Troubleshooting Start-up Help Needed

My husband and I rescued his dad's 73 Midget this past fall from further neglect. The dad bought the car new but hadn't driven it in about 10 years. So far we've replaced the battery and rebuilt the fuel pump. The fuel is getting to the carburators and the engine turns over when the key is turned but we can't get the car to start. What is the best way to trouble shoot from here? Should we go ahead and take the carbs apart and rebuild them or is it possible to at least get it started and then try to optimize? We are thinking of replacing the carbs with a Weber anyway but wanted to see if we could at least get it started with the old SU carbs.

Have spark?

I'd recommend getting your twin SUs rebuilt over getting a Weber.

This hurts me to say it , but I agree with Derek.I had my carbs (Hilton) and my distributor (Jeff) rebuilt. Bolted them on to a donor motor(temp until I rebuild the original) The motor had been stored for around twenty years. Once I set the timing, it started up and idled great. I have driven it everyday for a week now , and will probably drive this motor into the ground while I finish the "B" motor I'm building.

Dory,
Try static timing your car first. Check your manual and it will give you a complete instructions. If your carbs are getting fuel its not the carbs. If you static time your car it will fire as long as you have a spark. If the spark is weak it is the coil.
Good luck we have all been there.

Liam
59 bugeye
60 bugeye
57 mga

There are several things that will cause weak spark, more likely than a bad coil.If you don't have spark, or have a weak spark,check your connections and clean your points. When you say fuel is getting to the carbs,how did you confirm this? Have you had the float bowls off?

Well I just went through the same thing and it is a lot of little things to look for.
Chances are your coil isn't bad but check for spark first ,just pull the plug and if it is dirty in your spark gap hit it with some sand paper on all four plugs. with one plug out keep the ignition wire still hooked up and hold the bottom of the plug to part of the engine that is cleaned to bare metal.Are you getting spark? If not put your plug back in. Go and pull the wires running to the coil and distributor and clean the male ends with some fine steel wool and pinch the female end down on the male.Now pop the distributor cap off and with some fine sand paper clean the edge of the rotor. Then spread your points and hit each side with some fine sandpaper .Then on the dist cap clean the metal points that the rotor touches.Now trace back to the coil and clean up both of the leads on either side.
Fire the car up and now see if you have spark with the above method.
Chances are your points are worn out so go ahead and order a new set of points and condensers.(5.95 for the set at Victoria British get a catalog if you haven't yet they are free)

Thanks for all the suggestions. It really helps with the learning process to know where to start...

Even though its not a suggestion and I picked up the thread late. Welcome to the forum, And the wonderful world of Spridgets! I know I'd love to see some more pictures of the one you have rescued. Hope the trouble shooting is going well.

Adam

I second that welcome, and just want to add some general advice--try your utmost to get things working, even if only hesiatantly or intermittantly before you rush out to replace and rebuild. I didn't follow that advice and am the proud owner of a new: wiper motor, starter solenoid, and wiper switch as well as the proud owner of a perfectly working: used wiper motor, used starter solenoid and used wiper switch. Moral of the story: buying new components is an expensive way to diagnose. Better to get it going as best you can, then the truly necessary work pops out at you.

As to the SUs--even if they need rebuilding desperately, you'll be able to fire the car with them unless they're physically blocked with gunk.

Welcome to the board!
Good advice given above. The only thing I can add is for you to check to see if the carbs have oil and check if the carb pistons are moving freely (not gunked up). The pistons are spring loaded and oil dampened so expect some slight resistance to movement. Don't force them if they don't want to move.

MGIRL,

Going way back to the 50's as my dear old dad would say, no spark, no fuel, no go. Make sure you have spark! without that you have nothing. NO NOT REBUILD/REPLACE OR OTHERWISE FOOL WITH CARB OR TIMING UNTIL YOU DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE SPARK. Simple, take out all the plugs and leave the wires hooked up, lay plugs on the valve cover or other ground, turn over engine and look for spark. No spark, check Distributor. Got spark, try some starting fluid to see if engine tries to fire.

Dave

Also works for all LAWM MOWERS AND OTHER GAS FIRED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take PAMidget's advice. Get it sputtering first.Check for spark,clean your connections ,check to see if the carb pistons move. You can remove the float bowls and look for trash, and reinstal without fresh gaskets(just to get it fired).When I said get the carbs rebuilt , it was in response to the weber.I had my hs-2s redone , because I knew even if the motor in the car wouldn't run,the one going to be rebuilt would.

Even if you are getting fuel to the carbs you don't necessarily have fuel to the engine. If you remove the 3 small screws that hold the dashpot (round funnylooking thing on top of each of the carbs) and gently remove it and the piston inside (VERY carefully) you can look into the place where the fuel should be (little brass piece with a 1/8" hole in it). If you see fuel here then you should be OK, If you don't see fuel when you look down here then the hoses from the fuel bowl to the carb is plugged but first-- as everyone else has said-- CHECK FOR SPARK!! this is the easiest and should be the first check.
Bill