Engine won't start and run.

[heinkeljb]

As some of you will recall reading on here, I had an engine where the crankshaft broke in two. It was rebuit with another crankshaft and as I had a "big bore (700cc)" engine in Lurch, I didn't need to use it after it was confirmed running. It sat around wrapped up in plastic for 3 years or so over the pandemic.

Then last year I went to our National Treffen in Lurch and must have push him a bit too hard as he became very incontinence. Will oil all over the place I needed to investigate where it was coming from. This is quite difficult with the engine in place. You have to remove lots of ancilary stuff and then lots of tin ware to be able to do things like take cylinder heads off. This is much easier if the engine is out of the Haflinger!

So, a cunning plan!

Take the "Big bore" engine out, put the original engine back in and have a running useable Haflinger giving me lots of time to get round to looking for the oil leaks on the "Big bore" engine.

Engine swap goes okay, Quite a few weekends whilst I built a new exhaust system. Explained in another post.

Eventually get to the stage where I can start the engine just installed in Lurch. Now this engine was running having jut been rebuilt before being put in storage. Other than having to swap things betweenthe two engines like Dynastart, Carb & manifold, Distibutor, Clutch plate - all of which was on a running, if oily engine.

Start ----- nope, some pops and bangs but not a lot else.
So start the diagnostics:-
Petrol, yes, petrol in the fuel line. Maybe not in the carb? Take the carb top off, petrol in the bowl, but clean it out in case it has some dirt in it or somthing.
Try again, ----- nope, some pops and bangs but not a lot else.
Recheck ignition timing, all seems correct. Getting a spark when the timing mark is in the right place.
Try again, ----- nope, some pops and bangs but not a lot else.
Tried using Easy Start to help the engine if it required it.
Try again, ----- nope, some pops and bangs but not a lot else.
Decide that something was very wrong with they way the engine was setup.
Next onthe list of things to check - Compression.
I have two compression tester gauges and when they both showed either no compression or very low ~ 60 psi at best. Ah Ha! Found the issue. I thought.
Put some oil down the bores, but that didn't change the readings.
Do I put the "Big bore" engine back in and take this engine apart to see what was wrong?

Folllowing suggestions from various people, I managed to borrow another compression tester which showed the left cylinder was about 100 psi and the right cylinder ~120psi. So that is not the problem.
Try again, ----- nope, some pops and bangs but not a lot else.
Relook at the ignition timing. Having taken the distributor out of the "Big bore" engine to put in this engine I was not entirely sure it was in correctly. Reread the workshop manual and look again at the distributor.
Line up finger with the mark on the distributor - What mark? There is a 1 stamped in the body - I used this mark to start with which was obviously wrong as only Pops and bangs happened. So what other marks? There is the tang which locks the cap n the right place, but that is not a "mark".
After some more cleaning, I found a line which is cut in the edge of the ring of the distributor.
Manual says top dead center on the right hand cylinder, then these two lined up. Make sure not move these two in line when the distributor is installed in the engine. Doing so, makes the "finger" point towards the HT lead going to the right hand cyclinder.

Success!!

Engine now running.

[jhon]

I was going to suggest timing, but glad to read that you got there in the end!

Out of interest - how does this engine compare torque wise to the big-bore engine?

Keep us informed on the source of the oil leaks.

Cheers!

[heinkeljb]

When the original engine (643cc) was in, I was using it all the time including Trials. When it went Bang! I borrowed and later purchased the "Big Bore" (700cc) engine.
The differnce in torque is not very pronounced as in general all it meant was I could stay in a higher gear a little while longer. We have a long bit of road which goes up quite a gentle slope but it goes on for about a mile and a half. The original engine would slow from ~ 40mph in 6th to gear change level of ~ 29 - 30 mph by the time you got to within a quater of a mile of the top. You could either struggle the last little bit in 6th or change down.
The Big bore engine would go up the hil in 6th at ~ 40 mph and you would be down to ~ 30 - 32 mph. So still "almost" at gear change speed, but much less likely to actually have to change gear.

Far more noticeable during trials when you are pottering along in 1st at 1 ~ 3 mph and having to go up and over obstacles. Far less likely to stall.

I would not suggest anybody takes their stock engine and turns it into a Big bore engine just for the sake of a little increase in torque. If you had a an ex DHSS 500ccengine then buy a set of 4 VW barrels and pistons at a expensive amount, getting the crankcases machined, the heads machined etc, might be worth doing.
Wrecking a standard Haflinger engine if you can get hold of barrels and pistons would be deprimental to the value of the Haflinger.

John

[AustHaflinger]

When reading your post it was obvious top me there was a timing problem - could have been distributor setup, spark plugs leads to wrong cylinder or valve timing out.

Glad you sorted it and a could source of information in the future