its semi alive.. help/problem solving

[raj]

after getting the starter fitted the car fired up today sounds bloody awsome

but im having a few teething probs,
heres the problems i need to sort out -

• from cold the car will not idle, it will die once i let go of the throttle arm on the carb.the same applies when the engine is hot.

im assuming the car will still idle without boost pipes fitted..? the carb also has the choke flap removed.

• when the car is hot i try restarting it but it will not restart.!im getting a slight puff of smoke out the carb top.

ive set the valve clearences to .15/.20. should i redo them to .20/.25.?

• the oil pressure gauge only works when it feels like it.

ive fitted new spade connectors at the sensor end but it will still only jump into action when it wants

[Gttnutter]

• the oil pressure gauge only works when it feels like it.

ive fitted new spade connectors at the sensor end but it will still only jump into action when it wants

I'd say it was the gauge itself as give mine a tap and it springs into life, i also rewired it not long ago

As regards running/idle it should still run without boost pipes

[raj]

ok will give it a few tapps to see if it wakes up.

anyone with any ideas on the other 2 problems..?

[markey b]

have you touched the carb since it last ran? idle could be too low, mixture etc. etc

[raj]

have you touched the carb since it last ran? idle could be too low, mixture etc. etc

this is a full blown rebuild with everything replaced so in a sense it hasnt run previously.
i rebuilt the carb. im getting nice squirts of fuel down the barrel too, ive cleaned and recleaned the idle jet, unwound the mixture screw 4 full turns from its fully shut position.
as for the idle being too low..... ive screwed the idle adjustment screw in half way and that always been more than enough if not more to get the revs up.

[Mr 5]

have you touched the carb since it last ran? idle could be too low, mixture etc. etc

that happened to be when i fitted the new head,carb's idle was so low would never idle,id try that 1st

[raj]

that happened to be when i fitted the new head,carb's idle was so low would never idle,id try that 1st

ok,thats simple enough. ill give the idle adj screw a few more turns.

assuming this fixes the idle probs, what about the car not being able to restart when hot?

i think i may aswell re re re-adjust the valve clearances
ill check if the clearances are out and if there not ill re-adjust them to .20/.25

thing is i cant see that making any difference to it either.

just to add, the cam is a piper 260[ktec], in other words a very very mild cam and have been told by the likes of ktec to set the valves at .25/.30 which i think is abit too much someone please correct me if im wrong.!

mr cooke where you at???

[Mr 5]

i had that cam in my lasy 5 and had the clearances at 15/20 with no problem

with regards to the hot starting problem,does it just take ages to start or will it not start at all? or does it start but then wont run?

[raj]

i had that cam in my lasy 5 and had the clearances at 15/20 with no problem

with regards to the hot starting problem,does it just take ages to start or will it not start at all? or does it start but then wont run?

from hot it doest fire up at all, it just keeps turning over and throws out a puff of light smoke from the carb top when i stop the cranking.

from cold it fires up after a little coughing and will then only idle if i actually hold the throttle level up and keep revving it that way.
if i let go of the throttle arm the car dies, it cant idle without me.

[Mr 5]

i would say the idle problem is definately a carb set up problem,as for it not starting when its warm,im puzzled,mine did that for a while and it was the aei,had a bad connection,when the car was running it would run all day,if you turned it off when it was warm tho it just wouldnt start again,

i cleaned all connectors and that sorted that,maybe try that?

otherwise i put it down to a spark issue,pull your king lead off the dizzy and put it near the rocker cover bolts and crank it over,see if you get a spark and take it from there

[raj]

when the car was running it would run all day,if you turned it off when it was warm tho it just wouldnt start again,

i cleaned all connectors and that sorted that,maybe try that?

that sounds exactly like what mines doing,except for the fact i havent drove mine yet.

otherwise i put it down to a spark issue,pull your king lead off the dizzy and put it near the rocker cover bolts and crank it over,see if you get a spark and take it from there

ive already checked for spark and im definalty getting good sparks.

[Mr 5]

hmmm,i say try connectors,if there ok then its more than likely the carb

[Rob@Backyardracing]

If your valve clearances is a problem it would show on a compression check.. Id say the carb is your problem for both the problems you have..

[raj]

hmmm,i say try connectors,if there ok then its more than likely the carb

theres not really many connectors i can actually check as there isnt many on the aei all are fitted securely, and also the single lead coming from the aei which i believe is a sound supressor is bolted to where the aei bracket bolts to on the bulkhead.

tdc connector is secure, as are all engine earths.


i personally think the problem points to the valve clearances! what makes me think this is as mentioned i get a mild backfire/puff of smoke out the carb top when i try restarting the engine when hot.
????

[raj]

If your valve clearances is a problem it would show on a compression check.. Id say the carb is your problem for both the problems you have..

regarding the carb.....

the threaded L-rod located under the carb, what exactly would happen if the nut on this rod was screwed all the way on as opposed to half way/quater etc.?

[Brigsy]

I had the backfiring problem on the van, i thought it was due to my petrol/diesel mix

Check for air leaks around base of carb, make sure the idle jet o-ring/mixture screw o-ring are intact. make sure the mixture is set somewhere near aswell.

