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Les Kerf 
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Joined: 08 May 2020
Location: Idaho
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 Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 1:21pm |
 ekjdm14 wrote:
...Did grab a random china coil out of a bits box & primary is somewheres in the 1.5 ohm range so will either have to add a resistor or just run a half dead battery... use the "new fangled 8 volt" one on the tractor... Shame to throw it away while it still sorta works... |
Your old, tired battery will run the 1.5 ohm coil just fine as a 'total loss' ignition plenty long enough to test out whatever additional issues need addressed.
I once had a rototiller engine on which the flywheel magnets had died resulting in no spark. Finding myself in an impecunious state and needing to get the garden planted, I used a broken Makita 9.6 Volt drill to hold its battery taped onto the tiller and connected an old VW coil through the breaker points. It would run the tiller engine for about an hour before needing re-charged.
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ekjdm14
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Joined: 20 Aug 2024
Location: Manchester UK
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Posted: 11 Dec 2024 at 1:59pm |
Have just done a little testing & can't seem to get reliable spark out of this coil, might be why it was removed originally I suppose! Will dig for others & see what happens. Otherwise it's just a case of waiting 'til next week for a proper oil coil to arrive.
Loving the Makita/VW ignition setup, did similar years back with an old BSA 2 stroke built into a bicycle wheel, something like 25cc. That had magnetism but a bad coil so ran it with a seperate coil (probably BMC/Austin IIRC) and a small car battery in the bike's shopping basket  Worked great & could get a couple of days worth of riding/commuting on a charge until the crank seal worked loose & I retired it.
To be fair it'd probably be better for the machine if I do end up on a parts hold till next week so I can go over everything I've done & tie up some loose ends like governor spring/oil line, alternator bracket & suchlike. Maybe start on the water pump as I know I'll want to keep running it once she goes!
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ekjdm14
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Location: Manchester UK
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Posted: 13 Dec 2024 at 10:46am |
Wrapped up a couple of small jobs today. Set the timing roughly, fitted cap/rotor/plugs/leads, repaired one front tube & have both front wheels on now. As the light faded I made a start on the right rear, got the remnants of the old tube out.
Too dark now to see anything but hopefully get the rim cleaned up patched & new tube in tomorrow, and make a start on unsticking the rear brake/repairing final drive pans. Coil is due sometime in the next 10 days, fingers crossed for pre Christmas fire up still 
Also confirmed the Perkins 4-203 water pump won't be viable as the housing would foul the governor linkage, so for the moment have plugged the original pump with silicone and plan to run thermosiphon cooling for the moment. Rad lends itself to this as has vertical tubes & won't be running it super hard or for very long anyway, just rather have some water in there so I can play for a little while & get it warm enough to retorque the head bolts.
The wait is killing me now, can't wait to crank it up finally!
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 7:53am |
Coil arrived this morning, installed & double checked timing/firing order. She wants to go, kinda-sorta... Had a couple of puffs of smoke & a hint of wanting to keep rotating, sadly my girly arms aren't quite up to spinning her fast enough at the moment.
I don't think the home made starting handle is helping my cause, doesn't quite have the leverage to really pull through compression. If anyone has a CE engine starting handle easy to reach, could I ask a huge favor please & have someone measure the length of the "lever" portion (the / of the Z if you will).
I'm feeling like it's close though, just need a redo of the handle & eat my Weetabix...
EDIT- I'm definitely way off on the handle, just from looking at a couple youtube videos it ought to be about twice the length!
FURTHER EDIT- handle duly extended & a lot better to spin it over, she's a stubborn lil' bish though! Had a couple of promising "plop"s from the exhaust but still nothing I'd call firing per-se. Playing around with timing a little but it's not the easiest work cranking by hand, specially trying to do it "safely" and not get a snapped wrist. I sure wouldn't complain if a starter motor turned up in the stash that's for sure...
