R-series/E-series starting problems

[Marinacoupe+rust]

Hello all,

My names Chris and while i do not own a Maestro/Montego, i have a Morris Marina with the E-Series (same block as the R-Series) and I am hoping that you guys could possibly offer me some help.

I've owned the car for about half a year now and put a lot of effort into it, got it running properly etc, until last week when it wouldnt start, so i started with the carbs. I had taken the float chambers(it has Twin S.U Carbs) off a month ago and cleaned everything out, put new needles and seats in, because it was having a problem when you drove it for more than 10 minutes the engine would stall, flood on the back float chamber, then you had to either leave it for a day, or clean all the plugs and take the carbs to bits.

So after putting new needles and seats in, i thought i had fixed the problem, but it was still stalling and flooding on the back carb. I got the local garage to make up a new float chamber gasket for me and we put that in, which stopped the flooding, but this was when the new problem arose.

Yesterday i cleaned the float chambers out, and found that half of the gasket was stuck in the float chamber!! Bad job they did of making that. So i put a spare float chamber lid on with a good gasket, and then it started to flood on the front float!
I traced this back to loose hoses, so put a couple of new clips on and it was fixed.

Engine still wouldnt run so i checked over everything on the carbs finding nothing obviously wrong, then the starter solenoid was smoking when i tried to start the car! Put a better solenoid in and its fine now, but then when i tried to start it the coil heated up, A LOT! So put in a spare coil of unknown condition, it hasnt heated up yet, but as of yet the car hasnt started.

Today was a different story though. I had taken the breather pipe that goes from the carbs into the tappet cover, put a freshly charged battery in, and it started right up! although smoking rapidly in the engine bay and exhaust pipe, but when i went to the engine bay i noticed the disconnected pipe, attempted to reconnect it and the engine spluttered and nearly stalled, take it off and the engine runs fine.

So i blew out all the breather piping and where it goes into the engine, try to start the engine and it wouldnt fire :mad:

It seems there are many problems, and probably my engine is too primitive for anyone to be able to help me with, but any help is very much appreciated as i am absolutely stumped!

Cheers in advance,
Chris.

[threelitre]

Sounds to me as if the mixture is set way too rich! Try weakening the mixture equally on both carbs, probably 4 flats for the first try.

When you pulled off the breather pipe, the car was sucking in more air, creating a leaner mixture. Same indication is given by the fact that it would start cold and then proceed to stall when warming up.

If a carburettor really floods the engine, it is usually the needle valve stuck in on open condition or not seating properly anymore. Defect gaskets would just lead to fuel pouring out of the carb.

Regards,

Alexander

[Russ]

Is this a South African or Australian Marina? As UK ones A,B and O series engines. I belive there was a 2.6 E series one in Australia.

As Alex says it does sound very Rich. Fit a pair Webbers from a MG1600:)

Russ

[Marinacoupe+rust]

Gidday,

Cheers for the replies, sorry i didnt reply sooner as i hadnt checked the forum recently.

You were correct, the mixture was way off (explaining the blowing exhaust and misfire aswell) and after puddling round for a while it seems to be running a lot smoother, thank you.

Unfortunately the sump keeps filling up with petrol, and the head gasket is leaking, so I am planning to swap the engine out of my other E-series Marina next weekend.

I know i should fit webbers, and i would like the electronic ignition aswell, but unfortunately there doesnt seem to be any R-series Maestro's in NZ, or they are very rare, so finding the manifold to start with would be impossible :(

Thank you very much for the advice,

Cheers,
Chris

[G Force]

Gidday,

Unfortunately the sump keeps filling up with petrol, and the head gasket is leaking, so I am planning to swap the engine out of my other E-series Marina next weekend.

Cheers,
Chris

If the carbs are no longer flooding and the mixture is ok now. The reason for the sump filling up with petrol could be a faulty lift pump diaphragm, assuming a mechanical pump is fitted. If a replacement is not available you could fit a generic electric pump such as a facett or similar.

Don't suppose you would consider taking a few photos for us would you?,:D as I for one have never seen an E series Marina;)

Cheers:)

[henocsr]

Yeah as gforce says the sump filling with petrol will be the mechanical pump

[Marinacoupe+rust]

Gidday,

The pump must be absolutely stuffed then, because this wa suggested to me a couple of months ago, so i ripped it out and checked everything over, seemed to be working fine?? Ohwell i have an electric fuel pump in my spare car so will try that later on this week, thanks.

It's an Aussie assembled TC coupe, and probably looks completely different to your R-Series, but here you go(if they work):

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo187/lips-of-deceit/IMG_0415.jpg

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo187/lips-of-deceit/IMG_0152.jpg

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo187/lips-of-deceit/IMG_0014.jpg

Hope you enjoy them,
Chris

[The Professor]

Nice to hear of your Marina.
I used to own one and an Ital.
Whats the year of manufacture 72? or 73?
Always liked the tc versions.

[Marinacoupe+rust]

Hi, its a 1972, so are my other two spare parts car aussie assembled coupes :p.

Mixture now fixed, drove the marina out of the garage yesterday to find a big puddle where the engine was? Looked closer and a small amount of it was oil, while a larger percentage being petrol. Had a look under the bonnet with the engine idling and there is a steady stream (almost as much as the fuel pump is putting into the carbs) flowing down the bottom of the block.

Stop the car, jack the front end up and have a look under, and petrol is all over the exhaust manifold, the front piece of the exhaust pipe, and it seems to be coming from the bottom of where the twin carbs join to the manifold?? :banghead: After getting the carbs fixed, something else just has to go wrong doesnt it? One step forwards, two steps back....

Cheers,
Chris.

[threelitre]

Some twin carb cars have little pipes on the inlet manifold that allow petrol pooling there after a cold start to run off, but it is usually not a big puddle. And as the petrol pump is on the other side... Can it be one of the fuel lines split and the petrol running from the carb body over the inlet manifold downwards? If the needle valve would be sticking open, the carb would also run fat again.

Being a major leak, it should not be too difficult to spot.

Regards,

Alexander

[henocsr]

if one of the floats have stuck fuel could be overfilling up in the float chamber of the carb and then spilling out of the vent pipe

[G Force]

Hi thank you for the pictures :) it is always nice to see something unusual like your E series Marina, something until now I did'nt know existed. cheers;)

As for the fuel leak there are potentially quite a few places that can spring a leak. Some have already been mentioned, but you can also check the main jet and feed tube from the float chamber as these pipes can split with age. A split tube would require the whole new main jet assembly.

The rubber olive seal in the float chamber jet tube connection can also deteriorate and cause a leak. The rubber seal usualy comes with a new jet so you might not be able to get one on its own, but you could probably make one by cutting a slither of rubber from a suitable sized length of tube??

Cheers:)