Advice for first start-up in years.
Discussion
I'm approaching the point where I'll be attempting to fire up my Chimaera-based project for the first time. It hasn't run for at least 5 years (and never in my ownership). Does anybody have any tips or things I should look out for?
The engine hasn't been apart (other than for replacement of valley gasket, sump gasket and injector seals) but the whole fuel system and loom has been off so I can't guarantee that I've put everything back in the right place!
I've spun the engine over (jump leads to starter) and the idiot-light sensor indicated that I have oil pressure. My plan is to check for 12v at fuel pump when I turn the ignition on and then check for spark when cranking (both without the fuel pump plugged in) and then if they're both successful I'll plug the pump in, chuck in some petrol and see if it'll fire up. Does that sound about right? I normally work with carburettors and mechanical fuel pumps so please tell me if I'm doing anything stupid!
Thank you,
Andy.
(Added a couple of progress pics below for anyone interested)
The engine hasn't been apart (other than for replacement of valley gasket, sump gasket and injector seals) but the whole fuel system and loom has been off so I can't guarantee that I've put everything back in the right place!
I've spun the engine over (jump leads to starter) and the idiot-light sensor indicated that I have oil pressure. My plan is to check for 12v at fuel pump when I turn the ignition on and then check for spark when cranking (both without the fuel pump plugged in) and then if they're both successful I'll plug the pump in, chuck in some petrol and see if it'll fire up. Does that sound about right? I normally work with carburettors and mechanical fuel pumps so please tell me if I'm doing anything stupid!
Thank you,
Andy.
(Added a couple of progress pics below for anyone interested)
Edited by TVRFlying9 on Saturday 25th April 19:36
What engine type is it? Serp or pre-serp.
Serp will have no issues with oil pump but the pre-serp usually do. I know you say the oil light went out but some of those work at as little as 5psi.
I think I saw a pre-serp picture you have so if I were you I would want a little more proof that there is good pressure or you could wreck the engine.
You need either an electric gauge to match the sender the engine probably already has or an external mechanical gauge.
I don't risk this on engine that have stood for a long time or been stripped I pull the dizzy and use a tool in an electric drill to spin up the pump. I know when I have good pressure as the torque nearly rips the drill out of your hands.
When you do start it may not run clean as it is quite common for injectors to be gummed up. Have an infra red temperature gun to hand and check the temps on each exhaust port. This will show what is not working. You can sometimes fix this by tapping the side of the injector with a spanner.
Steve
Steve
Serp will have no issues with oil pump but the pre-serp usually do. I know you say the oil light went out but some of those work at as little as 5psi.
I think I saw a pre-serp picture you have so if I were you I would want a little more proof that there is good pressure or you could wreck the engine.
You need either an electric gauge to match the sender the engine probably already has or an external mechanical gauge.
I don't risk this on engine that have stood for a long time or been stripped I pull the dizzy and use a tool in an electric drill to spin up the pump. I know when I have good pressure as the torque nearly rips the drill out of your hands.
When you do start it may not run clean as it is quite common for injectors to be gummed up. Have an infra red temperature gun to hand and check the temps on each exhaust port. This will show what is not working. You can sometimes fix this by tapping the side of the injector with a spanner.
Steve
Steve
Update - It runs! 
I had the ignition leads in the wrong positions initially (the vacuum can on the dizzy is in a different place to the diagram in the Bible so i got confused) but once that was sorted it fired straight up.
The idle speed was wandering so I thought I'd investigate the stepper motor. It turned out that the body of the stepper motor had cracked at the top of the thread and completely sheared when I tried to unscrew it. Next job is to try and remove the broken section from inside the plenum...
I had the ignition leads in the wrong positions initially (the vacuum can on the dizzy is in a different place to the diagram in the Bible so i got confused) but once that was sorted it fired straight up.
The idle speed was wandering so I thought I'd investigate the stepper motor. It turned out that the body of the stepper motor had cracked at the top of the thread and completely sheared when I tried to unscrew it. Next job is to try and remove the broken section from inside the plenum...
I have on my desk a stepper motor that has been sitting here a while.
I cannot remember where it came from, but I have no use for it now, as I am running the car on an Emerald ECU.
So if you would like to try it, just ping me an email through my profile and you can have it.
After all, if it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't.
If it doesn't work, then bin it, if it does, bung a few bob to the charity of your preference - they are all struggling at the moment
I cannot remember where it came from, but I have no use for it now, as I am running the car on an Emerald ECU.
So if you would like to try it, just ping me an email through my profile and you can have it.
After all, if it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't.
If it doesn't work, then bin it, if it does, bung a few bob to the charity of your preference - they are all struggling at the moment
Old stepper motor is out. I think i can safely say it's broken!
There's a small pipe coming out of the bottom of the housing that had nothing on it. Should this be connected to the spare pipe that I've got coming from the fuel pressure regulator? I always wondered where that was supposed to go...
There's a small pipe coming out of the bottom of the housing that had nothing on it. Should this be connected to the spare pipe that I've got coming from the fuel pressure regulator? I always wondered where that was supposed to go...
TVRFlying9 said:
There's a small pipe coming out of the bottom of the housing that had nothing on it. Should this be connected to the spare pipe that I've got coming from the fuel pressure regulator? I always wondered where that was supposed to go...
Have a read of this, it's for another car that uses the RV8 but I found it helped explain a lot of things about the stepper motor and in the first photo the small pipe can be seen coming from the housing and does as you say connect to the FPR.https://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/StepperMotor.htm
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