Getting dark outside now & busy day tomorrow so going to give her a rest now before I have a coronary, probably just wants to chew through the remnants of oil in the cylinders & maybe think a little on where she's come from before she wants to play ball. Next order of play double check valve clearances now it's spun over a bunch & build up some energy reserves maybe for Thursday.
Edited by ekjdm14 - 17 Dec 2024 at 9:43am
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
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Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 9:40am |
mine is 10 inches center to center on the THROW.... handle to drive rod.
i have never used it to start... just to rotate for timing.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 9:45am |
Thanks Steve, appreciate you looking. I think mine is now there or thereabouts. Just need to go at it afresh when I've recuperated my energy, not skipped my cardio today for sure!
Frustrating 'cause it's so close yet so far.
Edited by ekjdm14 - 17 Dec 2024 at 9:46am
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 12:23pm |
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have you got it timed at TDC or 1 degree advance ..... Hand cranking is SLOW cranking and needs to fire real close to TDC. .... also eliminates the kick back..
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 2:48pm |
You're for sure right about that. No kick backs so far thankfully just wary of "winding" it on the handle & getting my weight behind it just in case, I've timed it a similar way one would a mag- set #1 on compression stroke, "fire" line central in clutch housing window & set so the points just break contact when I turn the distributor to full advance (@30 degrees). So by my estimation that equates to zero advance position firing right around TDC.
There is mention in the manual of a true TDC marker "DC" but not seeing this on my flywheel, probably not present as it was never intended to use battery ignition?
I've played a little with the timing within a few degrees of that point, "feels" like it picks up a little now & again now when I pull it through, think it's just going to be a fight to work the remaining assembly oil out of the cylinders before she wants to light off for real. It was getting slowly better but my energy gave out too soon. Will be back at it when I get a moment though, might consider squirting a small shot of gas in each plug hole next time round to help get things moving.
Edited by ekjdm14 - 17 Dec 2024 at 2:51pm
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Les Kerf
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Location: Idaho
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Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 4:20pm |
ekjdm14 wrote:
... There is mention in the manual of a true TDC marker "DC" but not seeing this on my flywheel...
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They get filled in by rust and grime, making it quite difficult to find. The setscrew on the front crankshaft pulley should be pointing straight up at TDC. Once you have found true TDC, just use a test light or ohmmeter to set the timing.
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 17 Dec 2024 at 4:25pm |
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If it is fireing at TDC and you have gas.... did you check the compression ? Wonder how rings are seating... Might need a little CHOKE also to get it to lite off..
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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ekjdm14
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Location: Manchester UK
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 6:00am |
Not checked compression, but I can feel it's good on at least two cylinders & the other pair have *some*. Rings/valves probably not seating the best just now, needs to get started & run a bit to come back around & get assembly oil out of the chambers.
I did note the relationship of the set screw being about TDC, and the dirt on the flywheel, still no sign of the DC mark.
Plans cancelled today so might have a fiddle round checking over things & not yank too hard on it (a few little aches this morning!) see what she says today.
Thanks for the pointers guys, will have her singing
Edited by ekjdm14 - 18 Dec 2024 at 6:02am
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 7:14am |
Been out and had a quick look, finally located the "DC" mark. No stamped letter, it's just a line like the firing mark. Confirmed I had the timing pretty well spot on, checked/adjusted valves slightly, cleaned the plugs & gave each cylinder a couple CC of raw fuel.
This yielded what I'd call actual firing, she kicked over a couple of times billowing smoke & presumably has oiled the plugs again now but she fired nonetheless 
I'm a sweaty, but elated, mess now. I've put the effort in & she's beginning to reciprocate at last! Quick breather then clean the plugs, rinse and repeat
Thank You all, for the help in getting to this point. Truly appreciate you.
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 8:15am |
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the low compression on 2 cylinder might be causing you the big start problem.. Get a buddy and a rope and pull it down the street behind that little BMC/Austin and get it to fire off !!! Once it is running, keep the rpm up and that will help things WEAR IN... once the rings start to SEAT and compression goes up, it should be a LOT easier to hand start.
