Conference terri::cars_uk

    If it runs OK when warmed up I doubt very much if its a cylinder head
    or anything serious. Much more likely is the choke setup. Most chokes
    have two effects - one cuts down the air via a butterfly, the other ups
    the tickover speed, usually a cam under the throttle stop. My first
    guess is that the relative adjustments are out. Pulling out the control
    chokes the engine but doesnt increase the idle speed so it just
    strangles and dies. Find the adjuster for fast idle and have a tinker -
    or get a service bod to do it (tho they usually dont wait for it to
    cool down, try, warm up try again etc.)
    
    Steve.  
    
                                                        

Check the ignition timing.  Check the idle, fast idle and mixture.  Adjust the
rocker clearances.  I've put several notes in this conference explaining how
to do all that on BMC-type engiens, so won't repeat it all here.

Do all the simple (ie cheap) things first, before worrying whether you've bent
the head!

Scott

    Maybe the problem might be: frozen carbs.
    
    Evaporating fuel needs heat and this heat is derived from the
    carburettors.  When the engine still is cold, the carbs are not
    receiving any heat from the engine or cooling liquid. This may lead to 
    frozen carbs.
    
    Is the air intake set to "winter"
    The setting takes air input from exhaust near engine, thus having warm
    air input as soon as possible.
    
    
    Hans

    I tend to agree with -1. I had the same problem on my Escort the other
    day, when I looked at the carbs I found there was a small deposit of
    ice around the fuel injector (in the carb). Once the car has been left
    for a while the ice melts and the car will restart.
    
    If yor car has an adjustable intake on the air filter set it to the
    winter setting. If not try running some air duct from NEAR the exhaust
    manifold to the air intake. This will keep the air temp warm enough to 
    prevent iceing.
    
    Incidentaly this is a problem that aero engine manufacturers solved
    a long time ago by introducing carb heaters.
    
    Simon.

    Carb heaters: 
    
    I have seen on German Ford carbs, which were heated by having the
    cooling liquid flowing through the carb housing.
    When the engine heats up, carb will be heated timely as well.
    
    Hans

    re: .5

    I think you'll find that the heat is used to switch off the choke
    rather than to keep the carb warm.

    Previous Ford systems had electrically heated choke mechanisms which
    were really naff. If you left the ignition on, the thing would heat
    up and shut off the choke, even if you hadn't started the engine
    (not a thing you do on purpose I must admit, but it did happen by
    accident to me once).

  Mark

    	
    Hi all,
    	I am now the proud owner of a 1987 Astra SR 1.6.The car drives
    superbly,all but one problem.I bought the car from A.C.Barnes last week
    (they say it was given an 80 point service)and yet when i rev the car
    up to about 3500 revs i here a quite severe rattling noise come from
    inside the cam belt housing area.
    		Should the cam belt have changed by now 47K miles??
    	Should this have been done in the service?
    
    	Any ideas?????
    
    
    	Cheers in advance      Andy...MUFC
    

    I have changed the cam belt on an 87 Cavalier 2.0; I think they are
    both the "Family 2" engines, in different sizes. 
    
    The cam belt is a hugely rugged re-inforced toothed rubberised band. It 
    drives the camshaft and the water pump. The water pump is arranged
    eccentrically (sp?) so that rotating the pump housing will alter the
    belt tension.
    
    Even before tensioning, the belt is a tight fit. I wouldn't expect it
    to make a rattling noise. You can get a humming noise if it is too
    tight; maybe a similar noise followed by an expensive bang if it is too
    loose!
    
    So I'm not convinced the belt is causing the problem you mention.
    Having said that, I would *definitely* want to see the belt changed
    every 40 - 50,000 miles. Vauxhall don't specify an interval, but it
    costs about �14 and an hour or two of DIY, so why risk a written off
    engine?
    
    Richard
           

    If my memory serves me correctly, my Haynes manual for my Astra
    recommends changing the belt every 30,000 miles.  If I remember I will
    check when I get home.
    
    Cheers Ian...

    
    
    I would be more inclined to suspect the hydraulic lifters,cam follower
    or the camshaft itself.
     I had the opel Kadett version and I had this problem and I had the
    head off 3 times and on the 3 occasions it was the camshaft at the end
    opposite the oil filler hole.
    It would appear that on the last 2 times if I had checked the lifters
    and followers at an earlier stage I would not have had to buy more
    camshafts.
      If this is the problem ie the lifters and followers get them all
    replaced at the same time and you wont have to worry about it again.
    
