1800 B series

[CosworthCabrioLee]

Hi all bit of trivia for you all to get your heads around,
My latest Car has a 1800 b series with a poorly engine, I am told the car sat for a period of time and when it was turned over the engine would only turn over 1/4 turn fine then lock solid as if a peg was going in to stop it turning. I have removed the head, dizzy and water pump and still no better, so before I remove the engine and box and hand it to mr Jackson on Thursday, answers below and a prize for the right answer once we have found out the reason................

[Dane_Rescueman]

Re: 1800 B series

Lee, can you turn the engine back? does it turn more than ¼? I reckon that the bifurcated ninge wheel is stuck in reverse ratchet......but I may be wrong.

[CosworthCabrioLee]

Re: 1800 B series

Hi Dane it will turn back, but only quarter of a turn, have you had this before ?

[lil_red_roadster]

Re: 1800 B series

Remove starter motor and see if it turns without it. If it isn't that then check the fuel pump drive (assuming a mechanical fuel pump)...the actuating arm is driven off the crank and I have experienced an arm dropping out before. It "might" be capable of locking things up. Also check/remove the dizzy drive gear...which is deep in the block.

As it's almost dismantled why not remove the cam chain as well just to make sure..?

I'm assuming no sign of it trying to take off/move when turning the engine (which would suggest seized clutch & maybe knackered box).

[djj_engineer]

Re: 1800 B series

It may be a tappet stuck down. so that when the cam turns its ok on th ebase circle but stops as soon as the cam starts to ramp up.Its just taken me a sledge hammer to get 4 pistons out of an MGA block. It had suffered some icing!!

[Dane_Rescueman]

Re: 1800 B series

Possibly timing chain corroded on to one or both sprockets.
Derek's Tappets.
Siezed piston at TDC or BDC. (there will be a little play in the big an little ends to allow a small ctank movement.)
I had a bolt undo itself from the clutch cover in a frog eye that eventually contacted the clutch release arm (yup, eventually damaged the arm).

[CosworthCabrioLee]

Re: 1800 B series

Hi all, thanks for the ideas,but not the answers, tonight i took the engine and box out, and when I split them, guess what I found a 15mm socket had somehow found its way into the bell housing and jammed on the ring gear............ hey ho its needs a new ring gear and while its out I will tidy the engine bay up etc.....Thanks for all the advice

[andycaneheadkemp]

Re: 1800 B series

bent conrod

[tony.branson76]

Re: 1800 B series

It's amazing how easy it is to drop things into the bellhousing and how hard to get them out. The only other reason for the engine jamming I have come across is using too long bolts on the plate from the sump that bolts onto the bellhousing. I didn't notice when removing them that they had two spring washers and replaced them with only one. This jammed the engine solid, not even a quarter turn. It took a while to figure it out.

Tony

[b_caswell]

Re: 1800 B series

AH!! thats where it went(any chance its a Snap On 3/8 drive?)