[TR] stumped!

[Andrew Uprichard]

So now I am getting frustrated, which is never a good thing.

Just finishing a frame-off restoration with a rebuilt engine on a 59 TR3A
and everything had gone way too smoothly:  no electrical glitches, no paint
scuffs.  Then I went to start her.  Managed to get her going, but only on 2
cylinders.  Pulled the plugs leads for #1 and #2 and it made no difference
(other than shocking me!), so the car had spark on all 4 cylinders but was
only running on 3 and 4.  Pulled the plugs and 1 and 2 looked remarkably dry
- 3 and 4 looked pretty normal.

De-coupled the carbs and managed to get an increase in revs by opening
either one, which might indicate the front carb was supplying fuel for 3 and
4, but nevertheless removed both carbs (which had been restored by Palltech)
and they seemed OK to me.  Plus there was gas pooling in the inlet manifolds
front and rear.

Swapped the carbs (put the front one on the rear and vice versa) and same
thing - car running on 3 and 4 only.

Checked the valve clearances and they are all fine.
Compression in good on all 4 cylinders.
New plugs all round

Thinking I may have left a rag in the manifold, I pulled both and they were
fine.

I am stumped!  Could there be valves which are not opening?  Or could I be
losing spark under compression?

Any help would be great.  At least this is one way of passing this
winter.....

Andrew Uprichard
1957 TR3 needs restored
1957 TR3 half-way there
1959 TR3A driving me mad	
1962 TR3B gotta love it
1968 TR250 just finished rebuild