump the throttle pedal your squirting a bit more fuel in - regardless if the engine is
running or not....
As above modern fuel does 'go off' - some folk drain the fuel in the tank and float bowls before the car gets put away for winter for this
reason
So a car that's sat still for while with old fuel in the float bowl(s), a less than fully charged battery and on a cold day - i'd be more
amazed if it did start first time...
[Edited on 2/3/2015 by mcerd1]
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Irony
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 11:02 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
I'm guessing that you've grown up with fuel injected cars then ?
I didn't grow up with any fuel types at all. I am making all this engineering stuff up as I go along. Couldn't have even put a spanner
on a nut without Locostbuilders.
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Irony
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 11:03 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Norfolkluegojnr
I always find a bit of Easy Start sorts this out - if you have spark, and you gaps/timing etc are correct, then the fuel might be on the edge.
Bit of easy start on the filter, and if it coughs, fires then dies again, its probably off fuel
I shall try this first as I don't really have the knowledge to start meddling with the carb.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 11:13 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Irony
quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
I'm guessing that you've grown up with fuel injected cars then ?
I didn't grow up with any fuel types at all. I am making all this engineering stuff up as I go along. Couldn't have even put a spanner
on a nut without Locostbuilders.
I just meant driving them.
I used to have to deal with my cars being a bit reluctant to start if they'd sat for more than a few days in the colder weather...
(btw I'm not that old but my cars were, I didn't get an EFI daily driver till 2008  )
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 07:14 PM |
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If you have a manual choke push it in ,put your foot flat on the throttle and crank it over a few times to clear the cylinders. Take out and dry the
plugs as already suggested then get an aerosol of brake cleaner, get someone to crank the engine with a little bit of throttle while you give the carb
inlets a squirt of brake cleaner (only about a second or so at a time) hopefully it should fire up, once you have it running you should be OK
Easistart is a bit too harsh , I believe the AA and RAC have banned its use. When you get it running put in some fresh fuel
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scudderfish
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 07:22 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Irony
I shall try this first as I don't really have the knowledge to start meddling with the carb.
That's why I converted my RV8 to EFI, computers are easier than carbs
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SCAR
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| posted on 2/3/15 at 07:39 PM |
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My rv8 with megasquirt wouldn't start after being layed up all winter when I tried to start it last week. Fortunately I have a glass inline
fuel filter and noticed it was full of air. I filled the tank in case it was out of fuel to no avail, I eventually had to remove a fuel line and fill
the swirl pot (located under the bonnet) to get the air out of the system. Next turn of the starter was immediately greeted with the v8 rumble
I've missed all winter. Roll on spring.
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