qim Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 (edited) Hi The car has been going very well for months now. I had not used for over a week as it is getting cold here, and today went to the garage to start the engine. No problem with the aid of choke. I reversed it out of the garage and suddenly it went dead, as if out of petrol! Y The tank is nearly full. I used the starter to get the car the few meters back into the garage and as I was nearly there the engine started again as if nothing had happened. I can only think that on the way out of the garage it was using the fuel in the carb bowls, but then it ran out of fuel until the pump managed to get it going again. Bit is that normal? Edited December 8, 2017 by qim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fireman049 Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Camilo ~ Check all your earth connections and your petrol pump. Tom. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boxofbits Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Camilo The pump would have filled the float chambers almost immediately after starting. The engine may have still been cold enough to stall despite some choke. As you say it was quite chilly, and if it started when you got to the garage after it was standing I doubt something would have failed in that short time. Might be worth just checking all electrical connections, points, coil connections etc, but it may not recur. Kevin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 (edited) I replaced the pump to carb pipe recently for a larger one (diameter), but it has not caused any problem, so far? The pipe came from Rimmer I believe When you say, check your earth connections, are you referring to the petrol pump? Is it earthed? Where? Edited December 8, 2017 by qim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fireman049 Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Camilo ~ I take it that you have a mechanical (original) petrol pump. This obviously is not earthed. Check that your earth lead from the battery to the body connection is clean. Remove the connection and make sure the bodywork is clean. Apply a smear of Vaseline and tighten the earth connection thoroughly. Do you have an engine to chassis earth connection? Same applies as above. Check both your battery connections for tightness. Tom. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi The car has been going very well for months now. I had not used for over a week as it is getting cold here, and today went to the garage to start the engine. No problem with the aid of choke. I reversed it out of the garage and suddenly it went dead, as if out of petrol! Y The tank is nearly full. I used the starter to get the car the few meters back into the garage and as I was nearly there the engine started again as if nothing had happened. I can only think that on the way out of the garage it was using the fuel in the carb bowls, but then it ran out of fuel until the pump managed to get it going again. Bit is that normal? Does your car have a fuel/[petrol tap on the chassis just below the petrol pump? Did you turn the it off as a security measure? - If so turn it back on. Choke:- Learn how to use the choke. Full to start Push partly in or pull partly out as required once running. - You will need to learn what your engine likes - it is almost like 'milking' - to tease the engine to work nicely when not at running temperature. Aim to get choke close/ fully off as soon as you can, to stop over fuelling. Peter W Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 (edited) Hi I have an original petrol pump recently overhauled in the UK. I do have a petrol cut off selonoid and that was the first thing I checked in case I had it shut off. No, it was open. The battery to body was recently cleaned by my electrician, so it should be ok. Maybe this is the time to check my multimeter for the first time... Measure Ohms from the negative side of the battery to the earthing on the body. is that it? As for the choke, I did abuse it a bit, by pulling it right out unnecessarily, I think. but could it stop the car as if there was no fuel, or had an electrical probelm? MNow, this engine to chassis earthing I read about a while ago and have not checked yet as I have no idea where it goes from and to where... Edited December 8, 2017 by qim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fireman049 Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Camilo ~ The engine to chassis earth connection is fitted from the front engine mounting plate to the chassis. In my case, on the near-side of the engine (RHD). Tom. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Camilo ~ The engine to chassis earth connection is fitted from the front engine mounting plate to the chassis. In my case, on the near-side of the engine (RHD). Tom. Interesting. I just had some spacers added to the mountings because the starting handle was not aligned. It was done at the local workshop in my presence and I did not see any cables. Are there cables or is the mounting itself? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fireman049 Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Camilo ~ I fitted the engine earth cable myself. It wasn't there originally but is highly recommended. Tom. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Camilo ~ I fitted the engine earth cable myself. It wasn't there originally but is highly recommended. Tom. So, what do you do? Sandwich one end of the cable in the engine mounting and fix the other end to the chassis? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fireman049 Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 (edited) Hi Camilo ~ Yes! Make sure you attach the earth cable above and below the rubber mounting. Tom. Edited December 8, 2017 by Fireman049 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 If the starter motor worked OK with normal cranking speed then it is likely there is nothing wrong with the engine earth connection Camilo. Its possible the engine stopped because you flooded the carbs by having the choke too far out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Its possible the engine stopped because you flooded the carbs by having the choke too far out. Possible but afterwards I lifted the bonnet and did not smell of petrol- Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 One instance of a problem does not give much to use as a diagnosis. It will be intresting to see whether it happens again or whether there are other symptoms. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 Thanks. I'm going out for dinner, now. In another car... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Vincent Posted December 9, 2017 Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 The engine earth strap on my car runs from one of the lhs sump bolts to a convenient point on the chassis. Rgds Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 Thanka Ian I take from your and above posts that the original car did not have an earth. Is that right? And what is the point of adding it if the car is already earthed from the strap that goes from the battery to the body? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted December 9, 2017 Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 Thanka Ian And what is the point of adding it if the car is already earthed from the strap that goes from the battery to the body? To be sure there is a decent earth available for any electrical items mounted to the engine itself - with plenty of insulating rubber engine/gearbox mounts you don’t want to be relying on the choke cable for the earth Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 Choke cable? How can that provide an earth for the engine? It goes directly to the carbs and I cannot see any earthing point in the dashboard, or is there one? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted December 9, 2017 Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 It can form that tenuous connection I mentioned in the other thread Camilo. The metal choke cable outer is indeed connected to earth at the dashboard where it enters the knob assembly. The inner willl pick up an earth from the sheath and both inner and outer are clamped to the carb jet levers. There will be an earth of sorts via the levers and the carb mounting bolts to the engine. One indication of a poor engine earth connection is that the choke cable gets hot due to the current flowing through it as the alternative route. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
david ferry Posted December 9, 2017 Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 (edited) Question already answered so post removed Edited December 9, 2017 by david ferry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
qim Posted December 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2017 (edited) Hi I've just been down to the car, started it, left it running and all's well! So, why did I have that problem a couple of days ago? One possibility is that I did something that I do not do usually: having read in the forum that some owners press thedown on the accelerator, all the way down when they pull out the choke, I did the same. That plus having the choke fully pulled out and left for longer than usual may have caused the problem. Strange though that there was no smell of fuel when I opened the bonnet. I'm trying to decide if I sj«hould take it out for a drive, but then maybe do it tomorrow when the local garage is open and I may get stuck. On the other hand, it is not snowing here... My daughter just showed me what is happening in Oxford right now! Edited December 10, 2017 by qim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 10, 2017 Report Share Posted December 10, 2017 Hi Camilo, starting the engine on full choke is good/OK - but leaving it to tick over for any long period on full choke will kill the engine (in many ways). After a few seconds push the choke in a little. You will hear the engine tone improve as if it is firing correctly (not lumpy) Get the choke fully in as soon as possible as the excess fuel can cause the oil on the bore walls to wash away. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 10, 2017 Report Share Posted December 10, 2017 (edited) The dash is a piece of sheet metal. Hence the connection between the cars body (dash) makes the choke cable an earthing wire. And it gets hot with lots of current going through Edited December 10, 2017 by Menno van Rij 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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