Non Austin Engine Issue

[Adam Brown]

Hi All

I thought it worth asking here as engines are engines to a point and many of us have non Austins.

I've got a 1953 Morris Eight Z Van. It's been off the road with due to engine trouble for a while now and I'm starting to loose all hope with it.

After years of relatively trouble free driving it cut out two years ago on the way home from an event and wouldn't start. After rebuilding the distro (with bits from Distributor Dr) we got it going. Then after a medium run on a warm day it starting missing on No.3 cylinder. This got worse until it wouldn't run on No.3 at all.

The head came off, new gaskett, valves ground, new valve springs, new carb gaskett and a fettle in the carb, new plugs, new leads etc. All back together, nothing from No.3. 

A compression test shows 100psi each in all cylinders, we've checked and the spark is getting through. Fuel seems to be about as the plug isn't dry when it comes out. 

I really can't see what can be wrong now, I've even put the old distro cap back on and the old leads to double check it isn't the new parts.

Any ideas?

[bob46320]

Assume the impossible, the cams driving the valves on number 3 seem to give good valve lift ? The inlet manifold for 3 hasn't got a blockage like a dead mouse in it? The possibility that you have 2 cracked distributer caps. Can you turn the distributer thro 90 degrees and move the plug leads around and see if the problem moves to Number 1 or 4.