I am at the final steps of getting my 77 Midget on the road.
Everything is hooked up and ready to crank. I try to start
the car and it won't catch. Cranking the car gives me 60 PSI
oil pressure, which is good, since this engine came out of
another car which I never saw running. Anyway the engine catches
and then dies due to lack of fuel at the carburetor. I tried
a bit more starting fluid and rotate the distributor a bit and
then it sounds like a really lame backfire and the car stops
cranking. Now I turn the key and nothing. At first I hear the
solenoid click and on subsequent tries not a sound. I decide
that the battery must need a charge since it has sat around for
about 10 months without being used. I touch the positive terminal
on the battery and it is hot. My question is this, could this
heat build up be from cranking the car or do I have a bigger
problem? My solution was to disconnect the battery and walk
away.
On the bright side:
1. The unknown engines gets 60 PSI oil pressure.
2. I ran a compression test and got 125 PSI across all 4 cylinders.
I didn't take all the plugs out and I did not lift the carburetor
piston (hey I am learning).
3. Frank gave me a gas tank which is painted and in the car. Thanks.
4. Motorhead sells the pipe that comes out of the block to the oil
pressure gague. Pricey but I did not see it in anyone elses catalougs.
Later,
Bill Gilroy
77 Midget
90 Shar-Pei with a bad wheel
|