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Stalwart not cranking


Lewis Garner

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Hello chaps,

Thought I'd start a new thread so as not to confuse my old thread on Ferret ignition troubles. I have just bought a Stalwart wreck and on hooking up two batteries am getting life to the switchboard panel (Mk6) but nothing on throwing the starter switch, not even so much as a clunk or dimming ignition lights. My question is what wire should I see voltage output on whilst holding the start lever down as I'm unsure if it's just the switch causing a problem. Clive and I went over a similar issue with my Ferret about a year ago now but it's all a distant memory!

I know I could check directly at the starter with a test bulb but they couldn't really have put the thing in a worse place!.

Thanks, Lew

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If memory serves me correct at the bell housing end of motor near the inlet manifold is a alloy circular electrical junction which contains the resistors for the 24v--12v ignition supply to the ignition coil and the starter solenoid wire with enough access to check things out with a test light.

The electrical junction with the resistors is waterproof/suppressed and you need to undo 3 to 4 7\16 head nuts to get the round cover late off.

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Just to add lowfat I've only tried it on the handle with no plugs in just to see if it actually turns over. The last time she ran was at least 10 years ago so it really is a case of just getting everything moving again. Left the bores soaking for a week or so just in case but the engine is still free. I only drained around 2 litres of engine oil out of the oil tank so I suspect a lot of it is hanging round in the pipes or bottom of the engine, presuming there is no non return valve in the system?

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Thanks for the replies chaps, Ron it would appear that someone has been here before, as there is a length of wire coming out of the box sandwiched beneath one of the terminals.

20170623_134925_zpsiwzcatcd.jpg

That's the place to check things out.

Off hand I can not tell you what terminal does what.

But the solenoid wire does go though that junction box.

The resistor set up is for the 12/24 ignition system which works like this.

Ignition on and the ignition coil gets 12volts for normal running via the two resistors shown in the picture from the 24 volt supply from the ignition switch.

Press the starter button and the 24 volt power supply for the starter solenoid by passes the resistors giving 24 volt booster the ignition coil only during cranking as well as the starter.

The Stalwart will drop is engine oil from the tank into the engine sump if left standing for long periods of time.

If started expect some smoke and rubbish to come out of the engine until the oil system sorts its self out.

Fill the engine oil tank only enough to ensure the engine will get oil as after running for a while the engine oil tank will fill back up and if too much oil has been added it will over flow out of the breather pipe into the hull big time.

Ensure the engine will turn over by hand before you do anything.

The crank handle is hard work due to the drag of air compressors and many Vee belts and fans etc with a under size dog drive on the crank handle not helping.

You should be able to get a big long screw driver in near the clutch inspection hole somewhere and bar the engine around slowly to see if it will turn.

Ron

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The added length of wire has been to either get a power supply to run something from the ignition circuit or to by pass everything from the cabin and wiring and Hot wire the ignition system to run the motor by supplying power into that extra wire................you would need to check things out carefully if you decide to do that.

The reason why that junction box is used ....is because of the sealed/suppressed wiring it is the only point of reasonable access to the ignition and starting wiring other than under the cabin dash panel.

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Ron thank you very much indeed for that information, I have just been reading Clive's post on ignition matters and sure enough, the wire they have hot wired in is the solenoid wire. It's all starting to make sense now! Fortunately it does turn on the handle so I might try my best He Man impression this evening and give it a few revolutions on that first.

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Right chaps, having supplied 24v to 'SOL' directly she is cranking over smoothly. I have checked 'IGN' in the junc box and am getting 24v there but sadly no spark at the plugs. Where is my next port of call? King lead off at distributor end and check there? I have to admit I'm not sure how the threaded connections come apart.

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Right chaps, having supplied 24v to 'SOL' directly she is cranking over smoothly. I have checked 'IGN' in the junc box and am getting 24v there but sadly no spark at the plugs. Where is my next port of call? King lead off at distributor end and check there? I have to admit I'm not sure how the threaded connections come apart.

 

Hi Lewis,

If the engine has not run for some years, then the first thing to do is clean the contact breaker points. This is not uncommon for them to get a coating on.

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Take the lead off from the coil box to the distributor at the distributor end and crank over the motor with the ignition on and see if you are getting a spark............from memory it is done just by undoing the hex nut on the shielded high tension lead and pull it out.

 

If you have spark coming off the lead to earth while cranking the fault must be in the distributor cap and other High tension leads.

 

If you have no spark you will need to look at the power supply to the ignition coil and check out the ignition points.

The coil is in the sealed housing at the fan end of the motor near the rocker cover.

If I remember correctly a plate is removed some how and inside is a standard lucas ignition coil and you should be able to access the wiring terminals for the coil and see if you have power to it with ignition switch on.

 

The distributor looks different but is straight forward. ( all from memory again)

To access the points low down either side of the distributor facing downwards are two nuts which clamp the lower half of the distributor together.....loosen these off and you should be able to split the distributor and see the ignition points.

there are two set of points.......do not adjust them as they are set in a special way.............just see if they have low tension power with ignition switch on and they have a gap at the points.(crank over the motor and see if the points spark)

If the motor has not been run in a long time they could just need a clean with a points file just to remove any oxidise coating

Edited by 101 Ron
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