Also if you have re-torqued the head the valve clearances will need setting again, If they are too tight that won't help with the idle/running.

[Sparkie]

Check for air leaks around base of carb,

have you blocked off the inlet manifold port that sucks oily fumes into the inlet?- or did you forget to put the 1.7mm restrictor in???

[raj]

I had the backfiring problem on the van, i thought it was due to my petrol/diesel mix

Check for air leaks around base of carb, make sure the idle jet o-ring/mixture screw o-ring are intact. make sure the mixture is set somewhere near aswell.

Also if you have re-torqued the head the valve clearances will need setting again, If they are too tight that won't help with the idle/running.

will check for leaks
im not expecting to find any really as all gaskets are new and i have a habit of tightening and then tightening things more

ive not retorqued the head as this is the first time ive fired it up, i dont intend to retorque the head anyway as ive torqued the headbolts to 80mn. [was told theres no need to retorque if torquing to 80mn].

[raj]

have you blocked off the inlet manifold port that sucks oily fumes into the inlet?- or did you forget to put the 1.7mm restrictor in???

thats blocked off mark, ive made away with the restrictors and them hoses and run a catch tank set up now.
breather set up runs from where the degass pot use to be,then to the rocker and from rocker to catch tank with breathable cap.

[Brigsy]

will check for leaks
im not expecting to find any really as all gaskets are new and i have a habit of tightening and then tightening things more

ive not retorqued the head as this is the first time ive fired it up, i dont intend to retorque the head anyway as ive torqued the headbolts to 80mn. [was told theres no need to retorque if torquing to 80mn].

Personally i would re-torque, essential imo. First time i done one it suprised me how much the torque on all the bolts had changed, for the sake of ten mins its lazy not to

[James5]

With regards to head torque @ 80nm I have done these settings on a few r5s and never retorqued I have reset tappets but that's it. With regards to the backfire check for leaks as mentioned above if you have another spare carb handy try that to see if any difference with ref tappets leave them as you have will be fine. The prob is going to be carb related maybe put some sealant around the carb gaskets not the gasket and carb base though.

[raj]

regarding the carb.....

the threaded L-rod located under the carb, what exactly would happen if the nut on this rod was screwed all the way on as opposed to half way/quater etc.?

thanks for the input lads could someone shed any light on the above question pls.?

[Sparkie]

think you might be squirting more fuel in via the accelerator jet, as you are making the pumping mechanism move more.

[raj]

think you might be squirting more fuel in via the accelerator jet, as you are making the pumping mechanism move more.

is this in responce to the question above your post mark.?

[markey b]

the L shaped rod is for the acc pump.. mine siezed, causing it to hot start ok, but required a tow start when cold.. maybe yours is wrongly set up so its flooding when hot, when cold its ok with it extra rich as its does the same a the choke

[Mart]

Valve clearances are fine. How many more times?!

L-shaped bar is, as has been said, for the accelerator pump jet. The rod should be at the end of its travel/pump diaphragm should be fully pushed in when there's circa 5mm gap between the throttle plate and venturi wall.

Also make sure it hasn't seized & the jet/arm isn't blocked.

[raj]

UPDATE:

well after retorquing the head, re-adjusting the valve clearences[kept them .15/.20], and giving the carb yet another clean.

bare in mind that the car did fire up but wouldnt re-start which what i thought was when the engine got hot!!

after all that... i took the king lead off to give the engine another quick prime and.... you guessed it....... im now for some reason not getting any spark from the aei

im assuming this happened when the engine warmed up[hence i couldnt restart it]

so question is, where do i start to solve this prob.? would anything other than a duff aei unit cause a loss of spark.? any random fuses etc?

just find it strange how i fire the car up, turn it off, try and restart, but the spark has gone

[James5]

Relay beside the AEI

[raj]

Relay beside the AEI

the one thats hanging on the bonnet catch panel.?

how can i check if this has given up.? are there any othere fuses on the car that are the same which i can use?
im wondering if the perc fan relay is the same as ive got rid of the perc fan.

[James5]

Yeah thats the 1, rad fan, perc fan, horn all use the same relay.

[raj]

Yeah thats the 1, rad fan, perc fan, horn all use the same relay.

thanks, will fit one of them then and hopefully it'll fire up

[raj]

thanks, will fit one of them then and hopefully it'll fire up

just tried a different relay and and still wont fire up

so is there anything else i could check.?

what about the tdc sensor? would a faulty one cause no spark at all.??

[Mr 5]

UPDATE:

after all that... i took the king lead off to give the engine another quick prime and.... you guessed it....... im now for some reason not getting any spark from the aei

thats what happened to me,thought it was the relay so chopped it and joined the wires. that didnt solve it,unpugged all aei connections and plugged em in again,seemed to solve it

[raj]

thats what happened to me,thought it was the relay so chopped it and joined the wires. that didnt solve it,unpugged all aei connections and plugged em in again,seemed to solve it

as simple as that??

ok will give that go and see what happens

keep the ideas coming

[Mr 5]

yup yup,thats what i did,worked for me,hopefully for you aswel

also yeh if the tdc sensor dies you dont get a spark at all

when mine did what yours has i changed the entire ignition system(plugs,leads,tdc both halfs and coilpack)

in the end cleaning the terminals on the aei fixed it

good luck

[raj]

just tried another aei unit and im still not getting any spark


i can only think of the fault being the tdc sensor now!


when they die,do they just erm die? are there no warning sign to tell you its on its way out?



im assuming the tdc sensor is only available from renault as im not able to find it on gsf or ecp.?

