• Welcome to the new SAOCA website. Already a member? Simply click Log In/Sign Up up and to the right and use your same username and password from the old site. If you've forgotten your password, please send an email to membership@sunbeamalpine.org for assistance.

    If you're new here, click Log In/Sign Up and enter your information. We'll approve your account as quickly as possible, typically in about 24 hours. If it takes longer, you were probably caught in our spam/scam filter.

    Enjoy.

empty dashpots!!

66Alpine

Donation Time
well Todd,
for some weird reason, after i last responded to your query, the next day i went out to ck. on the buggy and alas, they were both bone dry...so where has the oil gone?? refilled both and the car still will not start...almost wants to but won't quite catch..suspect the timing..fuel is making it to the carbs..as the Lord Rootes pointed out perhaps fuel starvation or a sticking needle valve...what say you??? or anyone out there!!


Surely would like to take a drive, now that the temp is down to the mid 80's!!


thank you,

Johnny
 

Nickodell

Donation Time
Apologies to those who have previously read my dictum, which I call the Three Requirements:

If your engine is sucking in a combustible mixture;
If the valves are opening and closing when they should;
And if strong spark occurs when it should:

It must run.

If it doesn't, you have to check each one of the Three Requirements, using the Sherlock Holmes route: "When you have eliminated the impossible, what remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
 

Eleven

Platinum Level Sponsor
Here is what I have learned about Sunbeams

When there is a fault: 1) It is always what you first thought it was except when it is not. 2) It will always mask the problem and 3) Always pay attention to what the people here tell you (Yours truly excluded), they have been through No.'s 1 & 2 above. Humor aside, what Nick is telling you is the right solution. Whenever I get away from the basics with this car, I screw up. Fuel, spark, timing. It will run. What is not being done, etc.
 

66Alpine

Donation Time
dashpots empty possible cause?

thank Lord Rootes and eleven,

Am still curious as to where and why the oil has disappeared from the carbs..yes they r strom 150's.. I could not detect any oil on the underside of the carbs...could it be that the new rubber seals (o rings) are faulty or abused from screwing the jets in and out while trying to find the correct fuel/air mixture???

As always appreciate eveyone's input!!


Thank you,

johnny
 

sunbby

Past SAOCA President
Donation Time
Back in the day, Rootes issued a bulletin about this, you can find it on the TEAE site: http://teae.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=770

Now, I haven't delved into it to try and figure out what these small holes do or why changing the location would help with oil loss, but maybe someone can enlighten us or come up with entertaining theories.

My only guess is there must be some vacuum slowly pulling the oil into the intake. That or the rising damper pushes oil out of the threads, but then you'd think there would be oil on top of the carbs.
 

Wombat

Donation Time
The oil that goes missing from the dashpots would end up being burnt by the engine. In the days when I had Hillman Hunters with the Strombergs, adding oil to the dashpots was just something I accepted as normal and did every time I checked the oil and water. The Hillmans were 1969 or 1972 so presumably had the holes mentioned in the service bulletin from the factory.

Doesn't solve the problem of why, but it was something I learned to live with.

Wonder if SU's have the same problem ........
 

mikephillips

Donation Time
Part of the problem is that the damper can push a small amout of oil out of the tube as the piston moves up and down. It's a close fit between the two and when the piston is raised oil flows around the damper and when it falls some can be pushed out the top since the oil may not flow back around the damper fast enough. The effect is accelerated if you use regular engine oil instead of the thinner damper oil.
 
Top