Starting a K series engine

[alphaeagle]

Hi Guys

I have a K series 1.4 in a R8, and well I need to see about getting fuel to the engine bypassing the Tank, Fuel pump and filter. she is the injection model.

So my question is how can I get fuel to her, as she has been sitting for @ 12 years...and I want to see if she will start before I waste anymore time on her...

Regards

[Matt_75]

If you just want to quickly check that it runs, you could disconnect the power supply to the fuel pump by removing the fuse/relay, and then just run it on a can of Easy Start squirted into the inlet.

If you wanted to rig something up to run it for longer you'll need:
Jerry can
Fuel hose
Hose clamps
Electric fuel pump
Wire
Battery

Two lengths of hose connected to the pump, one going into the can of petrol and the other connected to the fuel rail. Power the fuel pump using lengths of wire and battery but be careful with sparks and an open fuel container!

[Popcorn]

I would turn it over by hand to make sure it's not stuck,and then check the condition of the timeing belt before you go for a start,12 years is a long time for a belt to stand and probably detiriate.

[Ed3]

With the 1980s era petrol cars not run for a while we would always first decide if the oil was ok or change the oil and then take all the spark plugs out and turn it over by hand or on the starter motor with no spark plugs to get the oil around the engine parts and see what the basics of the engine are like.

In the 1980s if we hit uncertainty we would take the spark plugs out to see if there is a smell of petrol on them. And also another test we place the spark plugs in the HT lead and loose on the engine block to see if we have spark.

Regard fuel supply in the 1980s I started a "frozen petrol" Japanese mini bus by simply putting a motorcycle petrol tank on top of the engine. And then swapped the single fuel connection so the motorcycle tank gravity fed petrol into the engine. Once the exhaust had warmed the fuel line so petrol started coming out of the one fuel supply line (at the engine) and I swapped the fuel supply back to normal (and drove 400 miles).

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by alphaeagle

... I need to see about getting fuel to the engine bypassing the Tank, Fuel pump and filter.

Hi Forrestt,

May I ask why you feel a by-pass is necessary?

I agree that before attempting an engine start you should check the basic requirements such as oil level, sparking plug gaps, turning the engine by hand and making sure that a rodent hasn't set up home in the air intake trunking.

Following that, does the gauge show that there is petrol in the tank? If so, try it! If not, add some.

Simon

[Ed3]

I forgot to mention the shelf life of petrol.

1) I first became in aware of the shelf life of petrol around 1988 when trying to help a friend start a barn find 1956 Standard 8 or10. After a few tries to start it where we had a spark and wet plugs from petrol. I then decided to test the petrol and placed a cup size container by the carb and disconnected the fuel supply to fill the small container by turning the engine over on the key as it had a mechanical pump. I then placed a small container (lid of a jar) with the old petrol at a safe isolated space on the ground and threw a burning tissue into a very small amount of the old petrol while jumping far back - and with a burning tissue on top of the petrol, no reaction from the petrol - nothing - after a while the tissue heated the petrol and it burnt as if a kind of oil. Some say the shelf life of petrol is 2 years and I have come across some saying diesel can sometimes have a shorter shelf life of even 6 months.

2) Does this easy way to check the fuel supply work on a Rover? - When camping with back packing kit but using a 1995 Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0 16v X20XEV so similar era to a Rover. I would fill my backpacking petrol camping stove bottle by disconnecting the fuel supply at the throttle body and placing the pipe into my camping stove bottle and switching the ignition key on so the dash lights were on and it would fill the bottle with petrol.

[alphaeagle]

Originally Posted by Popcorn

I would turn it over by hand to make sure it's not stuck,and then check the condition of the timeing belt before you go for a start,12 years is a long time for a belt to stand and probably detiriate.

I have turned her over by hand and also removed the spark plugs and turned her over with the starter motor...I checked the engine oil and the timing belt...

If I get her running, I will replace both.....

Thanks for the advice

[alphaeagle]

Originally Posted by Matt_75

If you just want to quickly check that it runs, you could disconnect the power supply to the fuel pump by removing the fuse/relay, and then just run it on a can of Easy Start squirted into the inlet.

If you wanted to rig something up to run it for longer you'll need:
Jerry can
Fuel hose
Hose clamps
Electric fuel pump
Wire
Battery

Two lengths of hose connected to the pump, one going into the can of petrol and the other connected to the fuel rail. Power the fuel pump using lengths of wire and battery but be careful with sparks and an open fuel container!

Will try thanks for the help.

[alphaeagle]

Originally Posted by SD1too

Hi Forrestt,

May I ask why you feel a by-pass is necessary?

I agree that before attempting an engine start you should check the basic requirements such as oil level, sparking plug gaps, turning the engine by hand and making sure that a rodent hasn't set up home in the air intake trunking.

Following that, does the gauge show that there is petrol in the tank? If so, try it! If not, add some.

Simon

There is no noise of the pump priming, so before I look at removing the tank and pump, I want to see if the basic's work....Also the Instrument cluster is disconnected..

She is in a bad way, so before spend any money I want to make sure she is worth spending the money on her.

I will try and post some pics of her shortly.

Regards

[alphaeagle]

Here she is in all her beauty....

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