EA81 Overhaul thread

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Aug 21, 2011 6:59 pm

Or it could be that the engine just needs to be taken for a good run to get the crank case ventilation working as it should be... I wouldn't stress about it - just focus on getting it running properly first

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Aug 21, 2011 7:04 pm

wet plugs from water or fuel area no start.

There are so many out there that feel your pain and despair right now (sure that'll make you feel better, not )

Your own proven clearances will reign one day and not those chaff cutter 10 and 12's.

Comp may be higher due to cold thick oil? But 160 start to look good, as if a tight valve or ten, sorry, eight were the cause to begin with.

The heads fitted are your serviced heads aren't they? Get new welch plugs in that service. Surely not your problem, think simpler easy fixes Jonno.....

Were you concieved in this car , like got a strong bond with her?

Definitely feeling for you

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Aug 21, 2011 7:06 pm

a cheapy lead tester $10 at jaycar, smithdick, super cheap , multi meter

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:22 pm

steptoe wrote:Were you concieved in this car , like got a strong bond with her?

Dunno, never asked

It could have been plugs wet with fuel causing the no-start, a lot of fuel did go down there.
Bennie I really am hoping it either needs a good run to clear it up, or a little bit of coolant from the head swapover went into the sump and that's why I've got the buttermilk.

I finally got a short video clip of it driving, it started first time and as always idles great, revs up great. But under load it is a pile of S#!t
You can't really tell what the engine sounds like in this clip, but it sounds choppy and terrible when it's driving. Near the start on that hill start it nearly stalled, where normally it should get up there without a second thought. On the main road it failed to get up to 60 in 3rd gear flat out, every time you hear it accelerating my foot is to the floor. It's weird to say but, there's a certain speed range where it's nearly ok, then it hits a kind of wall and doesn't get any faster (Can even feel it jerk and stop accelerating, like when you turn on the A/C in an L series

)

Anyway video and yes, that is a squeaky clutch pedal

http://youtu.be/HCF9f9PS62s

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:57 pm

sqik,sqik, I heard it

OK recap - the compression of warm engine, tappets sound OK, you getting 160 all four pots, give or take , yeah? (says Jamie Oliver)

Exhaust blocked? You know, concidental like?

Wonder if you wound the timing up a few degrees? What revs and DBTDC you currently running Sam?

littlewhiteute · Post by **littlewhiteute** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:33 pm

Engine runs fine at low speed.

I'd say your have a carb issue by the flat spot.

And possibly distributor mechanical advance not working, and/or exhaust issue.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:47 pm

Jonno, yep about 165 +/- 3 psi on all four, cold engine. The exhaust note does sound like crap when the engine sounds choppy (at it's worst) but dunno what could be blocking it, never put any rags in it

Timing is 8 deg BTDC, idle is about 800 rpm, but that's going by ear while playing with the idle screws.

littlewhiteute, we'll see if it's a carb issue; I rang up Paul at subareck (told me to ring him if I had any issues) and over the phone he thought symptoms sound like a carb issue, maybe a blockage somewhere inside. So he's going to send me the carb that was originally on that engine. I'll have 2 Hitachi's, can hardly contain myself

Dunno how I'll go with sorting out the choke if it isn't a manual, since mine is a manual choke

If that one works I'll take this one apart again and have a look, otherwise it will bug me forever

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:02 am

Silverbullet wrote:littlewhiteute, we'll see if it's a carb issue; I rang up Paul at subareck (told me to ring him if I had any issues) and over the phone he thought symptoms sound like a carb issue, maybe a blockage somewhere inside. So he's going to send me the carb that was originally on that engine. I'll have 2 Hitachi's, can hardly contain myself Dunno how I'll go with sorting out the choke if it isn't a manual, since mine is a manual choke

If that one works I'll take this one apart again and have a look, otherwise it will bug me forever

Time for a neat weber conversion??

Just putting it out there, I know how much you need to spend more money on this

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:22 am

I guess a disconnect at the junction under your bum for a quick noisy blat around the block would sort the exhaust blocked theory (weak as I know it is - may sound more powerful

)

I suppose you have put a carby that was good on one engine (with 2 'conditions, old and then rebuilt) without problems of carby nature? Oh, this all started on a carby rebuild didn't it? Aw, sorry......

These Hitachis have a secondary butterfly that needs a certain condition before it will operate. The butterfly on the spindle may still open but there is also a thinner pressed flat valve thing above that prevents any real air flow. I have used a zip tie to hold top thing open all the time by its outer operating rod and used a tiny allen bolt and nyloc nut shoved in a n appropriate spot in the slot on the throttle plate spindle thing on the outside so that at 1/3 on with the primary it pulls the secondary into operation - manuallisng the secondary. Have seen this as a performance thing on the net before.

I wonder if you looked at this aspect to see if it sorts your problem??

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:14 pm

I knew the secondary needs certain conditions to open, perhaps my problem is the secondary not opening when it should? or that "pressed flat valve thing" not letting any air past? Just having a stab in the dark, don't know a great deal about carby operation.
I'll have a look at trying your suggestion today.

Bennie yes, I'd love a weber but would i have similar or identical problems if I tried setting that up myself?

