how to check for snapped timing chain?

hi there,

I have a 1990 Escort 1300 OHV engine which suddenly stopped running. the exhaust popped a few times as the car was dying.

when tried to crank the starter: it gives 4 revolution sounds and then a 'clunk' and then 4 more rev sounds etc.

the car has clocked almost 160K. is it a snapped timing chain? how can i check for this? what else could it be? thx

B
Reply to
beerismygas
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Take off the rocker cover, remove the plugs, turn the engine by hand and check the valves operate, or take of the dizzy cap if it has one, and check the rotor spins with the engine.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

thanks for the idea. i went to have a look but found that now the car started fine! i guess it was flooded probably.the engine had stalled after i let go of the accellerator after a fast stretch.

regards the chain: i jumped to the wrong conclusion based on the symptoms i saw.

reckoning that this is a fairly common and nasty problem on carb technology engines, why didn they invent way back in the 80s a flooding sensor or flooding compensator?

Reply to
beerismygas

back when you guys had carb engines, how often did you experience engine flooding? should it *ever* occur on a properly working carb?

Reply to
beerismygas

beerismygas gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Not unless the driver's totally incompetent.

Reply to
Adrian

Now thats not being fair with me.. flooding even happens to aircraft worthiness testers:

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Reply to
beerismygas

They did. It was a called the SU carburettor .

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Reasonably often in other people's cars.

You'd smell the petrol and hear them cranking the engine (and often pumping the accelerator pedal as well - making the problem worse).

The solution is easy. Put the pedal flat to the floor, and leave it there until the engine fires into life. That clears the flooding quickly and effectively.

John

Reply to
John Henderson

Back in those days, operating a vehicle, as opposed to driving it, assumed a modicum of basic skills.

Many of the younger folk who have only driven fuel-injected ECU equipped vehicles would struggle to get something older to the end of the road on a cold morning!

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Ah a smug thread for people who'd put their back out on the 1st pull of the crank handle ;-)

Reply to
Duncan Wood

That's pretty true. Lets face it, even most carb cars have had an auto-choke for some time- though they can cause more trouble as they age (I'm thinking pierburg 2e2 here...).

Oddly enough the only car I've had prone to flooding was my first EFI one: a Volvo 480. Did I mention it was shit? ;-)

If started from cold, and stopped (or you stalled it) shortly after, it would flood, and the only answer was to leave it for a while and try again later.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

My BMW E39 is exactly the same - only it can't be stalled being an auto. But if you stop the engine after a cold start - moving the car out of the garage etc then stopping to shut the door - it is very reluctant to restart. You have to use full throttle - and it will misfire for some time afterwards. So not good for the cat.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

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