Series 3 Petrol will just not start

I have this amzing 2a with a 3 petrol engine and since buying last spring has run brilliantly. But now she just doesn't want to start. It is definetly a fuel problem which I thought was the fuel pump; so I changed it for a new one but nothing. Then I took the weber carb off and took it to a garage who cleaned and and checked it out and put it back together for me. That got her started and sounding sweet. I turned it off had lunch went back out there and she wouldn't fire up. Checked hoses, took fuel line off carb and tried pumping fuel into a bottle and it did. So back to the carb? Any different ideas out there. Thanks

Is fuel going in to the carb?

steveav said:

I have this amzing 2a with a 3 petrol engine and since buying last spring has run brilliantly. But now she just doesn't want to start. It is definetly a fuel problem which I thought was the fuel pump; so I changed it for a new one but nothing. Then I took the weber carb off and took it to a garage who cleaned and and checked it out and put it back together for me. That got her started and sounding sweet. I turned it off had lunch went back out there and she wouldn't fire up. Checked hoses, took fuel line off carb and tried pumping fuel into a bottle and it did. So back to the carb? Any different ideas out there. Thanks

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have you checked the inbuilt gauze fuel filter?

if its a webber 32 36 DGAV twin choke carb itll be where the fuel line goes into the carb it has a tiny filter in there and a return pipe on the opposing side and a brass nut / bung on the top ....chances are its the fibre washer under that nut just letting a tiny bit of air in allowing the fuel to drain out and back into the tank

failing that check that theres a half inch thick rubber gasket between the carb and inlet manifold as this acts in two ways

1 its an anti warping measure for the different heat stresses on the surfaces ( the carb metal is thinner than the manifold metal ) so tyhey expand at different rates thus breaking the airtight seal between thwe carb and the manifold letting air in

2 this rubber gasket also acts as an insulator / heat shield stopping the remaining fuel in the carb float chamber from expanding and being ****ed down the throttle tubes and evaporating

there is another option to do with the choke flaps in the top due to the technology when these carbs were abbout they had ****ty poly eurathane bushes holding the shaft that carries the twin choke butterflys making them stick and not fully close or open properly even if its not on a hydrostatic auto choke or its been converted to manual itll look and seem like the choke is on but its ineffective thus being a complete bastid to start

i have had the same problem with the cortina i own but i learned to sort it myself using this info i have given as my guide

Thanks guys, lots to look at. Will post the solution when I've nailed it.

might be worth saying where you are you never know 1 of the learned folk on here might come and cast an eye over it for you

Is the engine still warm when it refuses to start or has it had time to cool down?

Its taken an age to get this sorted, just too much going on at work, but after fixing the fuel supply issue it turned out the points were knackered. After fitting a distributor service kit she now starts every time; only problem is that it will not go into gear. But I will start that little saga in a new thread. Thanks to all for the advice.

dump the points and condensor double quick bud and yourself £30 worth of hassle free ignition, my last 6 classics all got a SIMONBBC electronic module

piece of piddle to fit, instant starting ,smoother idle, no adjustment,no brainer,steve

series2steve said:

dump the points and condensor double quick bud and yourself £30 worth of hassle free ignition, my last 6 classics all got a simonbbc electronic module

piece of piddle to fit, instant starting ,smoother idle, no adjustment,no brainer,steve

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+1.

your distributor could have come loose and the timing could be out, this happened to me, was fiddling with the carb for ages but nothing.