Guess who fitted his flywheel up wrong...Change in the Problem 18/11/11!

[scaffold]

Hi there,

Well after a forced lay off from all things automotive, I attempted to get back in the game by fitting my mk2 driver with it's mk3 bottom end and mk2 head. Unfortunately that was the easiest part of the plan. Along the line there have been three engine and box drops and numerous nights of head scratching resulting in me being on here, cap in hand, requesting answers to questions please.

What's happened is that I removed the engine and box the last time to change the clutch to the smaller diameter flywheel suitable to take the mk2 original input shaft. Unfortunately in my haste to get it all back together I can only assume that either me or my glamorous assistant hasn't lined the flywheel back up correctly because lo and behold where as it fired up but had no drive prior to dropping the box, now it turns and turns but won't fire. Considering that nothing else has been moved [and I haven't yet checked the timing as it was 11:30 last night and I'd had enought] I can only assume that when I set tdc this evening there will not be a mark showing in the flywheel inspection hole. If that's the case then I need to drop the box and get the flywheel off and back on lined up correctly yes?

So, my first question is:

do I need to fully drop the engine and box or can I just unbolt the gearbox and get it sufficiently far enough disengaged that I'll have clearance to take the flywheel off?

My other questions are related to wiring because [and I think the moral of the story is that large breasts [moobs] and long hair [lank and full of engine oil] do not always make for the best glamorous assistant. When I was trying in vain to get the car to fire last night, it was turning and turning to no avail. Then said assistant poked their head under the bonnet and shouted try this. Well, suffice to say, I now have a click from the starter when previously it turned and turned. His solution to try and make it work? change the connection from one spade terminal on the starter to the other    Has he f****d it, or can I put the connection back onto the other terminal and it should be ok? Regardless, which terminal should the connection be on so I can make sure I don't make the same expensive mistake again.

Hope you can help as I've got tonight and tomorrow to get this car back onto the roads of somerset before the girlfriend's car gets two new items swinging from it's rear view mirror.

Cheers

Morgs

[Mr Blue]

I did this once. Box off and re align the flywheel. Should be some dowels to help align the flywheel.

[scaffold]

Ah yes... the dowels. Sadly a feature lacking on my flywheel. Well, I've one but not the both.

So basically, the best bet would be to whip the box off, take off the flywheel and fit back right, tighten all up and then check timing before I've had a chance to put everything back together? That would have been the sensible thing to do the first time though wouldn't it?

When setting it all back up, is it the diamond on the flywheel that needs to line up with the gearbox inspection hole at TDC? or 6degrees as in the illustration 27.3 in section 2C.16 of the haynes guide?

Can I get the box off without dropping the engine again though? Such a pain dropping it the first time, then the second and third. Would be much easier if I can just axle stand the engine, unbolt gearbox and mounts and get it far enough towards the passenger side to get access to the flywheel bolts.

Cheers

Morgs

[danny_p]

stuff takeing the box off to turn the flywheel a littel bit.

make a new TDC mark

[scaffold]

Well, we've got a little further with the engine 

So I whipped off the starter motor cabling and cleaned off the contacts. Then did the same with the battery terminals and put it all back together. When doing that I noticed that the battery to ring terminal on the starter was touching the starter housing. Rotating that around when connecting everything back up and...now the engine turns over...but does not fire.

So, it's the spanish elbow to taking off the box, and full steam ahead on getting it to start.

With a multimeter there is 12.2 across the terminals at rest. However the draw on the battery under attempts to start means that it drops to around the 10 figure...too low as far as I can tell. So the battery is on the home charger and I'm going to head back out later and try it once it's been topped up with juice. Failing that I may well bite the bullet and replace the starter with a diesel item [has anyone got a part code for the gsf part?] and stick a 90AH battery on there.

There is good spark and there is fuel getting in to the carb, so hopefully the battery charge works.

I haven't re-timed it yet as when it's trying to turn it seems consistent with it's cycles [not as though it's struggling to run or running lumpy].

Fingers crossed!

Morgs

[danny_p]

dose it actualy spin over ?

10 V t the battery during cranking is normal, the starter motor on your car draws about 1.1 kw of power ( or should do ) volts may drop to even as low as 8 whilst starting

[scaffold]

 It's turning and turning, everything going around [although a worrying ticking now seems to be coming from the head not too far from the pulleys - I wonder if when bracing the engine to undo/tighten the clutch bolts I've inadvertently slipped something, or it's merely cold start ticking for not running for a while] but it just doesn't seem to want to fire.

The battery is now [or should be according to the read out] fully charged and I'm waiting for close of play today so I can get back home and see if it's done the trick.

I was amazed that merely having the earth straps slightly rotated made such a difference, and amazed that despite a bit of greening, the straps themselves seemed in great nick. This £300 car keeps surprising me!

Just another point, I tried to jump the car off another battery yesterday. I'd be turning and turning it for ages on the cars battery and then got my friendly farmer to pop by in his little massey and slung two leads on. The first time I tried to fire it after connecting the two vehicles up, the car was turning and turning. I stopped trying, then tried again and merely a click from the starter motor. On closer inspection the tractor battery was 117AH...I'm guessing that's too much and in fact it was too great for the ignition circuit? Does that point to a dodgy relay in the circuit? Or a dodgy ignition switch? Some of the forums say that the ignition switch could be a likely culprit but I don't want to start taking that all apart if unneccessary.

Cheers

Morgs

[clipperjay]

Unless you want it never to start again, you will need to investigate the issues, otherwise I'm sure a garage will unload your wallet for the inconvience

I remember two philps screws on the cowl column two jack plugs for the ignition check if they looked burnt or wires are melted first report back.
Do you have a Hayes manual?
If not PM or someone on here will provide the PDF.
Always check how hot the jump cables are if you see smoke coming off them you have done damage, but highly unlikely. you are supposed to charge your battery with the tractor. i.e leave it connected rev the tractor for ten minutes until you have cranking power from your battery to turn it over.
Some people will start the car and just let the other battery help charge the flat one then take it off once it starts. If you have a dodgy starter it would have proberly just drained the tractor battery.
Do you own a multi meter? 

[Mr Blue]

Still sounds like a timing issue