BX 14RE - starved of fuel?

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Tinkley
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Re: BX 14RE - starved of fuel?

Post by Tinkley »

No problem, let us know if it cures the problem. I never had either the ignition module or the distributor fail (and both were substituted thanks to the RAC man) but of course that does not guarantee they won't but try the simpler stuff first.

It is worth keeping an eye out for that mayonaise from the breather getting into the carb input especially with this cold wet weather. Trait is stopping engine, but if you wait/stop it melts/dissolves with fresh petrol around it and then carries on as normal.

You can always make up your own leads with the NGK caps and copper leads but it is more expensive. If you do this try and sleeve the 'keep the dirt out' rubber caps onto the lead. It is not impossible for cr@p to get into the plug 'tunnel' including water and give you a problem. I have known a stray piece of rubish which happened to be conductive get into one of mine and cause a problem, and you will know how much fun it is to inspect those 'tunnels'!.

Thanks Defender, it is a weird engine but in many ways pretty good. I used 15/50 weight oil as it is a unit type. One of the main weaknesses other than HT leads is 5th gear coming loose. If the engine is out for a clutch change please ensure that the gears are secured properly. Never had cam chain problems or anything too much. One water pump at about 120k, the engine was refurbed (new head gasket, seals, clutch, 5th gear re locked in, head skim, valves lightly reseated etc after 92k when a cooling core plug rusted out due to the dealer putting in tap water with a/freeze hence my paranoia about a distilled mix. Using tap water also furrs the radiator with ally corrosion and that causes over heating and a new rad. Certainly you do not want the red lamp of death on the cooling side.. :lol:
It (14RE) split a hard hydraulic pipe at about 165k but otherwise was not too bad.

The main reason for problems with the engine/box other than straight poor maintenance is a gear coming loose according to Andy (expert BX mechanic in Woking) and you get no warning ie selection is dandy. There are quite a few where the gears came through the crankcase....
I happily took it to Holland with boat on trailer behind after 130k and no roadside assist cover etc.

The 150 was a very different engine to my previous Sumbeam 1.0 LS ie revised Imp engine with SU carb. In many ways closer to a unit m/cycle engine so I was not too bothered. Over the years I got to know its little ways!.. :lol: Just about every other car engine I've worked on a right old mix of stuff that has not had that HT lead consuming quality. A lot of the time one lead, usually coil to Dizzy cap, but not always has been a problem. Had most of them, cracked caps where you can't see at all easily where, knackered contacts in Dizzy cap or rotor arm so pitted it can't give a reliable jump etc. Plugs are pretty rare in my experience. 3 have failed on me, one on a m/cycle, one on lawn mower, and one on this 1.6. Worst was the bike, the bent metal strip fell off bending the inlet valves (4 valve head) at the bottom of Tolworth underpass (A3), thanks NGK, it had done 3k with a 5k service interval!.
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Tim Leech
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Re: BX 14RE - starved of fuel?

Post by Tim Leech »

Did this get sorted?
Lots of Motors, mostly semi broken....
tranentbx
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Re: BX 14RE - starved of fuel?

Post by tranentbx »

Hi folks,

Just a quick update, have changed the HT leads and all seems well :-) I would say the motors running smoother.

Thanks again for the advice

Pascal
Defender110
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Re: BX 14RE - starved of fuel?

Post by Defender110 »

=D> Well done to Tinkley
Kevan
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