Engine not starting

[island dormy]

   Just a question do you have a ballasted ignition system? Unlikely but who knows what the PO  may have done to your rover.
 Those will give a no start condition if they are trying to start the vehicle on the lower 6-7 volt  running circuit. Normally they are controlled by a full twist starter key which puts the full 12 volts to the coil only when the key is turned to start the engine. (Not a old fashioned push button under the dash).

  https://www.minimania.com/Troubleshooting_Lucas_Points

  If that's not it maybe swap the coil out with a good one. I just had a friend with a jag 6 cylinder it ran horribly on sometimes just 3-4 cylinders there was spark at every cylinder with the plugs removed and sitting on top of the engine cover but when installed the coil could not fire them properly under load. We finally switched the coil and the problem is gone.

  Keep trying it will start eventually.

  Victor

[Gareth]

Perhaps a compression test to see what values you've got? If it is mis timed on the cam shaft, then they will be down.

[Alan Drover]

It certainly sounds like the timing is out. The other way is to remove the rocker cover and turn the engine over until both valves on number 1 cylinder are closed and then see where the rotor arm is pointing.
What distributor and rotor arm are you using?  I had to buy a nasty Chinese copy of a Lucas distributor once as a stopgap and discovered it would fit either way in the offset distributor drive.
Have a look at illustrations A1 62 & 63 in section A18 of the workshop manual and check the orientation of your distributor drive  with them . Number 1 cylinder must be at TDC on the compression stroke.

[Telemuhcaster]

It certainly sounds like the timing is out. The other way is to remove the rocker cover and turn the engine over until both valves on number 1 cylinder are closed and then see where the rotor arm is pointing.
What distributor and rotor arm are you using?  I had to buy a nasty Chinese copy of a Lucas distributor once as a stopgap and discovered it would fit either way in the offset distributor drive.
Have a look at illustrations A1 62 & 63 in section A18 of the workshop manual and check the orientation of your distributor drive  with them . Number 1 cylinder must be at TDC on the compression stroke.

Hi Alan, distributor is the factory Lucas, the actual model number eludes me right now, I put pictures up a few comments back. The dizzy arms points to no1 on the compression stroke. I've followed the book to put it back together. Just have a look at the pics and make sure I'm not being a numpty lol

[Alan Drover]

I missed your pictures but have had a look and at section A1-37 in the Series2/2A workshop manual and it looks like you're correct. As it's an interference engine where the valves and pistons occupy the same space but at different times there would be contact if the valve timing was out and I presume that hasn't happened. It's a very complicated procedure compared with timing the valves on what is basically the same engine in a Series 3 as I had a look in my workshop manual. Did you double check the mathematics involved? The chuffing noise makes me wonder if the valve timing is out but not enough for pistons and valves to make contact.
How did you time the ignition? By flywheel marks or bottom pulley?
If the ignition timing is ok I'm, running out of ideas.
To my way of thinking it's either valves or ignition timing but it looks like you've followed the complicated procedure for valve timing correctly.

[Telemuhcaster]

I missed your pictures but have had a look and at section A1-37 in the Series2/2A workshop manual and it looks like you're correct. As it's an interference engine where the valves and pistons occupy the same space but at different times there would be contact if the valve timing was out and I presume that hasn't happened. It's a very complicated procedure compared with timing the valves on what is basically the same engine in a Series 3 as I had a look in my workshop manual. Did you double check the mathematics involved? The chuffing noise makes me wonder if the valve timing is out but not enough for pistons and valves to make contact.
How did you time the ignition? By flywheel marks or bottom pulley?
If the ignition timing is ok I'm, running out of ideas.
To my way of thinking it's either valves or ignition timing but it looks like you've followed the complicated procedure for valve timing correctly.

Well I have pointed master spline towards number one, and so when arm is fitted it points to no 1 at TDC, static timed it at 6 degrees and tried it timed at TDC. Just funny how it won't run. I shall be doing a compression test on the weekend and will post the results

[Alan Drover]

I'm very intrigued. Please keep us up to date.

[Alchad]

Someone commented earlier about putting a squirt of oil down through the plug hole to help seal the rings, did you try this?

If not might be worth doing a before and after when you do the compression test.

[Alan Drover]

Ideally a compression test should be carried out when the engine is at working temperature but in your case that's not possible.
Don't forget the throttle must be wide open when doing the test.

[Wittsend]

What we are looking for here is not so much the actual psi figure - though it ought to be well over 100 psi and on a "new" refurbed engine nearer 140 if low comp or 160 if high comp ish.
What we want to see is a decent psi and more importantly the same across all 4 pots with no more than 10% variation. This will tell us if there's a problem on 1 pot (or more) preventing the engine from running.

After all some very worn and wonky engines still run OK when the compression is below 100 psi.

  

[geoff]

Curiosity over the compression is fine but don't get too hung up about it as an engine will run even if it is very low.
To illustrate I bought a SII some years back in Newbury and drove it the 110 miles home.
This 2.25 Petrol had a holed piston and 750 tyres and it chugged along the M4 at 45 to 50 mph

Did you have the plug leads set out correctly @ 1342 ?

[TimV]

I'm suspicious of that EP mark you refer to, are you sure you've not got a mixed parts engine? Flywheel from an early engine mated to a later engine?

What is the engine number - might give a clue.

[geoff]

If it were me I'd remove the plugs

Turn over the engine by hand with finger over plug hole number 1 to feel for compression as the piston comes up to TDC - the pressure of air on the finger slows / stops.

At or close to TDC take a look at the timing marks on the flywheel they should be reasonably close - if not your marks are out.

With the above scenario remove the distributor cap to see where the rotor arm is pointing and if the plug lead for No 1 is where the rotor arm is pointing.
From there ensure the leads from the cap moving anti-clockwise are connected 1342

Sparks - need to physically see the spark at the plugs

Fuel in engine - are the plugs getting wet / smelly ?
Try a bit of easy start spray and or a dribble of fuel Into the carb top

If all is good it should fire up

[malcolm]

Thats good advice from geoff,that is what I have done previously.
If you have sparks and fuel it must be something way off,if not even running roughly.

[Eve]

He's had a bang. It came out of the carb choke tube.
It has to be timing that is way out.