Well, today was an interesting day in the life of the
1970 MGB project car I am trying to get back to life. (the
one that I always post that I can't get it to start)
Did a compression check again, and ALL cylinders
are very low but balanced. Like 55-60 across the board, low
but balanced.
It seems like from storage, the rings aren't sealing
very well. As well, this engine was running SUPER rich
and had very gasoline-smelling oil. I am guessing that
these two conditions combined to cause poor ring
sealing.
So, I poured some oil into the bores to help the rings seal,
and POOF it started up in a HUGE smoke cloud and ran for
2-3 seconds and then stopped dead, with enormously
fouled plugs (no surprise there really, with all that oil).
So I was able to continue this cycle, more oil, it would
leap to life until it's plugs fouled, then I'd have to
clean them off to get abother 2-3 seconds.
So I appear to be in a catch-22. This engine needs to run
a while to bed the rings in again, but it won't run. One lister
kindly suggested towing the car around for a while in gear,
however I live in the city and can't easily do this.
One setback that might be serious, that big cloud of smoke
appeared under the hood, not so much out of the tailpipe. I
am hoping it's just an exhaust manifold or gasket and not a
giant crack or a head gasket failure.
I couldn't see where it was coming from, somewhere on
the manifold side behind the carb heat shield.
Oh well. Progress, I guess. I am wondering if a long period
of cranking with the starter (pausing to let the starter cool)
would help compression.
Ideas? Opinions? Criticisms? Offers to haul the car away
and save my blood pressure? ;>
--
Trevor Boicey
Ottawa, Canada
tboicey@brit.ca
http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
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