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[woolley11]

Enjoy it ? 🤔 - more like bricking it !😄

Well I will enjoy it - if ever starts again 😂

Could have took it somewhere to have it done but I’ve tinkered with cars most of my life so felt confident to have a go - guess it’s just a case of being methodical 😉 -

..... thinking of the £300+ labour charge I’m saving helps a bit 😊

[woolley11]

Managed to get head off today at last - few hours each weekend steady away. Had a problem last weekend in that my Torx socket head sheared on one of the head bolts so had to purchase another socket - thankfully didn’t round off the head of the bolt.

Clear breach of gasket at cylinder 1 so at least that’s the route of the problem.

Very good technical guide on the forum which I printed off and followed pretty much to letter.
One issue I did find was that undoing the exhaust. I put car on axle stands and removed O/S front wheel to get access under to get to the 2 15mm bolts. I did find that pretty impossible to be honest as I think the nuts would have rounded off. Instead I found undoing the exhaust bolts off the head in situ proved the simplest, once I’d removed the heat O/S heat shield.

I’ll check with a straight edge tomorrow to see how the head is as far as warping

Had enough now so sat in hot tub with Stella - the beer not a lady ! 

[Nick W]

My one bit of advice: enjoy it! Take your time, and ask on here, there's a wealth of knowledge if you're not sure

it suffers from too much German engineering to be enjoyable, the whole job is a chore.

[woolley11]

Well - got car all back together. New gaskets all round, new drive belt and backplate/tensioner etc.

Drained disgusting brown sludge (aka old oil) and filled with fresh. Filter will have to wait as been sent a spin on when in fact it’s an insert/canister one. Put 5ltr of new fuel in.

Went for a start yesterday - it turns over but in fairness battery sluggish so didn’t expect too much.
Slackened fuel unions off to see if fuel getting to engine which it is.
 
It does however backfire from the plenum and pushes the rubber bung out (the idle speed valve one) 🤔

One thing I’ve not fitted yet are 3 vacuum pipes (the little diameter plastic ones) - I’ve another MV6 at a body shop so can’t check where they go - but guess wouldn’t stop it starting - just perhaps lumpy.

happy with the timing as did this to the death before reassembling.

Car has been stood 2 years outside and also wondering about moisture/damp in coil pack.

Hopefully something silly - any obvious check points I’m missing ?

[Doctor Gollum]

Fuel getting to the engine is one thing, whether the injectirs actually deliver it to the cylinders is another

Also, fuel is probably stale after that long.

Backfire is the biggest concern, as my immediate first thought is that a cam pulley may be 180° out

[woolley11]

Mmm - hope it’s ok 😬, as I tippexed the marks etc before removing so everything should be back where it was before strip down.

I’ll get a good jump start and try it that way later

Fuel was bone dry before so hopeful no stale stuff. As you say it’s getting so far but no tell on if it’s getting to injectors or indeed if there’s a spark.

Father in law coming over this afty so can check for spark if there’s 2 of us.

[Nick W]

Mmm - hope it’s ok 😬, as I tippexed the marks etc before removing so everything should be back where it was before strip down.

I’ll get a good jump start and try it that way later

Fuel was bone dry before so hopeful no stale stuff. As you say it’s getting so far but no tell on if it’s getting to injectors or indeed if there’s a spark.

Fuel at the injectors is easily checked: there's a pressure-test port on the fuel rail, just push the valve in

[Doctor Gollum]

Sounds like the injectors are receiving fuel, you just need to know what they are doing with it

As for marks and tippex... The cam and crank pulleys can all fit one of two ways... Spot on or 180° out.

Only you know if you marked the cams relative to the pulleys...

A cam being 180° out would probably only manifest itself as poor running as the pistons should still be in the correct place being a 4 stroke engine. Not sure if the 3.2/2.6 is a wasted spark ignition that fires everytime the piston is at TDC, certainly the 2.5/3.0 are.

[woolley11]

I marked the position of the cam shafts relative to the first pair of shells, and then marked the sprockets to their position on the backplate 🤔

Tried starting it but jump leads getting hot and battery failing. Needs a good kick as it is only wharing over which is like a chocolate fire guard! It did splutter when it had a good turn over but soon battery went down.

Oh well - perhaps need some new jump leads and a new battery.

[Nick W]

A fresh battery and better jump leads won't sort your running problem!


I know it sounds like a pain, but going back over the work you did is the way to fix it. Start with the quick and easy stuff, like the plug leads - sometimes you get lucky!


But I'd be very surprised if you haven't screwed up the cam installation/timing.

[Doctor Gollum]

If it didn't start with jump leads, it won't start...

[woolley11]

Thanks guys  - that doesn’t sound good. I can’t understand it if I have dropped a Bol..ck. - every thing lined up including cam belt markings and tippex markings I left prior to strip down 🤔I

I have only done the O/S head off and head gasket as the N/S compassions we’re all good.

Oh well my plan now is (other than call the scrapman (not) 😄

Check HT leads in correct order
Clean spark plugs
Recharge battery

I must say when the engine was turning over fast(ish) it did try and start. It’s just got so sluggish to try and turn over, as though the battery 1/2 dead (even with jump leads)

One thing that I’ve thought of is the coil pack. Unfortunately my other “classic” occupies the garage so I’ve done all this outside. Obviously when it’s rained, and as the rain guttering is off for access to them rear of engine, the there’s wet got into the coil pack 🤔

[Doctor Gollum]

It may also be possible that you have mixed up the exhaust and intake cams.

Apart from starting from scratch, not sure what else to suggest

[woolley11]

Thanks Doc Gollum - I even marked the cams “1” & “2” and took pics of their positions prior to removal and all went back as previous 

I could take it somewhere for diagnostics - might be worth £50/£100 and see what they say. I’ve no code readers and don’t know if any of the sensors are giving right feedback (if at all).

I’ll keep thinking - obviously car stood nearly 2 years before I stripped it so could be something from it been laid up so long.

[Doctor Gollum]

If it ran the day before you stripped it, then it has to be something that was done during the job.

If not, then it will have sat since it last ran, in which case all bets are off.

You can always paper clip it for codes