Edited by steve(ill) - 18 Dec 2024 at 8:19am
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Les Kerf
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 8:25am |
ekjdm14 wrote:
Been out and had a quick look, finally located the "DC" mark. No stamped letter, it's just a line like the firing mark. Confirmed I had the timing pretty well spot on, checked/adjusted valves slightly, cleaned the plugs & gave each cylinder a couple CC of raw fuel... |
My Model C does NOT like to start when cold if the throttle is advanced beyond the third notch on the quadrant. I typically use the second notch with full choke and it fires right up.
Edited by Les Kerf - 18 Dec 2024 at 8:27am
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 8:29am |
No need my good sir, she's officially a runner now. Took a couple of rounds of fuel down the yap & a few squirts of brake cleaner to help her prime (was PLENTY of upper cylinder lubrication so no harm haha)
Got a couple of short videos uploading & will share the links when done, I did wait to see oil pressure before giving her a rev. Oil filter has a couple pinholes & a lot of reassembly to be done, cooling system to sort before I get carried away, rear wheel to sort & then when I've finagled the carb & fuel supply I might try and pop the rear brake loose with the clutch. 
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lom68ZVVio4
Edited by ekjdm14 - 18 Dec 2024 at 8:31am
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 8:30am |
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 8:34am |
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lom68ZVVio4?feature=share
Hopefully two short videos of her running, recorded on the boy's phone. Wish I'd got the start, she went just like a real one, so easy once she'd blown the cobwebs out.
Edited by ekjdm14 - 18 Dec 2024 at 8:35am
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Les Kerf
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 8:35am |
Sweet! Please show a picture of your distributor drive
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 8:42am |
Thanks Les, couldn't have got here in a timely manner without the help from folks here (both past & present posts). Tickled pink, must have got the chain lined up pretty good as it hasn't thrown the dizzy yet!
I will try and get a photo to where I can upload it, but when it's able to run without "nursing" I do plan on doing a start & full walkaround video with the rocker cover off too so you can all see the abominations within that also.
Thanks again to everyone who has (directly or indirectly) helped this project along the way.  |
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 8:59am |
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 9:15am |
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0tvTKCJ3xUg?feature=share Just for you Les (Well, I might have just wanted to hear her bark again too haha! Got to quit now as it's getting some heat into it & I want to get her holding water before I warp anything!
Starts half decent though have to admit, even though I'm being naughty & pushing it through because I'm tired I've got faith in my timing not to maim me...
Edited by ekjdm14 - 18 Dec 2024 at 9:16am
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 9:32am |
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Les Kerf
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 10:50am |
ekjdm14 wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0tvTKCJ3xUg?feature=share Just for you Les (Well, I might have just wanted to hear her bark again too haha! Got to quit now as it's getting some heat into it & I want to get her holding water before I warp anything!
Starts half decent though have to admit, even though I'm being naughty & pushing it through because I'm tired I've got faith in my timing not to maim me...
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 18 Dec 2024 at 3:57pm |
Cheers, I'm not as ashamed of it myself as perhaps I ought to be haha (If it works, is it really a dumb idea?)
Certainly wish the fella I bought it from would at least find the steering gear. That'll be the next example of high grade redneckery (after the thermosiphon cooling of course!), adapting the Fordson steering gear to work on the B (most likely topped by a '90s Citroen steering wheel, since that's what I have spare). Fairly simple one that, couple of mounting plates & extend the column by a couple feet, maybe even graft on the spline from a Citroen column if I wanna get all fancy pants with securing the 'wheel then cobble or come up with a drop arm. Nothin' to it...
I'd hoped to have her running before Christmas & met with success, next ambition is driving off the trailer under her own power. Should be simple enough lol.
Edited by ekjdm14 - 18 Dec 2024 at 4:00pm
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