md1 wont start

gavin400 said:
I have had the cover off and the springs/valves move up and down when the engine is cranked - but I'm not sure what I should be looking for?
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Checking the valve clearances would perhaps be worthwhile ,,,,,,,,, Tappets ... just like you used to check them on old car engines with pushrod operated valves

Correct settings should be in the manual
 
First thoughts are head gasket, especially if it happened suddenly. These are prone, though, to eat the face of the head where it blows. It may be worthwhile taking the exhaust pipe off the elbow and see if it will start. It sounds like compression though. Not hard to take the head off. You could take the injector out and try cranking over to see if water is getting into the cylinder. A tiny bit of water through the head gasket and there is no way it will start. Good luck.
 
john_morris_uk said:
I've got a Diesel engine compression tester if you want to borrow it? I'm in Helensburgh not far from Holy Loch. I'll bring it round by boat if its easier!
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John, that is very kind of you - however I think the injector has to be removed to check the compression?, and I've been advised to leave the injector well alone as it can be very difficult to remove and replace.

I do have a spare cylinder head gasket, but have never done such a job - it sounds a bit daunting in the workshop manual
 
VicS said:
Checking the valve clearances would perhaps be worthwhile ,,,,,,,,, Tappets ... just like you used to check them on old car engines with pushrod operated valves

Correct settings should be in the manual
Click to expand...
valve clearances are more likely to get wider than close up so more likely to get noisy than loose compression due to being too tight
 
gavin400 said:
I do have a spare cylinder head gasket, but have never done such a job - it sounds a bit daunting in the workshop manual
Click to expand...

I agree it's daunting before you start, but I did mine afloat on the River Yealm and it was easy, just follow the instructions and don't let any bits roll into the bilges...
 
Before you strip out anything at all, go to the stop/lever and make sure that it is pressed fully back down after last stopping the enginethen try to start again. I used to(and sometimes still get this problem when other crew stop the engine for me) after pulling it up to stop the engine.
Also if you have recently altered the throttle cables you may have inadvertently altered the travel from the 'stop' position.
I now go straight to this check if any problem starting mine.


ianat182
 
gavin400 said:
John, that is very kind of you - however I think the injector has to be removed to check the compression?, and I've been advised to leave the injector well alone as it can be very difficult to remove and replace.

I do have a spare cylinder head gasket, but have never done such a job - it sounds a bit daunting in the workshop manual
Click to expand...

Is the injector threaded and screwed in, or held in place with a clamp arrangement?

Your comment made me wonder whether someone being realistic about your mechanical skills or overly cautious or touting for work? Or is there some incredibly technical aspect about taking the injector out? We used to have an MD8 and we now have a Volvo 2040 and I've had the injectors out of both engines several times. In fact I have bought the special socket for injector removal on the 2040 and added it to the socket set I carry on board Serendipity. (Its just a large long socket of the correct size I got from Halfords.)
 
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ianat182 said:
Before you strip out anything at all, go to the stop/lever and make sure that it is pressed fully back down after last stopping the enginethen try to start again. I used to(and sometimes still get this problem when other crew stop the engine for me) after pulling it up to stop the engine.
Also if you have recently altered the throttle cables you may have inadvertently altered the travel from the 'stop' position.
I now go straight to this check if any problem starting mine.


Ian,

Yes, the throttle cable was replaced during the winter.
I also freed up the cold start device which was stuck in the 'on' position.

These are the only things that have changed since the engine was last used, so maybe the problem is throttle related.
The cold start button can be engaged when throttle is fully open, and it clicks off when throttle is reduced - so that appears to be ok.
I did take the back cover off and I can see the lever/control (a spring operated lever) and it appears to be operating ok.

I will have a further look at this, and try squirting oil into the air intake when I'm down at the boat on Fri.

Many thanks for all assistance to date
Click to expand...
 
This also reminds me of some other MD1 experience. The engine always tends to stop with a valve open. So when leaving her get in the habit of turning her onto compression so the value does not stick open and the cylinder is not open to atmosphere
- did you try the oil in the air inlet trick?
 
When I had to replace the cylinder head (got one on the internet) on mine I experienced the same symptoms you have. I totally ran out of ideas but in the end used an extra battery jumped across mine,tried various throttle settings,used "easystart" (reluctantly), the oil squirt trick and just kept on cranking until she fired (slowly at first). No science in this,I just didn't know what else to try!
Also I read somewhere that you shouldn't use the de-compressor to stop the engine,can't remember why.
 
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ferrispeterchris said:
When I had to replace the cylinder head (got one on the internet) on mine I experienced the same symptoms you have. I totally ran out of ideas but in the end used an extra battery jumped across mine,tried various throttle settings,used "easystart" (reluctantly), the oil squirt trick and just kept on cranking until she fired (slowly at first). No science in this,I just didn't know what else to try!
Also I read somewhere that you shouldn't use the de-compressor to stop the engine,can't remember why.
Click to expand...

Another dodge that works well with reluctant engines is to put 24 volts across the starter motor. The extra rotational speed works wonders on compressing that fuel vapour.

Yet another one learned from Sunsail engineers.
 
Halo said:
This also reminds me of some other MD1 experience. The engine always tends to stop with a valve open. So when leaving her get in the habit of turning her onto compression so the value does not stick open and the cylinder is not open to atmosphere
- did you try the oil in the air inlet trick?
Click to expand...

Halo,

Haven't tried the oil trick - will try on Fri. when i'm back at the boat
 
I have to think we are missing something here.

This was a running engine. Even in Scotland it is pretty warm.

The engine has compression. The valves are going up and down. Even with easystart sprayed into the inlet it has not even kicked. Either it is not turning over fast enough [ 24 volt trick is worth trying ] OR maybe the exhaust is blocked some how. Before I touched a head fixing I would pull the exhaust and check for a blockage.
 
Hi Gavin,

I now have a MD2010A engine but previously an MD1b,and from what I recall the stop start lever was spring loaded and when in use worked by pressing a cam or button that either stopped the flow of fuel or permitted the flow of fuel. I think it worked by pulling against the cam to stop and being slightly spring loaded should return to a different position where the cam just touches a part of the button but does not depress it.
Nothing to do with the cold start button.
It may just need a small readjustment to the throttle linkage to ensure the above happens.

I had to replace my cable with a piano wire one to make sure the correct action happened after it frayed in the tubular housing( about 5 foot long cable, an old choke or brake cable might have done the job however).

Regarding the comment about not stopping engine using the decompression lever. The reason here may well be because when the lever is used it holds the cam arm and valve down and there can be damage caused to the arm itself.
Its a b---- to set the correct clearance anyway after an overhaul or checking the valve clearances, mainly because the cover compresses the 'new' cork gasket and alters the clearance height between the decompression lever cam and the valve arm . My old engine had this damaged so that the valve never closed perfectly and eventually had to be replaced and a new arm fitted at an overhaul.

ianat182
 
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