Will not start after engine rebuild

A further update: we have spent some time sofly blowing air into the water outlet (with water inlet blocked off) to see if we could hear any air hissing around inside. At the same time, we painted soapy water across all head nuts and joints. Lo and behold, one of the water outlet nuts bubbled. We removed the water outlet, and put in a new gasket, sealing the whole area properly. Filled the engine with coolant, and no leaks. Also put fresh oil in. However, the engine still won't start! There is a strange grinding sound as it turns over, making me think that either something is already damaged, or is being damaged from no lubrication in there?
 
Make sure no masking tape over holes in the side of intake. Then painted with engine. Ask me how I know LOL
 
LizardsA said:
A further update: we have spent some time sofly blowing air into the water outlet (with water inlet blocked off) to see if we could hear any air hissing around inside. At the same time, we painted soapy water across all head nuts and joints. Lo and behold, one of the water outlet nuts bubbled. We removed the water outlet, and put in a new gasket, sealing the whole area properly. Filled the engine with coolant, and no leaks. Also put fresh oil in. However, the engine still won't start! There is a strange grinding sound as it turns over, making me think that either something is already damaged, or is being damaged from no lubrication in there?
Click to expand...

Again, there is no way that water can get in the oil through the water outlet gasket, a head stud, or a leaking head gasket. If you truly had a measurable amount of water in the oil you have a major problem with the block.

"Softly blowing air into the water outlet" is not going to show much...unless by "softly" you mean 50-100 pounds of air pressure.

I may have missed it, but have you done a compression check? If so and if you have 50+ pounds of compression on each cylinder, it will run (with a hot spark at the plugs, timing set correctly, a known good carb, and unrestricted fuel flow to the carb)
 
Blowing out the carb. with compressed air should be done with the carb. taken apart. Forcing air into the assembled carb. at the fuel inlet can damage the float. It can break at the seams, then fill with fuel and sink, wetting the plugs and washing away the oil on the rings and cylinder walls. The result can be not enough compression to fire the mixture.
 
Just a total shot in the dark....the owner of this car has insisted that I fill the system with Evans Waterless Coolant, which I've done. Is there any way that this gunk behaves differently to water in these engines?
 
Likely not, especially in the short time you have been working on it. Some snake oil is pretty deadly and some is just water. Easy on the starter fluid, try a squirt of oil with it in each cylinder, with dry and cleaned sparkplugs and see what you get.
 
Finally everyone I can report on the cause of loss of compression! The bolts that hold the inlet manifold onto the outlet manifold had stripped their threads in the outlet manifold, thus causing the two to not have a tight fit - the exhaust gas was then able to escape through a tiny gap at this joint. I had my machine shop re-tap the holes from a 1/2 to a 9/16, then assemble the two parts nice and tight, and finally to flatten off the ports where they meet the manifold gasket. Once assembled, the car started first turn, and is running beautifully!
Thanks to everyone for all the advice.
Mike
 
Was the ports for the intake taped and painted over Did you take it off.? Wander how I know this
 
Ray64 said:
Was the ports for the intake taped and painted over Did you take it off.? Wander how I know this
Click to expand...

I helped a friend when he started his new engine. It missed terribly. After trying the carb, timing etc. I pulled plug #1 and found an old rag in the valve. The rebuilder had put rags in the ports to keep dust out and the owner never pulled the rags out before installing the manifolds. I pulled partially burned rags that had made their way partially into the combustion chamber. After that the engine ran beautifully. Ray 64 made me think of this SNAFU.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top