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Holy Smokes....it's Alive!!!

Beamin

Platinum Level Sponsor
Wow...10+ years after starting this project, I once again got to hear the rumble of an Alpine engine in the garage! I was beginning to wonder if it would ever come to this point. Still got a few issues to work out before I can take it on the road that I could use some help on:

1. Tach isn't working...not moving at all. Its an electronic tach. Any obvious things I should be looking for?

2. The fuel pump is leaking like a sieve around the rocker arm pin. I'll pull it off, take it apart, apply some sealant on the pin ends, then reassemble and see how that works. Anyone have any better suggestions??

Thanks for the help.
Andy
 

Fastback

Donation Time
Andy:

2. The fuel pump is leaking like a sieve around the rocker arm pin. I'll pull it off, take it apart, apply some sealant on the pin ends, then reassemble and see how that works. Anyone have any better suggestions??

Yes. The diaphragm is shot; probably dried out after 10 years of no use. Not only are you pumping gas EXTERNALLY, but it's leaking into the crankcase, thus thinning your oil -- real hard on bearings. Get a rebuild kit and skip the silicone sealant (you don't need it); also drain the crankcase and refill with FRESH oil (filter's fine, IF IT'S NEW; otherwise replace it).

Can't help you on the tach -- sorry.

Wayne
 

Beamin

Platinum Level Sponsor
Guess I should clarify a bit. It's leaking oil, not fuel. I rebuilt this before I installed it, so the diaphragm is brand-spanking new. It's pumping fuel like a champ, so much so that I need to add some gaskets to dial down the pressure a bit.
 

AlpineII

Donation Time
Talk about coincidence. I was coming onto the site to report that after 6 years of working on my Series II I finally turned the re-built engine over just before supper! Haven't yet put on the weber DGV 32/36 but the Zeniths really kicked in so good and so fast that maybe I will hold-off for a while.

This was the first attempt to turn it over since the frame off restoration, conversion to negative ground and installation of an alternator in place of the generator. The engine has the vizard mods, the KB grind on the cam from Delta, lightened flywheel and everything was polished and balanced. At first I couldn't seem to get enough crank out of the starter to get it to catch and I was thinking that maybe I had better go get one of the others. In the end it turned out I didn't have a good ground connection through the new paint and finally the starter was turning over at a decent rate. Of course no fuel in the lines gave a little delay but finally she caught and was it ever nice to hear her purr!

I have a newly installed exhaust using 2" pipes all the way back from the first Y connection. A friend of mine is in the business and it was a challenge for him to get all the bends right so it cost me nothing but beer! Not too loud but a real nice purr and I can't wait to hear it on the road!

Now I just have to put the rest of her back together, get some insurance and wait for the snow to leave!!! :)
 

Nickodell

Donation Time
The fuel pump is leaking like a sieve around the rocker arm pin. I'll pull it off, take it apart, apply some sealant on the pin ends, then reassemble and see how that works. Anyone have any better suggestions?? Andy

Hi, Andy. Fuel pumps are inexpensive. You won't get one with the glass bowl, but my advice, for what it's worth, is to replace the old one. Firstly, when they start to go in one place they usually fail somewhere else too; Secondly, you don not want to mess with fuel system components. A leak on the road can be bad enough. In the garage it can cause an explosion.
 

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Andy,

First thing to look at on the tach is to see if you have the white wire looped through the little "bracket" on the rear. The wire should loop through a plastic holder and also a U shaped piece of metal. It looks like the metal is just a retainer to hold the plastic piece in place , but in fact, the metal (steel) piece is critical. This loop of wire forms half of a transformer that couple the pulses of current through the coil into the tach. The other half of the transformer is inside the tach housing. Assuming your tach does have the u shaped metal piece you might try wigggling it. It must make contact with the mating half of metal that protrudes slightly out from the housing rear. This u-shaped piece of steel and the mating half inside form the iron core that a transformer requires.

Also , of course, check that you have 12 V going to the main power terminal and also a good ground for the case.

Good luck,

Tom
 
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