MetalworkingFun Forum

Hi Rick

Dont forget the 1500 B diesel I still run one of these in my boat Magic motor.

Absolutely Brian,
As a testament to the strength of the bottom end of the "B" series, they even did a Diesel engine based on it, which can now I beleive, almost exclusively be seen in marine applications in particular "narrow boats" seem to use them.

One of our family's goals is to have a Narrow boat for use as a weekender, or maybe even a retirement home. I just need to work out the wheelchair adaptations to make it practical.

Rick

while we're still touching the subject on engines......... Today, well yesterday actually, I had a bit of a brain fart.

Here's the story.
After picking up the old Humber Super Snipe a week ago, I've been going through it with a fine toothed comb to find and fix or replace everything needed so I can get it through registration and be able to drive it.
I pulled the spark plugs and found one was cracked through the ceramic, upon removal a few pieces dropped into the hole in whoch the plug is housed. Not into the bore, just the hole which is about 4-5 inches deep. The Humber uses an engine which is basically one of the first Hemi style designs so the plugs are top and center of the head sunk deep below the surface of the rocker cover.
Using a screw driver with grease on the end, I was able to fish all the pieces out, a very time consuming, careful process as you don't want ceramic shards to find their way into the bore.
I then fitted the new spark plugs and fired it up to find it was now missing and running a little rough. I started pulling leads off one by one starting at no.6 and when I pulled no.4 there was no change in engine tone. Right, that was the offending cylinder.
I pulled that plug, checked for spark, spark was strong. Thinking the worst, I grabbed the compression tester and checked compression on that cylinder. The reading I got was half of what it should be! Figuring the head was going to have to come off I tracked down a head gasket in the U.K. for $185 as I could not find one here in Australia. The next cheapest set I found was in New Zealand which was $220 + postage!
Quickly ordered and paid for it then remembered I hadn't checked the other cylinders for compression. One by one I checked the others and they all came out within a few PSI of no.4.
Somethings not right here... it seems to only be missing on the one cylinder.... got even compression and strong spark....
In my carelessness I didn't number the leads, Being a straight 6 and with all leads running from the very front of the engine I didn't bother as they were all at a length which meant they'd only suit their respective cylinders..... wrong! no.3 and no.4 are quite close together and I'd swapped them around! Rookie mistake.
I shouldn't have stopped once I pulled no.4 lead, had I pulled no.3, I would have noted it too wasn't firing but I didn't.
I didn't number the leads, I should of.
I didn't check the compression tester. I was curious on it's accuracy so i made a quick adapter and plugged it into the compressor and it displays less than half of what it should. Bought a new tester and retested the compression which all came out within 10psi of what the engine should have, great news.

I now have an un-needed head gasket, a small hole in my pocket and a bruised ego.
At least if/when the head does have to come off, I won't need to wait for a gasket set....

Hope the rant all makes sense!

It's not unneeded Jason, it's a spare!

On the upside, you now know that the bore hasn't been damaged by any stray porcelain, and being an old English car you'll need that gasket sooner or later, probably for an unleaded fuel conversion job I would have thought.

Regards
Rick

I'm just glad the compression readings are all within spec. I found a long list of what's been repaired and when, in the glove box. Almost the whole history since day 1!
Oh I know I'll need it sooner or later, One thing I'm not sure of is if the bores are still standard. It's had a couple of ring jobs in it's life so I can't do another or put new pistons in until i know what is within.
That and the fact that I can't help but to not leave an engine stock.... I have a choice of M90 and SC12 to go on her one day in the near future. Hate to do it to such a classic but once the foot starts itching.........

Finally got my Porter cable shaper resto back together, so gave it a test run. Clamped up some aluminum square bar in it and made a bunch of chips.
The ratchet pawl, and variable speed pulley all seem to work properly.
Tommorrow will try some steel.

AND,, YES, i, will be posting some pics somehow here. Lol

Congratulations, but we still don't believe you, need pictures as proof.

(12-02-2012, 09:22 PM)sasquatch Wrote: [ -> ]AND,, YES, i, will be posting some pics somehow here. Lol

http://www.metalworkingfun.com/showthread.php?tid=1006