Austin wont start

[Chris KC]

The thing working in your favour is that the engine WAS running OK before you started making mods. You need to systematically eliminate one by one the things which you have changed.

[Colin Wilks]

The symptoms make me think the firing order may be wrong. Any chance of a photo of the distributor and the leads to the cylinder head, so at least we can exclude that as a problem? Apologies if this seems to be asking you to prove the bleeding obvious!

[pendragon374]

Good morning I have attached some pictures of the leads in position and the distributor. As stated, the car will not run in this configuration ,only when the leads are reversed. I have managed to sot out the key not turning the engine off with a bit of WD40 in the hole.

[Chris KC]

I have managed to sot out the key not turning the engine off with a bit of WD40 in the hole.

This troubles me.

[Charles Levien]

Dear Pendragon,

I can’t help thinking there must be something wrong at a fundamental level.

Your photos are very helpful — if it was my car I would look at your plug lead system. Do all your leads have good connection at the distributor cap?
Are the plug caps reliable?
Your current leads look a bit contorted. You could try some new shorter leads with simple brass plug connectors.

Charles

[Reckless Rat]

If your engine is at TDC and n°1 is on compression then you've got the leads on wrong. The rotor arm is pointing to n°3. Move them all round on the distributor cap one contact clockwise in the same order.

[pendragon374]

Hi, please see the attached. I have set the just before TDC up and the rotor arm is just before opening the points against number 1 lead then 3,4 and 2 in clockwise rotation but on trying will not start ?

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and the flywheel picture

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Have managed to attach an image of the flywheel as the one I posted was too large but the quality is not as good.

[Reckless Rat]

Using a circuit tester or a test lamp - is there current across the two terminals on the points (when they're open)? Are the distributor base screws (the ones in the photo) tight - the points base plate needs to be earthed.

[pendragon374]

Hi, just checked and 6 plus volts between the open points and the base screws are tight. I did try a new complete electronic distributor unit but still had the same issue. I have just tried setting the car up correctly with no start and unscrewing each and moving them 1 place clockwise (keeping the 1342) around the distributor .The car did start after two moves but was the same. High revs (with the idle screw fully out ) and on turning the distributor clockwise the revs increased and anti clockwise the car spluttered before stopping. I haver noticed that at the high revs point I can remove the mixture screw completely without it stalling ?

[John Cornforth]

Hi

To go back to my original post, the flywheel/crank makes 2 turns for every 1 turn of the distributor. When the flywheel is at TDC either Cylinder 1 is firing OR Cylinder 4.

You MUST use extra information to tell which is which, the flywheel mark alone is NOT enough. This extra information would be the position of the valves or the compression felt in Cylinder 1.

Until you are certain that Cyl 1 is at TDC on its firing stroke, all other measures will be fruitless

Reversing the sequence of the plug leads and turning the distributor may get the engine running on 2 cylinders, but I'm sure that's not what you want !