Thread: Tiny bit excited

thanks to all for your words and support much appreciated

i did test the starter and great it spins and seems to work ok, connected on the ground and held by my foot for stability, then had the thought of re connecting to engine to see if it would crank the engine

1. starter motor re connected, and it works, engine cranked for the first time since my ownership, so happy

then decided to see if it would actually start, poured small amount of fuel direct into carby then checked spark plugs for condition. took one spark out and seemed to be firing with spark, cleaned all 6 spark plugs with sand paper and tried to start but would only crank over (which is still good for now).

I have removed one spark plug as a sample to purchase new set plus leads, battery tested after playing around and cranking and it sits on 12.5v. I was looking at costs for new starter motor and they are $400 so happy mine is working spend that money elsewhere, cheers

I would crank it over a few times with the plugs out to build up oil pressure & fill the hydraulic lifters with oil incase they have blead off from motor not being used. I would also replace points & condenser & check the carbon in the centre of the dist cap is ok. A can of Start U Bastard may help if all fails.

1. Purchased 6x new spark plugs from supercheap auto, just need to install.

Was thinking of doing the same for the condenser, points etc. Did have a quick look inside the dist cap. Good idea about
removing spark plugs and cranking over, will do. Think might purchase rest of ebay including the spark plug leads. cheers

update 2. removed spark plugs cranked over few times now the damn starter is stuck and wont crank the motor, do i replace the starter with new one or buy rebuild kit? did tap the starter with the hammer few times which kinda worked but now wont budge.

Bendex may be just stuck , try removing the starter & see if the dendex winds in & out ,if it is stuck giv it a spray with some crc to free it up . You will need to wash the crc of with some solvent . The bendex is ment to be free of oil other wise they can get clutch dust in them causing them to stick. If you want to lube them you make sure they are clean & free of oil & just use graphite powder on the thread . I can't see photo's on my tablet to see if there is a end cap you can pull off to check the brushes . I would take it to an autolec & get it checked out & a quote to repair it if you don't know how to get it apart.

If the bendex is stuck & still engauged in the ring gear the starter won't have enough power to turn the motor. The starter needs to be spinning when it engauges. From the look of your starter it could do with a good clean inside & out , you may find the bearing & bushes need lubricating & if they are partly seized they could be stopping it from spinning. Also from the look of all that sticky oil around the Bendix that could be stopping it from disengaging. If every thing is clean & free the return spring will push the Bendix back & usually once the engine starts it will wind the Bendix back on its thread . I really believe if you were to give that starter a good clean & service it may be OK.

starter has come good after half day strip and clean up, lots of dust inside. jeez those brushes were a nightmare to get back on properly. almost gave up a few times but persevered and got the job done. seems to be working well now, gave everything a good clean and light scrub to ensure all contacts were good and clean.

feeling more confident each day this engine will start but now a fuel issue

1. make shift fuel supply to fuel manual pump, BUT as it cranks my understanding is the pump should suck fuel which it isn't for unknown reason, glass clear of fuel

2. attempt two, forced fuel down the tube with the help of some air pressure and glass bowl for fuel pump full BUT again no suction. also clamped hose input thinking it could be drawing air in

3. put some tape on the bottle to see if any fuel was sucked nothing, at a loss now

Question - if the crank is turning over this manually drives the pump to suck fuel to carb, what could be stopping it from pumping, there is no elec fuel pump as such on Holden 186 as far as I'm aware... suggestions please

I think there should be a diaphragm in it which probably is now perforated perhaps, and thus leaking, so not sucking.
You’ll quite possibly need to put a kit through it.

My guess is the diaphragm has gone hard from being dry for a long time or has a split for the same reason,the valves in the pump could be stuck or not seating proply . One other thing you could check is if some one has had the pump off the side of he motor & when refitted got the pump leaver under the cam lobe instead of against it than it wouldn't pump.
You could leave the pump bolted to the motor & take the screws out that hold the 2 halves together & check the condition of the diaphragm which I think will be your problem. You can also check the condition of the valves at the same time. You will find the top housing will be stuck to the diaphragm & will need a couple of gentle taps on the side of the flange to separate them. If the diaphragm dose need replacing you will then need to unbolt the base from the motor to replace the diaphragm which is a push down & side ways job to unhook from the leaver. They can be a bit fiddley the 1st time but once you have done one they are dead easy.
Good luck, these things happen when vehicles sit for a few years & the fuel dries out.