HELP!!! This car is ruining my life!

Ha, mine it seems you can't. It's disintegrating!! But is it right to assume as the rest is right, this mark will be? God, if you guys are half as bored/irritated/irate as I am of this (and it's not even your car) then I am sincerely sorry

i feel for you mate, when its over you'll be an expert onthis sort of thing..

(i got the part you sent me, thanks)

it will probably be ok ya, unless the crank sprocket keyway is damaged or the vibration damper has gone (assuming it has one in crank pulley)

best way to check is take out plug #1 and shine a torch down the hole, if piston is at the top all is well with crank marks

Thanks Chris. Glad you got it ok n hope it sorts you out yup the piston's at the top. Right, now putting back together n crossing fingers. Even though nowt 's changed I have a good feeling!!haha

       

Still didn't start.  Taken the sparks out to leave to dry again.  Incase they can give any indication here's a photo of them…



These are brand new but coming out a little dirty…smelling of fuel but black bits on if you can see in the pic.  Does this give a clue?

Also to kind of recap, and trace back from when she worked…it was after changing a water hose, replacing coolant and cleaning the gearbox area with degreaser, that she then wouldn't start (and that's when I proceeded to then break my dizzy in trying to solve it).  So is there anything in those areas that I could've knocked out of place, broken or anything?

Again something which might be stupid ftom me :roll: but have you checked that the earth is good from the battery? Might be something as simple as that. I would always be wary of degreasing as these things tend to happen. Grease is good!

Ha, I wish now I liked the grease look!  Live n learn n that (learn not to buy a mk1 was that?haha).  The starter motor goes so I assume the earth's ok.  Or would the starter still go but not give enough oooomph?  I'm so technically minded lol

Day off as I can't get in to work with striking public transport and no car…so another go at this.  Sparks and engine left for 48 hours, so if it is the engine flooded that surely will have evaporated…and will give it one more start without coil and fuel pump to really make sure it's clear.  Think I may also change the fuel filter before (on my list to do anyway).  Would you advise starting without the 5th injector?  It is damn nippy mind you

crank it for a few seconds with 5th inj plugged in, but no more. that should put in more than enough fuel. fuel filter is well worth a go wont take long to swap it out anyway.

but i think now you should do a fuel injector test:
pull all 4 injectors and put them in 4 containers of equal size. bridge the fuel pump relay so its constantly running, then lift the metering head flap up manually as far as it will go, then allow it to go back down to the stop. check the spray pattern on each injector, and also measure the volume of fuel injected is same on all 4. next disconnect fuel pump bridge wire and wipe all 4 tips, watch the ends and they shouldnt drip for 5 minutes.

If any injector has a problem, swap it with one of the others and repeat the test. If the problem moves, its the injector. if not, its the metering head. Best to replace them as a set, you can get nice brass merc injectors from ebay for reasonable money

non of the injectors should spray any fuel unless the flap is moved upwards a bit. if they do the metering head is toast or the flap needs to be adjusted a bit

(you say the fuel filter won't take long…as with most things on this car…bloody won't come off…looks like it's been on for years and she was only serviced last year…why I trust no mechanics now!)

I have discovered a blue wire snapped…runs from the alternator and goes all the way to the battery where it joins a red wire coming from the positive terminal.  There is a huge possibility that I snapped it just now…or a slight possibility it was when cleaning the gearbox up.  Would this blue cable stop it from starting (I assume not as my limited knowledge is that the alternator only really comes into play once the engine is running).  Either way, now got to get something to sort that out and then I'll test the injectors.

You say move the flap upwards?  This is completely flat is it not…do I lever it up with a screwdriver?  We are talking the same flap…under the biggest pipe into that area…silver circle basically? (god I wish I knew technical names…would be so much easier for both of us)

the blue wire is the trigger to tell the alternator to start charging so that wont be a problem, it'll mean the battery wont be charged when you do get it started so it'll need fixing at some point.

yep thats the one! either push it up from underneath or use a magnet

Thanks for the tip... just hope I have enough daylight left!!!

Aaaaah so they don't come out like I thought.  I've been unscrewing and unscrewing for what seems forever.  But they pull out I've read.  I have normal pliers, I have water pump pliers, and of the gripping type of stuff that's about it.  Am I going to damage them trying to use these?

Might be a daft question but have you put the ht leads back in the right firing order?

Never a daft question when I'm involved!lol. But yeah, they're in 1,3,4,2, with 1 at the mark on the dizzy n all lined up at tdc. I had a quick try at pulling the injectors out, 2 wiggle but don't seem to pull out. She was running so I can't see how it'd be them (but worth a check if I can get the buggers out). I'm so certain it's something tiny but I'm now just so so sick of it (as I'm sure you all are)

Noticed when turning over to clear the bores of any fuel a rhythmic funny sound…http://www.youtube.com…ture=youtube_gdata_player
This anything to do with it?

the injectors will just pull out, though they might be stiff as hell. give them a good spray round the seals with penetrating oil or some other spray lube that'll help!

the noise is probably nothing to worry about

Ok cool.  

I've just packed in for the day now before I lose my rag totally and just start pulling her apart to scrap her (just managed to snap another wire…the one that goes into the plug for the coil…right at the point it enters the plug n it looks a b!tch to repair…)

Will revamp myself and put positive head on for Friday (I'm sure you'll also be pleased of a days rest from this one!!haha)

just crimp a spade on it dude!

True!!!  The old one's not shifting out too easily…but probably will when I'm freshened