QuestionQUESTION: I've had my spitfire for almost a year now. I drove it daily to work and school for about 8 months without a problem. I checked the oil and radiator weekly and put a little oil in when it needed it. One day I began having trouble getting in first gear and reverse. Based on the symptoms and some friends advice, I decided that the clutch needed to be replaced. Despite knowing nothing about cars, I ordered a new clutch and slave cylinder and replaced them painstakingly slowly. After struggling to refit the transmission for hours, I finally got it back in. I couldn't remember how the speedometer cable connected to the od, but I decided to leave it since the speedo had never worked anyway. I tried to start the car and all I got were mechanical clanking and grinding sounds, no gas being burned sounds. I have gas in the fuel filter, and everything worked before I replaced the clutch, so my question is this: what could I have bumped or jolted loose while working on the clutch that would cause my car to not start? Otherwise, do you know of a triumph mechanic in north carolina?
ANSWER: Hi Will,
There are many things that could be wrong so rather then trying to think what it could be, you need to just run a few tests to locate your problem.
First the bad news. Your symptoms of not being able to get it into 1st and reverse is not necessarily the need for a clutch. Most likely a clutch master cylinder problem but that is spilled milk and we need to correct the different problem now.
Clarify the meaning of "clanking and grinding sounds" for me. Do you mean that it does not make the normal sound of an engine just spinning over and not starting? Or is it making an excessive metallic noise and spinning the engine? Or making noises and not spinning the engine?
If you are not sure, have someone try to start it while you watch the fan belt and pulleys to see if it is turning the engine. Did you remove the transmission tunnel to get the transmission out or pull the engine? Also, what year Spitfire is this?
There are a lot of things you can test before you need to find an experienced Triumph mechanic. You just need a guide to go down that road and I will try to guide you, but you will have to run the little tests and answer my questions as you go.
Howard
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QUESTION: Thanks for helping, Howard. It is a 1977. I tried to start it today and observed the fan spinning when I turned the key. The whole engine moves but doesn't start.
ANSWER: Ok, so it is just making the normal starter noise but will not fire up.
Mechanics have a saying that is true. "The easiest car to fix is one that don't run. The hardest car to fix is one that don't run occasionally.
There is a standard procedure to diagnose a car that don't start. Not many tools are needed. All gasoline engines only require three items to run. Compression, Fire & Fuel with conditions on each.
Compression -- Sufficient compression on all cylinders to run. (usually on most cars that is from 125 to 180 PSI on a compression test)
In your case you should be able to skip this test because it was running before you worked on the clutch.
Fire --- Fire is spark and that must be a strong spark and at about the correct time and in the correct sequence.
Fuel --- Fuel needs to be a combustible fuel and available to each combustion chamber in an atomized form.
First remove a spark plug and attach it's plug wire to the plug and lay it on any metal part of the engine. Have someone try to start the engine while you watch the plug gap. (not in bright sun light) You should see a thick blue spark. Now, put your thumb over the spark plug hole and watch the spark as someone tries to start the engine. The compression will force your thumb off of the plug hole with a "Pop" sound. You should see the spark (which makes a "Click" sound)at the exact same time. It will seem as though the "Pop" is causing the spark. If however, it seems as though you have a "Pop - Click" or a Click - Pop", the timing is probably off so far that it will not start.
If that seems ok, put the plug back in and get a spray can of starter fluid (any auto parts store has it) Have someone try to start the engine while you spray a little starter fluid into the intake. If it tries to start but will not keep running, you have a fuel problem. If it does not try to start you have an ignition problem.
Let me know which you have.
Howard
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QUESTION: I have a spark, albeit an orange colored and very small spark. The compression blows my thumb away from the hole. Does this mean I need to buy a new battery? And is there any particular battery I need, if so?
AnswerWill, didn't you read what I said? it is suppose to blow your thumb off of the hole and it makes a "Pop" sound when it does. You were suppose to watch the spark at that time to see if it was at the same time as the "Pop" sound. That was a rough test to see if the timing was close enough to start an engine.
Were you in the bright sun light when you seen the color of the spark? Or in a garage?
Did you do the spray test with the starter fluid?
Stop trying to buy things until you find out what is wrong.
Howard
