The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Ok, so I rested my Sprint for 15 days during which nothing was done to it. Yesterday I went to start it up and it stubbornly refused. Battery is fully charged and the fuel is being delivered, so it must be the electrics. I have a Magnetronic MTK007 electronic ignition with the appropriate coil and ballast (car's own ballast disconnected). I've had the system for about a year and had no problems in starting up at all.

I'm thinking of going back to points and I need your help - basically I need a couple of clear photos showing the points set up to make sure I don't miss anything out. Oh, and how do you turn over the engine slowly to make the points settings -is it via the crank bolt?

Thanks for your help!

Before going back to points, do you have a spark at the plugs?

I haven't checked yet as I had little time. What if there is no spark - coil (new)? leads (new only 1 year old) ?

If no or weak spark at plugs, check coil lead for spark when removed from the cap. If good its either cap/rotor or leads. May even be fuel not picking up. Lift the bowl top off one of the carbs and see if its got any. If no fuel half fill them manually and try again. A running engine will pull more fuel than a cranking one so if the fuel has all gone the pump may be struggling.

Tony

The fuel is pumped through an electric pump and I can hear it ticking away and then slows down and stops - as normal.

Check for spark at the plugs. If none check the clearence between the Magnetronic module and the rotor disc. I had problems with the Magnetronic, sometimes Sprints run fine with good old fashioned points

I had a non-starter after a short lay up once; I had a fine spark at the plug and fuel delivery was fine. However, I was testing for a spark at the end of the lead; it took me quite a while to test the actual plugs as it seemed inconceivable that they'd all fail simultaneously...but they had! NOS Unipart plugs fresh out of the box had lasted less than a month!

My money is on the MTK007, I have had two fail in the last 18 months. I won't spend another £100 on such a unreliable system. Gone back to points and everything is fine.

PaulB wrote: ↑Mon Jul 23, 2018 6:11 pm My money is on the MTK007, I have had two fail in the last 18 months. I won't spend another £100 on such a unreliable system. Gone back to points and everything is fine.

DITTO !, reason why I pushed ahead with the 123, brokedown roadside on both occasions, luckily had points setup in boot.

Even badly setup points started and got my car moving, to Stoneleigh and back to London.

xvivalve wrote: ↑Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:08 pm I had a non-starter after a short lay up once; I had a fine spark at the plug and fuel delivery was fine. However, I was testing for a spark at the end of the lead; it took me quite a while to test the actual plugs as it seemed inconceivable that they'd all fail simultaneously...but they had! NOS Unipart plugs fresh out of the box had lasted less than a month!

What would cause all plugs to die simultaneously? Maybe a burst of energy from the coil?

Back from the garage - no spark at the plugs, even after changing the leads

ham204 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:37 am

xvivalve wrote: ↑Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:08 pm I had a non-starter after a short lay up once; I had a fine spark at the plug and fuel delivery was fine. However, I was testing for a spark at the end of the lead; it took me quite a while to test the actual plugs as it seemed inconceivable that they'd all fail simultaneously...but they had! NOS Unipart plugs fresh out of the box had lasted less than a month!

What would cause all plugs to die simultaneously? Maybe a burst of energy from the coil?

It remains a mystery; I drove the car into the garage and a few weeks later it was dead. The plugs were part of a NOS lot I'd bought off ebay, I binned the other six on the assumption they were all equal!

Do you have a supply to the distributor via the king lead?

In the 80'S when I worked in a BL dealership we had lots of problems with champion/unipart spark plugs. Often out of the box there were dud ones. I only use NGK in my stuff and have for years.

Tony

xvivalve wrote: ↑Wed Jul 25, 2018 9:44 pm Do you have a supply to the distributor via the king lead?

You mean from the coil? Its brand new but I suppose nothing can be trusted to work well anymore.....