And although everyone says they're dirt cheap, I'm yet to find one under $400...

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:24 pm

Silverbullet wrote:Bennie yes, I'd love a weber but would i have similar or identical problems if I tried setting that up myself? And although everyone says they're dirt cheap, I'm yet to find one under $400...

You might not have the same problem, there's plenty of info about the setup of the weber, Jules (Toonga) is a gold mine in this department.

As for the price I agree... If you happen to be cruising the parts yards sometimes you *might* be lucky to find one on an old escort or the like in the 2L variety.

Cheers

Bennie

Post by **TOONGA** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:57 pm

Ebay motors USA is your friend when it comes to webers

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/WEBER-32 ... 2eb6c98484 under 200 dollars AU shipped to Australia

other finds http://motors.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw ... 6233&gbr=1

and yes if you need help tuning it Im only a PM or Skype away

TOONGA

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:34 pm

Cool, that's nice to know cheers

I just went out and had a closer look at the secondary and when it opens. Found something interesting; it doesn't open

Stays closed all of the time, any rev range.

I found that the secondary butterfly shaft isn't connected directly to the primary shaft, but the primary has a plate which prevents the secondary from opening until primary is opened to a certain degree. Then there is a vacuum actuator connected to the secondary shaft which I'm guessing is supposed to open it when the vacuum reaches a certain level and the plate on the primary shaft is moved out the way. I took the actuator off and applied some vacuum to see if it works and it does, but when it's on the carb it doesn't move at all keeping the secondary closed

Funny thing is I think it's been like this for a long time, since the primary venturi has some carbon deposits on it (since it's always working) but the secondary is clean as a whistle and always has been. Something else I noticed; with the engine running the primary venturi drips fuel in every few seconds as liquid not vapor, is this correct? if you rev the engine it vaporizes.

What can I do to make secondary open? there's no direct linkage to the primary to adjust, only the vac actuator which works on the bench but not on the car.

*Edit* just read Jonno's post again, makes more sense to me now. When I forced the secondary open with my hand I saw fuel going in, so there is air flowing through it.

Post by **TOONGA** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:08 pm

you could try this carby mod

it has worked for a few people I know and would tell you if it was the problem

remember it turns your carby from a progressive to a synchronous which will use more fuel beware as well I've heard of them jamming open because of this mod.

TOONGA

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:55 pm

TOONGA wrote:you could try this carby mod

it has worked for a few people I know and would tell you if it was the problem

remember it turns your carby from a progressive to a synchronous which will use more fuel beware as well I've heard of them jamming open because of this mod.

TOONGA

Was looking for that link, thanks. I went and quickly rigged up something similar to see if it would make a difference. Didn't even get out of the driveway before it popped spluttered and died

Wasn't sure I even revved it high enough for the secondary to activate so I dunno what happened there

They joys of a Hitachi eh

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:25 am

I think you should look into what littlewhiteute has said about the vacuum advance diaphragm on the dizzy. I'd also check all your vacuum hoses to make sure they're a) fitted in the correct place and b) air tight.

You may have adjusted everything to run well at idle with the vacuum leak - but once you're after some actual usable power it all falls in a heap.

There could be something very simple here that you're not seeing!

Cheers

Bennie

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:00 am

El_Freddo wrote:I think you should look into what littlewhiteute has said about the vacuum advance diaphragm on the dizzy. I'd also check all your vacuum hoses to make sure they're a) fitted in the correct place and b) air tight.

You may have adjusted everything to run well at idle with the vacuum leak - but once you're after some actual usable power it all falls in a heap.

There could be something very simple here that you're not seeing!

Cheers

Bennie

Will do tomorrow (today?

) Is there a way to test the vac advance? or just pull it out and apply vacuum manually (through a straw

) It is true this problem is similar to one I had with the other engine that fixed itself once I set the timing, would be nice if it was something simple I am missing.

This manifold doesn't have many vacuum lines compared to some, I've checked and double checked every one and the only leak I've found is a tiny one where our friend the vac advance line goes into the carb. It's an issue with the hole in the carb, fitting a new piece of hose and connector did nothing to fix it.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:25 am

Silverbullet wrote:the only leak I've found is a tiny one where our friend the vac advance line goes into the carb. It's an issue with the hole in the carb, fitting a new piece of hose and connector did nothing to fix it.

Bingo. This could be the source of the problem. One other question - does it feel like you're trying to push a brick via the throttle when you want it to move? I don't mean in the weight of the throttle rather the overall feel of the vehicle.

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:54 am

you also need to check that you have wide open throttle with the accy pedal, floor mats get in the way enough to cut the to right corner out in some cases

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:40 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Bingo. This could be the source of the problem. One other question - does it feel like you're trying to push a brick via the throttle when you want it to move? I don't mean in the weight of the throttle rather the overall feel of the vehicle.

Cheers

Bennie

Should have said that leak has been there far longer than this problem, but maybe it has gotten worse since last engine. It is annoying though, spraying wd-40 on it makes the engine rev up. It's where the little metal connecting tube goes into the carb, only way I can see to fix it is silicone it in or something

Pushing a brick is a good way of putting it I guess, mainly I put my foot down and nothing happens.

Jonno I can push it to the floor believe me