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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Bugeye 1275 woes.

Hi All,
I have really lost it. I replaced my exhaust manifold with a header from Moss# 452-065.I have a stock 1275 engine installed. I had to use two phonelic spacers on the carbs so they would not be binding on the header. Get everything hooked up and it will not start. It tries to start but sounds like it is running on one cylinder. Have tried re timing and adjusting the carbs. I can't get it running long enough to check dynamic timing.
Has anyone else had this happen to them after installing headers? Perhaps I can't run with the extra spacers??
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks folks,
Joe
Joe Shaw

Is it possible that the distributor is 180 degrees out?
David "not that I would ever have done this..." Lieb
David Lieb



Can you give us a few more details on whats happening

If the car ran well before you installed the header, I cant imagine its ignition related

>>>>>>>>It tries to start but sounds like it is running on one cylinder. Have tried re timing and adjusting the carbs. I can't get it running long enough to check dynamic <<<<<<<<<

Do you mean it starts/runs for like 1-3 secounds then dies? and does this over and over?


Prop
Prop

Check methodicly

Is there spark?
Do you have fuel at the carbs?
Does the starter turn fast enough to start it?

Onno Könemann

air leaks, if all you have done is have the manifolds off and on.

M J Pearson

Did you use a new manifold gasket?
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

Thanks for all your suggestions on this subject.
I have checked the distributor by removing it and removed the spindal and it is in the right position. When the dist is reinserted and the # 1 cylinder is at TDC the rotor is pointing to the #1 plug wire.

PROP...It will run for a second then dies with a puff of smoke out the carbs. Leading me to believe it is out of time. I hate to even try to turn it over.

I just checked one other item and now Iam even more confused. I had replaced all the plugs with new ones and I tried starting it again. But it was doing the same thing. I pulled the plugs to check them and the # 1 and 4 plug were like new( not burned or gasoline smell at all....But the 2 and 3 plug look like they were getting juice because they were scorched slightly. The distributor that is installed has an electronic ignition.
Unless you gentlmen have and other suggestions I am going to swap out the dizzy for another one I have and see what happens.

Sorry about going on and on but I would surley like to get my Bugeye ready for spring.
Cheers.
Joe
Joe Shaw

Have you reversed the clockwise/counterclockwise orientation of the distributor wires?

Not that I've ever done it myself...
Richard Reeves

ummm... was that TDC on the compression stroke?
Trevor Jessie

I dont understand why you think it might be ignition related when all you did was change the exhaust header yet it ran fine before that.

If its only running for 1 second to 2 secounds then dies right off, i really think its one of 3 things

1, the jet needle in the floats (both) are sticking making the floats non-funtionable... this could happen if you turned the carbs upside down when you remeoved the carb assembly

2 you have blocked a carb vent holes when you put the put on the ADD-On phonelic spacers, ...this definatly could happen if you blocked the vent hole with air filter assembly.. a common mistake, that vent hole allows the air to move out with the carb dia moves up and down.

( >>> I had to use two phonelic spacers on the carbs so they would not be binding on the header <<<<)

3. you have a Massive vacume leak in the induction system
Prop

Wow, I'm agreeing with Prop! What makes you think you have an ignition problem when all you did was change the header!

Random swapping of parts is a sure fire way to never solve the problem.
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

Danial,
The end must truly be here, Something Is DEFINATLY wrong in the universe...HAHAHA

Just last week I was ""advising"" Peter berguss on Moly lube... and now hold the title of "Consultant Extraordinaire to PB" Hahaha... (see camshaft luberication)

HAhahaha...oh man, the pressure at times can be So heavy just being prop. LOL


Prop
Prop

Any loose parcel packing stuffed inside one branch of the exhaust manifold? Roy
R Mcknight

Guys and Gals, I think I have figured out my problem.
It was a multitude of different things and I wish to thank you all for your suggestions. I replaced the rotor in my Flame Thrower Distributor along with the new Header and exhaust system. Come to find out the rotor they sent me was for the old style dizzy and it was not making contact on all the spark plug wires and I did have a few compression leaks around the manifold. So now I have it half way acting like it should and tomorrow I will adjust the carbs a bit. After screwing around with trying to get the engine running the carbs really need to be retuned. Right now I have the linkage disconnected and when I try to increase the speed by lifting the linkage it starts to die out, and it acts the same on both carbs.
Oh well, Hopefully it will run better after I play with the carbs a bit....not my favorite lob.
Thanks again, you folks are great.
Joe Shaw
Joe Shaw

so you replaced the rotor arm along with the header - NOW you tell us !!
David Smith

Looks like Dionne Warwick and her Psychic friends network missed that one... I wonder if we can get a refund
Prop

This thread was discussed between 24/02/2011 and 26/02/2011

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