Starting/running Issue

[kiwi]

This project of mine to get the 19TRS back on the road is getting to be a mission

Test run yesterday was not a succesful run never made it more than a mile before the car spluttered then died and wont restart. Not the first time the day before it did it to me and required a tow start to get it running.

First thought low/old fuel, nope threw in 20 litres of the good stuff and still no start.

Carburettor is flooding (no surprise after all the attempts).

When I put on the replacement carb this car was actually starting first time and quick which is what was impressing me then!!!

Going through the list!

I opened the cover for the cambelt. This is unknown territory for me and comparing apples with another apple the question is how taunt shold the cambelt be? Yes rotated the engine and cambelt still rotates just compares to be looser to the other BXs cambelt. btw last replaced 60,000 kms ago. Hence my concern. Hoping I can dismiss camblt failure but what would be the signs.

[kiwi]

Ignore yet another mystery left to be unsolved! Car fired up first timewhen I asked a mechanic friend to come around and look.

[Tim Leech]

I imagine it was just old fuel/flooding, get that cambelt done though!

[electrokid]

A loose cambelt can slip a tooth or 2 and still allow the engine to run albeit with 'odd' characteristics - including being difficult to start. That needs doing yesterday.

[kiwi]

New Zealand fuel is one on of the worse in the world. So Dirty fuel quite likely was the cause just took a while of cranking to get the stuff through after filling up with 20 litres of the fresh stuff car starts again.

This cambelt issue was a bit of a red herring for the problem and well as the cars probably going to be doing no more than 3,000 kms per year as the hobby car it is then not to worried or prepared to fork out for a cambelt. Getting camblet done more than what paid for the car...lol. Besides thats the reason its back on the road the TZS water pump went fubar so if anything I would rather replace the engine. At least get the luxury of space to be able to do that! Keeping 4 BXs going on a limited budget is just not going to happen anymore concentrating on keeping one going will be satisfying. Besides that mrs want her Mitsi fixed

[MULLEY]

Surely a replacement engine & getting it fitted is a lot more than a cambelt? Why not learn to do the cambelt yourself, i'm sure there are plenty of members only to happy to provide instructions/advice on how to do it. Even if the car is only being used a bit, the cambelt ages over time so its still a risk not to change it, but it is your car.

[kiwi]

Exactly my car my choice.

Didnt say was not going to change it just said not worried to much about it. One those jobs thats not on the be done as soon as possible list! Might even sell it before then. I dont mind the verbal advice. Difficult enough trying to get a job done with out any hands on help. Those factors plus lack of tools etc make things costly that I can not do, I dont think I am alone in that thinking at least didnt just scrap the car as I could have last year.

[Way2go]

lack of tools etc make things costly that I can not do,

Surely for most jobs buying the tools you don't have and need for that occasion heavily outweighs the cost of getting the job done in the garage? Next time you come to do the job it will be even cheaper!

[kiwi]

lack of tools etc make things costly that I can not do,

Surely for most jobs buying the tools you don't have and need for that occasion heavily outweighs the cost of getting the job done in the garage? Next time you come to do the job it will be even cheaper!

Yup point taken, probably have got the tools needed just not the patiance tool and last thing i need is to get it wrong with no help. Really comes down to confidence and how fiddly the job is going to be. Just repeat what I said not on the high priority list when its a surplus vehicle. Comes down to economics sadly. If it had not been for playing around with a spare carb and finding out how easy it was to swap the arms across the car would be parts by now or still sitting in the back garden.

Got to get a WOF before I start worrying about servicinng stuff!

[Tim Leech]

Im with you Kiwi, I wouldnt tackle a cambelt in situ, I would rather pay the £60 or so in labour and have it done properly. Which when its only once every 5 years is £12 per annum......its not like fitting a new exhaust box as unless you do something really stupid that wont cost you £500 if you get it wrong!

[kiwi]

When I had the cambelt done on the diesel it cost me nz$609 with the great exchange rate these days thats about £330. Admittedly the garage was a bunch of shysters (spelling) and the new approved mechanics are slightly cheaper on the labour.

Basically do not have that kind of money spare.

[docchevron]

bloody hell! Seriously, it's pretty easy to a cambelt, and a belt kit inclusing rollers shouldn't set you back more than $130.