John,
Before you come to conclusions on what the problem might be you have to
find out what is working properly and what isn't. You have to have two
basic functions to happen for an engine to run. Everything else is simply
adjustments.
Do you have spark at the plugs?
Do you have fuel going into the cylinders?
By answering these questions first you will be able to narrow down tour
problem.
Remove a park plug and ground it to the engine and see if you have spark.
If not solve this problem, first. If you have spark and have been turning
over the engine without it starting then you should see raw fuel (plugs
will look wet) building up on the spark plugs. If the plugs are dry you can
inject some fuel or a little starting fluid into the carbs while it is
cranking and it should try to fire. if it does check into the carbs to
insure the fuel is going through them.
Don't be too quick to rule out the distributor being out 180 degrees. The
crank turns twice foe one rotation of the cam and this is an easy mistake.
I rebuilt my first TR3 engine when I was 16 and I had the same problem.
Rotated the distributor and it fired up instantly. Also make sure the
valves are adjusted and the timing is statically set.
Good Luck,
Ron Olds
At 16:08 07/12/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Well listers, I give up.A full day trying to start the new engine and no
>results. Actually, it fired once for a few seconds, then nothing since.
>
>I have spark at the plugs. I'm 99% certain I have the timing basically
>right and the distributor seated correctly. Rotor lines up with correct
>cylinder. I think the problem is with the ZS carbs. I rebuilt them last
>winter, and just stripped them down again. Float height is correct to
>the book. All washers in place. Metering needle is centered so that it
>falls easily. The engine cranks fast with the rebuilt starter, and after
>a few seconds of cranking, fuel pulses out the float chamber vent at the
>front ( where the air filter fits). Having set the mixture screw at
>three turns open, in accordance with the book, fuel spills finds it way
>past it.Clearly I'm flooding the carb, but no mixture seems to be
>getting to the cylinders.
>
>Perhaps the throttle is too closed? Wrong O-ring on the mixture adjuster
>retaining screw? Bad coil so not enough spark? Why hardly no combustion?
>Any idea what I'm missing?
>
>thanks and regards John
>
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