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Message |
    
Michael Fletcher
New member
Username: mfletch
Post Number: 1
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 02:38 am: | 
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I recently tried to fire up my P55 Stuart motor but forgot to remove cork from the exhaust. After half an hour of cranking I realised my mistake, but since then the motor has run intermittently, is hard to start but sometimes will start. And is losing power as soon as engaged in gear. What are some of the potential scenarios that may be causing my problemo? Note well: the motor was running fine two days before and has only performed badly since the cork incident. |
Roger DiRuscio
Senior Member
Username: solarrog
Post Number: 206
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 03:31 am: |
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This is not based on experience with this model engine, so a grain of salt please, If its a 2 cycle drain the lower crankcase of excess fuel.
most of these have a plug or valve of some sort.
I would also consider plugs, if they get real wet with fuel sometimes they never work right after that |
Michael Fletcher
New member
Username: mfletch
Post Number: 2
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 02:00 pm: |
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thanks Roger iwill give it a try and let you know the out come |
Peter Ogborne
Senior Member
Username: peterogborne
Post Number: 283
Registered: 09-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 01:13 am: |
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Michael..........Roger is quite correct about wet spark plugs. By wet I mean saturated with excess fuel and oil . This would have happend whith your engine , it would have been ''strangled'' with that cork in the exhaust although I would have thought it would have blown out when the engine fired. Anyway as Roger says once those spark plugs get fouled up the chances of miss fireing a greatly enhanced. There would have been no damage except to your heart rate in trying to crank the engine.
My experience with plugs is that I have made an adapter to convert my plugs to 14 mm on my P5 . The 18mm plugs were getting harder to obtain .
With the 14mm plugs I dont worry about any special heat rating . I went to my local tune up centre asked them to keep all the plugs that they normaly throw out . In a week you will have enough plugs to last for a long time! |
Michael Fletcher
New member
Username: mfletch
Post Number: 3
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 03:18 am: |
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Thanks Peter and Roger for your input. When I rowed out to my boat the other day to try and drain the crank case, alas I was not sure exactly which screws to loosen. Does any one know of a decent diagram of a Stuart Turner p55 I can consult?
I have put brand new fuel in the tank. I have changed the plugs, I've checked the quality of the battery and cleaned the carb jets and so far she won't fire up and keep running. Although I have been able to get a couple of minutes of rough running and back firing out of her. |
Peter Ogborne
Senior Member
Username: peterogborne
Post Number: 284
Registered: 09-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 03:44 am: |
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Michael.......there are two 1/8th BSP drain plugs at the base of the engine,next to the mounting lugs, see attached image.
You say you changed the spark plugs ,did you put new ones in? |
Andrew Menkart
Moderator
Username: andrew
Post Number: 1334
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 09:13 am: |
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Here is Peter's picture:
 |
Roger DiRuscio
Senior Member
Username: solarrog
Post Number: 207
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 12:57 pm: |
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Back firing can be an IGN problem if heard through the exhaust and the Carburetor. If its popping back through the intake it most likely is a lean condition.
Please be sure to check for water in the fuel |
Michael Fletcher
Member
Username: mfletch
Post Number: 4
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 01:10 pm: |
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thanks Peter and Andrew for the photo Now i see where they are and will proceed I must admit secound plugs where used so will remedy that and report back |
Michael Fletcher
Member
Username: mfletch
Post Number: 5
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 01:31 pm: |
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ps thanks roger i did have a play with mixture screw but i thought i had left it in original position as manual specifies New fuel and fuel line filter(glass bowel type) cleaned so this area shouldnt be a factor now Any advice on setting mixture acurately ? |
Roger DiRuscio
Senior Member
Username: solarrog
Post Number: 209
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 01:47 pm: |
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again, I do not know which carb you have, But most engines will start with 1 1/2 to 2 turns on the main jet. You can tell what needs to be done just by listening to the engine, If popping through the carb, open the main jet, if bogging on acceleration open the main jet, if missing and blubbering close the main jet till it smooths out. Have you tried to prime the engine through the spark plugs? If it starts and quits its starving for fuel, If nothing happens its flooded or the spark is not correct.
did you mess with the ign timing? refresh my memory. You do have good spark? what color is the spark? Blue or yellow? Yellow indicates the need for condenser replacement and possible points service. Has any of the wiring for the IGN system been removed and re installed????