    
    Tom.

    I recently suffered valve damage on an Alfa Romeo 164 that I had only
    owned for 3 days. A spark plug dropped its' electrode into the bore
    from where it got stuck in a valve. Total loss of compression resulted.
    I was towed by the AA to a Fiat/Alfa dealer who took 10 days to remove
    the head and reset the valves. I picked the car up, did another 500
    miles and then suffered total loss of compression on another cylinder.
    The diagnosis this time (by a different garage) was that the inlet
    valve had no clearance (presumably from the cam) and hence never
    properly closed.
    
    I spoke to the original garage and "suggested" that they hadn't set up
    the clearances correctly. They claimed that if they hadn't, the engine
    wouldn't have run for 1 mile, let alone 500.
    
    My understanding is that, with an overhead cam engine, once the valve
    clearance is set it doesn't change very much unless something serious
    happens (eg chipped cam).
    
    Has anybody any suggestions as to what might have happened ? Any advice
    is welcome as I suspect I may have problems persuading garage A to pay
    garage B for any work they may end up doing. I'm sure the two incidents
    must be related.
    
    The engine is the Alfa 3.0 V6. Both the problem cylinders are on the
    same bank.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Steve. 

    re .11
    
    Well, I picked the car up today after having all the valve clearances
    checked (and adjusted where necessary). I was told that the valve gear
    had "been put together wrong", but more detail than this was not
    available. They are willing to back me up in my effort to recover the
    cost from the original garage.
    
    I would still appreciate any ideas on what could have gone wrong -
    comments anybody ????
    
    Steve
    

�    checked (and adjusted where necessary). I was told that the valve gear
�    had "been put together wrong", but more detail than this was not
�    available. They are willing to back me up in my effort to recover the
�    cost from the original garage.
    
    Can you get them to put at least *something* in writing beforehand ?
    
    Without knowing precisely what the valve clearance setup is like
    on this engine, I am pretty sure that it is set up with shims.
    I can see how fitting these incorrectly may cause the clearance to 
    increase when they re-set themselves, but perhaps the reverse could
    happen if the shims were not installed correctly (don't know how)
    and they subsequently shifted to close the gap that should exist ???
    
    I suggest you ask for further detail, preferably in writing.  Then,
    you could ask another garage (eg, Ken Bell) to at least explain to
    you what they think *could* have happened.
    
    Also, ask the garage to indicate whether they think that there could
    be any valve damage resulting from this fault.  If they say that there
    may be any chance of a problem, I would then press to have the head
    removed and the valves carefully checked.  This extra work only to be
    started if you can get payment for it arranged via the dealers.
    
    Have you contacted Alfa UK (whoever they are) with this information ?
    
    J.R.

    I have a problem of low oil pressure for the first 3 or 4 seconds after
    cold starting my Rover V8. It manifests itself as a nasty sounding
    rattle rather like big end knock. On a previous car (triumph 2000) a
    similar problem was as a result of a horizontally mounted oil filter
    without a non return valve. The first few seconds of oil pressure were
    used re-filling the filter. I fitted a 90 degree mod. to the filter
    mount and the problem was solved. The filter setup on the Rover should
    not allow this problem to arise.
    
    A friend told me that he had heard that old/worn/broken hydraulic
    tappets can cause a problem like this. I had no idea that hydraulic
    tappets worked off the engine oil - I had assumed they were a separate
    sealed (for life ?) system. Can somebody enlighten me as to how
    hydraulic tappets work (perhaps in a general note if it is of wider
    interest). Could the suggestion be correct ?  Replacing the tappets
    looks to be a relatively easy job (providing they come out as easily as
    Haines suggest). If I get them out, what sort of damage am I looking
    for ?  I would rather inspect for damage before investing in a new set
    (if they are still available).
    
    Engine is the standard Rover V8, circa 1982, fitted to Rover SD1.
    
    Thanks
    
    Steve.

    It's probably your crankshaft rattling around in its bearings. Until
    the oil pressure has built up enough to fill the gaps with oil, you get
    a rattle sound. 
    
    I've had a couple of old bangers that did this, never seemed to cause
    any problems, (at least, not while I had the car!).
    
    Dave.