Thread: 6 cyl rover starting issue

Hi Tim, it sounds as though your suspicions may be right, but when you checked the ignition, did you check for a good spark? The electronic ignition should throw a nice fat blue spark across your plugs. Just thinking somethin to do with the ignition may have broken down a bit, so worth a check, although fuel sounds more likely in this case.

If you managed to get it running just a bit, I used the old trick on my old carbied cars of sticking my hand over the carby to create a large vacuum in the inlet manifold - this sometimes dislodged some crud that was making the car run rough and occasionally did the trick.

You need to get it running to do this, so I'm not really that much help am I...

Hope you get it sorted - I'd love to have a look at it one day - I'm curently rebuilding a rover 6 for me Sons series 3 project. I'm one of the few people left that seem to like these engines as they run so smooth (when they are going).

Cheers - Gav.

Thanks Gav,

It normally runs really well, but I didnt have many tools or parts with me to help get it going. Will let you know how it goes.
Thanks

Tim

Doese it have a Solex S U , if so I would be checking the diaphragm in the top of the carby, after sitting it could have gone hard or split once the piston moved. while you have the top off you could blow through the jet.

Stale fuel!!!
I know you said it has been sitting for six months, but how long before that did you put juice in it?
This modern fuel goes off rather quickly and will block taps, jets etc.
Today I drained some out of vehicle that has been sitting for a while and it was rank.


Cheers, Mick.

Originally Posted by Homestar

Hope you get it sorted - I'd love to have a look at it one day - I'm curently rebuilding a rover 6 for me Sons series 3 project. I'm one of the few people left that seem to like these engines as they run so smooth (when they are going).

Cheers - Gav.

I like em too

The standard Stomberg CD carby has a rubber diaphragm which can perish/crack - simple and cheap to replace.

Originally Posted by Homestar

I'm curently rebuilding a rover 6 for me Sons series 3 project. I'm one of the few people left that seem to like these engines as they run so smooth (when they are going).

Cheers - Gav.

Yeah I love them too. I have my second. I had a Series II with a 6 in it and now I have a SIII 109 Station Wagon with a 6 pot. They are very smooth when they are running right. My SIII was sitting in a farmers shed for a few years not moving but he used to go out and run it occasionally. She runs very rich now so I think the carby needs a look over. I also have the problem of stale fuel.

Cheers

Steve

So....

Its been a while since the original post - I have been flat out on the house, but the SIII still not running.

So far I have replaced leads, new plugs, new coil, drained fuel. The carby has been stripped and cleaned out (it looked ok anyway). Fuel is pumping well to carb. Distributor cap and rotor swapped with spares. Timing OK. There is a yellowish spark, so that is not a good sign. Timing light fires ok though.

This time it is trying to start but stumbling and preigniting - usually an ignition problem. Sounds suspiciously like the electronic ignition module is breaking down - there is nothing else left. It is not working with aerostart, so it is not fuel related.

I will put the points back in next time and see how that goes. If this works I will replace the module. Getting close I suspect.