Is fuel flowing from the fuel line at the carburetor? Does this engine have a fuel pump?
My first step would be to prime the cylinders and crank it over. again if it lights then quits you have a fuel problem. It will most likely pop back through the carb as it quits. It sure is difficult doing this long distance. |
Peter Ogborne
Senior Member
Username: peterogborne
Post Number: 286
Registered: 09-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 07:04 am: |
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Michael.........Roger again has expressed most of my thoughts.
Just a little personal experience............I have a P5 ,not in a boat but exhibited only at ralleys.It has of late been hard to start, all the normal things checked but it sure needed to cranked over with a lot of effort to get it to start.So I decided it was time to have a good look at it . These engines should start with one crank over top dead centre. I decided on three avenues .
1. I was not happy with the compression.
Solution......I made new piston rings ,de-glazed the bore ,hooked up a 1/4 HP electic motor and ran the engine in for three hours .
Result...excellent compression.
2. 18 mm spark plugs, I felt that converting to 14mm plugs would be a better system ,easier to obtain these spark plugs.
Result....a cleaner plug ,as they are a one piece plug they dont seem to trap oil or carbon.
3.Gravity is used to supply the fuel to the engine.The system I had was not giving enough head to feed the carb and it took too much time to flood the carb when starting.
Solution ....I raised the tank 12 inches.
Result ....easy priming of the carb when starting.
Overall result ...the engine now starts with one turn over TDC. |
Michael Fletcher
Member
Username: mfletch
Post Number: 6
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2006 - 04:39 am: |
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Thanks for last mail Peter and Roger Good news today 2 new plugs where fitted and the mixture screw set at 1 and a half turns then i proceeded to drain the crankcase as per diagram above Not sure about how long to leave drain plugs open but i decided to wait 15 minutes during which time i drained about a quarter of a cup of fuel into base tray Now she seems happy and fires up and runs on acouple of cranks ,runs smoothly thro the rev range i think , having set the mixture screw at 1 and 3 quarter turns as per Rogers instructions. Although i am tentatively very proud of myself (since, as you may have already deduced i have limited skills around my Stuart) sea trials now remain to test power under load. By the way a confession seems due since i discovered today the brass plate which says my motor is a p66 Stuart The carburettor is Solex not sure what model Thanks again for your advice i have learned alot Will advise on results of my run up the harbour |
Peter Ogborne
Senior Member
Username: peterogborne
Post Number: 287
Registered: 09-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2006 - 06:35 am: |
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Michael....good news,glad you got it going.The crankcase accumulates a quantity of oil for lubrication purposes . You obviously had so much in that it was carrying over and fouling your spark plugs. That would all have been due to the ''Cork in the Exhaust''.The engine could not breath and just kept drawing oil/fuel into the crankcases.
Interested to know where this sea trial is taking place....ie where are you? |
Roger DiRuscio
Senior Member
Username: solarrog
Post Number: 210
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2006 - 12:47 pm: |
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Great, another boat hits the high seas,
Wish it was me
Rog |
Michael Fletcher
Member
Username: mfletch
Post Number: 7
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2006 - 01:49 pm: |
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Peter, I live in Auckland and sea trials will take place on the Waitamata Harbour .Hauraki gulf is the sailing ground. Previous home of the Americas cup for 2 defences. So you may have seen these waters on TV.
My yacht is a 1954 Woolacot design, 26 ft ketch. Most yachts around this time in NZ were fitted with S/Turner 2 stroke motors. Although it is currently very hard to find many boats still running the stuarts, I have kept mine and tried to keep it in good working order.
PS Rog, don't worry summer is coming |