[Kris M]

GSF sell TDC leads

[raj]

avv ittt

managed to find a spare phase1 tdc sensor in my box of spares, just fitted it and i now have spark again


BUT....

im STILL having trouble with the car not wanting to idle by its self.!

i can assure you the car is squeeky clean. its a std carb with the choke flap removed.


ive screwed the idle adjustment screw in almost 3/4 of the way in and it still dies when i let go of the throttle arm. it just wont hold the revs at all.

also to add, yesterday i checked for leaks and came up with nothing. i did this by having my bro hold the car at 2k rpm while i went over the carb and pipes with foamy water.

[Brigsy]

Try setting the mixture screw, might be too rich/lean

[raj]

Try setting the mixture screw, might be too rich/lean

ok, ill give that "another" go tomorrow its just i thought from the shut position that 4 full open turns would do the trick.?

isnt there a rule of thumb when doing this.?

[Scoff]

ok, ill give that "another" go tomorrow its just i thought from the shut position that 4 full open turns would do the trick.?

isnt there a rule of thumb when doing this.?

you positive the idle jet isn't blocked ? they need cleaning lots of times after a carb rebuild sometimes.

[raj]

you positive the idle jet isn't blocked ? they need cleaning lots of times after a carb rebuild sometimes.

i really cant remember how many times ive kept on cleaning the sodding thing, and the thing is,its been clean every time!! but never the less ive always stripped it and sprayed carb cleaner through it etc.

[raj]

AHH FUKC.!

i "THINK" i may have an idea of why i cant gt the car to idle! i just hope it hasnt done any internal damage/det

basically, ive not drained the fuel tank as the petrol in it is 5 years old.

im assuming the petrol at this age would have gone off..?

i did actually put 5lts of fresh petrol in the car before i fired it up which took the tank to the 1/4 mark so im hoping that would have helped the old fuel a little..?

feck!

[mightymanx]

it wouldnt of done any damage to your engine mate but thats probly your idle problem
drain the tank and start again i say

[raj]

it wouldnt of done any damage to your engine mate but thats probly your idle problem
drain the tank and start again i say

draining the tank the easy bit.
i really hope the engine is ok

[Mudslinger]

petrol doesnt go off, it just evaporates mines started with petrol that was over 4 years old

[Scoff]

well, it does a bit, since some elements are more volatile than others. 5 years in a tank might not be long enough ? I don't think it'll be that.

sorry for not reading the thread in its entirety, I guess you've also checked:

1) that the restrictor is in the breather pipe from the manifold to the T piece.
2) that your brake servo isnt letting air past
3) that the inlet manifold is bolted up tight with the cyl head, no gaps, random washers in wrong places, etc.
4) no leaks in the aei line

[raj]

well, it does a bit, since some elements are more volatile than others. 5 years in a tank might not be long enough ? I don't think it'll be that.

sorry for not reading the thread in its entirety, I guess you've also checked:

1) that the restrictor is in the breather pipe from the manifold to the T piece.
2) that your brake servo isnt letting air past
3) that the inlet manifold is bolted up tight with the cyl head, no gaps, random washers in wrong places, etc.
4) no leaks in the aei line

1] as mentioned, ive done away with them bits, inlet is blocked.

2] how do i do that.?

3] 100% everythings tight and in the right places.

4] no leaks in that, its new.

[Scoff]

1) yep, sorry, I havn't read the thread. don't do much rtoc reading these days.
2) try sucking on the pipe, see if you can suck air past the servo. it should feel blocked.
3) cool
4) ok, but did you checked the capsule too ? if you pull the pipe off the manifold you should not be able to suck any air through it.

it's still most likely a fuel thing though. did you try a different carb inscase something is foobar on yours ?

[raj]

1) yep, sorry, I havn't read the thread. don't do much rtoc reading these days.
2) try sucking on the pipe, see if you can suck air past the servo. it should feel blocked.
3) cool
4) ok, but did you checked the capsule too ? if you pull the pipe off the manifold you should not be able to suck any air through it.

it's still most likely a fuel thing though. did you try a different carb incase something is foobar on yours ?

right then.!


this morning -

2] i cant suck air past the servo

4] i cant suck air through the aei pipe coming off the aei


ive also taken the carb off but it all looks very clean..! i dont know what is ment by if the bottom of the carb goes? could someone pls explain abit more?


also when i pulled the servo pipe off the one way valve i thought id check that too......
BEHOLD the bloody thing was stuck open the valve is brand new too so wasnt expecting that. i blew through it a few times and it started to work again

could this be the cause of my car not wanting to idle.?