A couple weeks ago the head gasket went on the motorway. I finally got round to changing it by now i can't get it to start again. Its had a new gasket, head bolts and belt. And ive timed it up using, flywheel mark (also put it at tdc @ #1 when head was off), inside mark on cam and on intermediate shaft. It then had a new battery and there is juice going down the leads (decided it would be a good idea to touch them to check), and there is fuel going to and coming out of the carb. Starting to get a bit frustrated now as I do need it back on the road. Its a 1.8 carb. any advice would be much appreciated,
Just check when you have her all timed up that the lead the rotor arm is pointing to is number 1 (Which is on the cam sprocket side) and should also be pointing to a nick on the distrubitor body or close to it. Also your TDC mark on you flywheel is the faint dot indent next to the large clear V nick. Inside mark on cam sprocket should be inline with front of rocker cover lip
Rotor arm is pointing to 1 and its lined up with the tdc mark on the flywheel. It just turns and turns by doesn't catch.
Just to be thorough - and reiterating what volksport has asked already - can you confirm that the flywheel TDC mark you're using looks like the yellow-ringed dot in this pic?: Not the red-ringed v-notch in this one:
its not the v notch its the one to the right of it. i don't have a compression testing kit but i have placed a large square along the bottom of the head and shone a torch down the seem and no light came through. any tips on compression testing without a kit? all i have done is place my thumb over the spark plug hole and check for pressure.
south wales, but im off to uni on tuesday evening, i might tow it to a mates garage if i don't get anywhere with it tomorrow morning.