Engine won't fire

Horatio

Hi all, just replaced the head gasket and inlet manifold gasket on my rover 25.
Took 5 hours, replaced the plugs for good measure, now it won't fire. tested the plugs and they are firing, there is fuel in the injection manifold but she won't fire. The engine turns over with a whine rather than the chug chug you get when dry starting. Have I done something wrong here? Please help!!

Slidey

Does it appear to be turning over a little too fast?

If you turn it by hand can you feel the compression as the pistons come to TDC?

Sounds to me like you have no compression. Recheck your timing

Buford T Justice

Is the starter engaging the flywheel correctly?

Can you stick a compression tester into the cylinders and see if you are getting compression.

crosshair1

Pretty sure these are hydraulic followers, did you squeeze them out?
I assume you've rechecked the timing marks.

Horatio

Thanks guys, am at a loss, I was pretty sure the cogs were held in place with my locking tool and I put everything back as before, how would I be able to correct this if the timing has gone wrong?

Nissan doctor

Did you have cylinder 1 at top dead center when you timed it?

If the engine is just spinning you have no or very little compression.

What was the reason you replaced the head gasket? Over heating? Did you check the head and block for any warping? New head bolts etc used?

Horatio

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Did you have cylinder 1 at top dead center when you timed it?

If the engine is just spinning you have no or very little compression.

What was the reason you replaced the head gasket? Over heating? Did you check the head and block for any warping? New head bolts etc used?

The car overheated, found the thermostat unit broken, upon opening it found no thermostat in it!
Replaced but then the engine would not idel, had to keep it revving at over 2000rpm to keep it going, and it just sounded rough. was told reliably that the head gasket was gone. Loocked the cams in position with a tool and marked them before removing, replaced the gasket, the last cylinder had oil in it but not the other 3

Nissan doctor

Horatio wrote: »

The car overheated, found the thermostat unit broken, upon opening it found no thermostat in it!
Replaced but then the engine would not idel, had to keep it revving at over 2000rpm to keep it going, and it just sounded rough. was told reliably that the head gasket was gone. Loocked the cams in position with a tool and marked them before removing, replaced the gasket, the last cylinder had oil in it but not the other 3

Oil will often spill into the cylinder when you remove the head.
Did you lock them in the tdc position or just where they stopped? The 'in' and 'exhaust' wording should be lined up. Did you line up the crank? If the car over heated then just fitting a new head gasket is unlikely to repair it. The original bolts are stretch bolts so can't be reused, the ladder that they bolt into in the sump can also stretch and need replacing.


TBH, if you just removed the head, fitted a new gasket and refitted the head then the job needs to redone properly:(

Horatio

Checked the cams and found yes they were misalinged. Replaced them correctly to the engine marks and now engine is firing. However.... I still have a problum with it, it takes about 30 - 40 seconds to actually start and when it does I have to keep it revving in order to keep it going, let my foot of the pedel and it simply cuts out, would the injectors need to be taken off and cleaned out perhaps?

Buford T Justice

Have you checked for a vacuum leak on or around the intake manifold?

Horatio

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Have you checked for a vacuum leak on or around the intake manifold?

What would be the best way to check that >?

Nissan doctor

You really need to check the compression, there is a big possibility you will have damaged the valves by turning it over with the timing off.

Horatio

This problum with it running so poor was happening before I ever went near the timing belt or head gasket, I had called a garage and they told me the gasket needed replacing for €1500 they would do the trick! The car cost me €300 plus a reconditioned engine from a dubious mechanic at €350, I'v spent another €300 myself and am determined at this stage to get it going again, can I do a compression test myself and depending on the results what would the best course of action be ?
would a look with a diagnostic tool be a good way to go first?

Nissan doctor

Horatio wrote: »

This problum with it running so poor was happening before I ever went near the timing belt or head gasket, I had called a garage and they told me the gasket needed replacing for €1500 they would do the trick! The car cost me €300 plus a reconditioned engine from a dubious mechanic at €350, I'v spent another €300 myself and am determined at this stage to get it going again, can I do a compression test myself and depending on the results what would the best course of action be ?
would a look with a diagnostic tool be a good way to go first?

As I said above already, If you did nothing other then fit a new gasket then the problem hasn't been fixed. To repair a failed head gasket you need to have the head pressure tested and skimmed, block deck checked for damage/warping, refit new head bolts(torqued correctly) etc.

Due to the design of the rover K series engine, not doing any of the above is a waste of time.

couldntthink

You really should bring it to a mechanic. I'm not knocking you or anything. But I've seen a lot of people try and do their own work and it ends up costing more in the long run. A reasonable mechanic wouldn't be too expensive for a head job on a rover anyway, they're not that complicated. Whoever quoted you 1500 sounds a bit of a chancer.

Compression test first. defo

Horatio

It was Ryabs in Blanchardstown quoted that. Not to knock mechanics but I don't trust them, I brought the car round to a local guy who had worked on it before for me, the engine froze up during the cold spell, he told me the engine was f****d and €350 would get me a new one plus €250 for him to do the job, 2 months later and I have to get te car towed out of his yard back to my place with the rocker cover missing, no battery no water cooler pipes and nothing actually connected! I can't even tell if it is a replacement engine¬!So unless its impossible or I don't have the gear I'll trust myself to do the job!!

couldntthink

Horatio wrote: »

It was Ryabs in Blanchardstown quoted that. Not to knock mechanics but I don't trust them, I brought the car round to a local guy who had worked on it before for me, the engine froze up during the cold spell, he told me the engine was f****d and €350 would get me a new one plus €250 for him to do the job, 2 months later and I have to get te car towed out of his yard back to my place with the rocker cover missing, no battery no water cooler pipes and nothing actually connected! I can't even tell if it is a replacement engine¬!So unless its impossible or I don't have the gear I'll trust myself to do the job!!

You don't trust mechanics is a bit of a broad and silly statement. I can see why you feel like that and believe me I know a lot of cowboys, but be realistic, we're not all bad.

Most mechanics are going to give you a hard time and overcharge you if you go in with an a general untrusting attitude of second guessing and questioning of everything. I usually don't take work from these kind of people because it is not worth the grief. I think every mechanic I know dreads to hear the words "I looked it up on the internet and...." or the other classic "my friend had a similar problem and it was blah blah blah".

You need to ask around friends and family, someone will point you to a reasonable guy and let him do what he has been trained to do. Just ask for a quote before doing anything and don't pay him until it's fixed.