Another engine not running well question, baffling, very.

Hahaha, the okka, strayyan, bogan dialects. From my perspective, even living rural now, is more and more going the way of the extinct Thylacine.

I'd like to see a YouTube of Cobber walking his Thylacine. :yesnod:

I'm still partial to flannies!

Quite some years ago, when I lived in inner-city Sydney, I was asked at a local grocery store, are you a science student (I wasn't at the time but I later were)? I replied no, why? It was stated that young men living around Sydney Uni region wearing flannies, jeans and Blundstone boots (Aussie made, high ankle leather hiking boots) are BSc students. I'm, Uhh, Ohhh well I don't know... LOL
Airpotable, you may tell your wife, not overalls this time. I was wearing only shorts and thongs, on my feet, not under my shorts (LOL) while I was working on my Volcano. It's warm in winter in this subtropical climate.

But yes some very very long time ago I did wear overalls (or boiler-suite), when I was working in my trade, as a motor vehicle body builder and as a fitter welder. Ohh... those summers in a hot factory dressed in a boiler-suite. I don't miss that. :whistle:

I’d like to see a thylacine with or without Cobber.
Blunnies Cropped up in conversation a short while ago & the bloke I was talking to couldn’t fathom how something so Australian was recognised by an okka.
Get your car sorted & become a double act with Cobber, that’ll stir the leaves around our wheels.
It might be a good idea to qualify “thongs” some folk over here might get the wrong impression. Thongs have a different connotation north of the equator.
M

Airportable wrote:

Get your car sorted

I think I may have the Volcano sorted :woohoo:

My parts, the distributor and rotor, that I ordered from one of the businesses Cobber suggested, arrived this morning. The dizzy is a Lucas brand and the rotor is an Ci.

So, this evening I installed the parts. The engine started easily, idled normally when cold and when at operating temperature continued to idle normally, didn't stall. When given a constant 2500 rpm it was smooth and stable, didn't have loss of power and didn't stall, as it had before. I didn't trouble shoot it down to finding whether the fault was the dizzy or rotor. Just wanted to make it work...!



I haven't taken the MG for a test drive, will do that tomorrow. So far so good!

Here's a Youtube I uploaded. I also just created an VolcanoMGF channel tonight. Video shows how the engine would behave previously with the faulty dizzy and or rotor.

Your instincts were right about the dizzy. Fingers crossed for the test drive.

Took MG for a very enjoyable and satisfying test drive this afternoon, it ran beautifully. Then, I drove an area which is like a "hillclimb" track. Zigzag up a mountain and down. :whistle:
Amazing, how this car performs now. Thoroughly enjoying the Volcano after the approx. 180 km drive.

Excellent pictures. Its great to see your troubleshooting has paid off and you are able to enjoy hustling the car around some challenging winding lanes at last.

Notanumber wrote:

Excellent pictures. Its great to see your troubleshooting has paid off and you are able to enjoy hustling the car around some challenging winding lanes at last.

Thanks re photos and my troubleshooting.
Next day, after the fun of racing it over the mountain, it's what's next to fix... LOL
Looking at the work receipts of previous owners, timing belt, tensioner and water pump were replaced at 96,000 km. That was 5 years ago and the car has only travelled approx. 13,000 km since then. So, the service advice in the manual is replace timing belt at 60,000 miles or 5 years. I wonder should I replace the water pump and tensioner when I do that job too...???

Cost is important, because I'm rebuilding a Case backhoe/loader engine, a Cummins 4BT. I also have to buy a new radiator for it. A previous owner ran over a stump, smashing the radiator and crushing the engine sump onto the bottom end. Nice work dude! Your loss my gain! Bought cheap! :clap:
Needless to say, though, this isn't a cheap exercise...

Disclaimer here, take this onboard at your own risk, use YOUR own judgement!

There is a bit of over caution about OEM recommendations, they want to cover their arses, and it’s not unheard of for them to make a quid outta parts sales, and for their dealers to make a profit outta services.
So you can probably buy some time and let the cam belt alone for a little while, till you can get past the backhoe business, I doubt the tensioner will have deteriorated in so few Km, and the water pump is likely to be fine, unless corroded.
So pull the cam cover off and have a good look at the belt if it has no cracks or other damage it’s probably ok.
Pull the hoses of the water pump and peer inside, if it’s not corroded it’s probably ok too.

It’s a gamble that’s up to you.
You seem to be capable to me. I wouldn’t suggest doing this to most people, as I rarely have much confidence in their abilities.
So if you can trust you own judgment, and make an informed decision, then you’ll probably be fine.

N.B. Kiddies don’t try this at home, this advice is for grown adults with a high mechanical aptitude, those (most people) who possess the dubious gift of mechanical ineptitude are best ignoring this post…… move right along, nothing to see here!

Ya’s roll the dice and ya’s takes ya’s chances!

PS, that engine looks to nice to stick in a dirty ol’ backhoe!

Fair words from Old Oily Bugger, if you’ve got the Cobber Seal of Approval, you’ve got mine.
Those engine parts are impressive & as Cobber says it’s a shame to put something so nice into a digger but I bet there’s a back story here. When I rebuild the Ferguson T20 you could have fried eggs on the block & had them for breakfast; there wasn’t a moment in that old things life when that act wouldn’t have made you puke.
Your car looks fair dinkum (is that expression still used?), & a nice bit of fault finding, it’s now apparent that you’re no stranger to asking the enthusiasts perennial question “why isn’t it running properly “.
What did I say a few posts ago about an emerging Australian double act.
M

Thanks Cobber for the timing belt etc advice and acknowledging me as capable, and about the tidy 4bt engine. The engine shop did most of the amazing cleaning, before their great machining work. I'm no mechanic but I can follow "the f-ing manual" use information for successful outcomes and know when to ask for expert advice. I do often work under poultry supervision though. LOL



I should have opened up the timing inspection cover while I had the hardtop and engine cover off, but then I hadn't released that it had been 5 years since that work was done. Oh well... Cobber as you discussed, I have time on my side. It might be easier to take the wheel off and inner guard cover and see the belt that way. Can I get to all the cover bolts that way I wonder?

I came upon this timing belt photo online a few days ago. Out of time to drive to the mechanic LOL



My Toyota diesel ute has a timing belt change interval of 150,000 km but no mention of time, or maybe I haven't found all the info.

The Volcano may or may not get a further increase in performance. I bought a Bosch coil and it's taking a long long time in freight, otherwise I would have installed it after the test drive for the dizzy and rotor. It's not bought from the place I bought the dizzy and rotor. The coil that's on the car now looks very likely being the original out of factory build. I haven't tested the old coil but at $51 for the new Bosch, why not try for a stronger spark!

So long as you don’t fall fowl of the supervisor you should be fine!
Yeah I know it’s a lame gag but it had to be done.

That timing belt it the pic is fine, it has at least another 100 yards of driving left it!!!