Will it Start? Barn Find Austin A30 | Laid Up For 52 Years!
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- Will it start? That's the question we've been asking ourselves and many UK Barn Finds viewers have asked the same thing. It's a proper barn find car, so we're dealing with stale fuel, rusted components, decades of dirt and cobwebs! This poor old Austin A30 has been languishing in a Norfolk barn / shed for over 50 years, but as you'll have seen in our previous videos, it wants to live!
In this episode, we make sure we've got a spark and fuel, chuck in a bit of oil and away we go. Not the way you should really tackle an engine that was previously seized, but hey, we're here to have fun and take you along for the ride with us. Anyway, what could possibly go wrong when you try to start the engine on a barn find car, eh?
Oh, and spoiler alert - our 'new' roadworthy A30 makes a guest appearance in this episode! This little black 1955 Austin A30 is another classic car auction buy that we picked up from Anglia Car Auctions recently. We usually like different cars, but this is one of those lovely occasions where we both wanted to experience the same car....unlike the Volvo Limousine that Elton bought in the last video!
UK Barn Finds is just two people, having some fun with cars and bikes. This channel relies on your input, so if you have any comments that you're shouting at the screen, please type them in the box below and hit enter. Also, please get in touch if you think you may have any leads to future content for us. Our details are below.
We mention some heatgun solder thingymabobs in the video. The Amazon link for them is here - amzn.to/3sOdwhH - we bought these about 3 years ago. Nice to get to use one at last!
Please note that this is an affiliate link above. If you use it to buy something from Amazon, we may receive a small commission.
We also mention a book by Kim Henson. We have bought two books by Kim, who is a well known owner and source of information on the Austin A30. Well worth a search on eBay for his books!
Thanks to the various members of the Austin A30 / A35 Owner's Club, who have been so generous with your time and knowledge. You are such lovely people! Anyone thinking of owning an Austin A30 / A35 should definitely join up. The magazines are really good quality, too - www.austina30a35ownersclub.co...
00:00 Intro
02:07 Draining The Fuel
08:48 Changing The Oil Filter
17:01 Our New Austin A30
34:38 Ignition Coil Issues
41:30 We Have Spark(s)!
42:34 Starter Motor Woes
47:50 Compression Test
50:35 Outro
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Thanks for watching!
UK Barn Finds® is a UK registered trademark. - Авто та транспорт
**UPDATE**
Finished watching this episode? PLEASE check out the next one. We thing you'll like it!
- ua-cam.com/video/dnSvCSl5wCk/v-deo.html
Thank you for all the comments. The feedback and advice is proving to be very useful, yet again. For those of you new to the channel, or just this car, here are links to the previous 1954 Austin A30 episodes:
1. We Buy A Time Warp Austin A30 - ua-cam.com/video/5DsKZEHIcR0/v-deo.html
2. First Wash in 52 Years - ua-cam.com/video/_xroRNn3pPE/v-deo.html
3. Amazing Austin A30 Progress Update! - ua-cam.com/video/Gqgq4RrpW6M/v-deo.html
Thanks again, Claire & Elton
I like the 2cv you have does it start
Where are you? I could see other old cars in your garage. I'd like to come look at them and even and do work on them for free as my modern car is too complicated. I found a Ford conversion in a farm. It had a fibreglass body called an EB60 I think - (not UB40!) Cable brakes so quite fun to drive but I drove it for 3 years. I'm in Derby
@@johndavis3284 - sure does. We've done a video on that one and will do another soon.
@@richardlewis5316 - I've just been looking at pictures of the Ford EB60 on Google. Cool looking thing! We're quite a way away, in Suffolk, but our A30 may well be on show up your way in 2024.
Enjoyed watching your channel for the first time. However, I found it very frustrating because as soon as you turned the engine over with the plugs in, it was abundantly clear that there was zero compression! I was shouting at my iPad…”THERE IS NO COMPRESSION!” 😀. However, when an engine has been standing idle for so long it will probably be stuck compression rings and/or as someone has said, stuck valves the latter less likely because you would probably get contact between the piston crowns and the valves and I couldn’t hear anything like that. Clearly, it’s still an engine out issue but may just mean freeing up the rings then reassembling without spending too much on it. Glad you worked it out eventually. I’ll continue to watch your channel as I found it most entertaining!👍
You might have sticky valves , take the rocker cover off and turn the engine over and see if all the valves are moving up and down , some of them might be stuck due to sitting for so long , also check the valves haven't been incorrectly adjusted
Thank you. I’m reading a few similar suggestions, which is very interesting and makes me glad that I put the question out there. Being a hobby mechanic, I’m often stuck, so it’s great to hear back from people who’ve done the things I’m yet to do. - Elton
6D Diesels just had a video on a Reliant engine that's been sitting since 1986 and he had to beat some of the valves with a hammer to get them moving again. Absolutely zero compression doesn't sound like worn rings to me, you should get something in that case.
The starter did sound a bit off from the get go, turning too fast and smoothly for an engine with good compression so I had my suspicions about the state of that engine.
I think you're right. It sounded like it didn't have any compression.
Probably easier just to whip off the cylinder head and have a look!
Lost my virginity in an A30.
The two of you make a great team! Great to see your faces when driving the black A30. Hopefully the green one is just sticky valves or a blown head gasket. Keep the videos coming! Cheers
@11.11, the hose clip is standard fitment to stop the oil filter from unscrewing itself, there should be a bracket that it goes around & when the oil filter is on it secures it all together
Love the little 1955 A30 Don't think I've seen a Black one with a blue interior before . As other people have suggested pop the rocker box off on the green one and check the valves before taking the engine out. Great to see these lovely little cars getting UA-cam time. Well done. Looking forward to the next one 👍
I could watch & listen to Claire all day long :) and the Austin A30 is a cracking little car. very true what they say about what goes out of fashion etc
All excellent comments here. A series are so rugged and easy to work on, so do not worry. My first driving car was an austin seven running chassis with a sofa on it. Aged 8 birthday present to run in the fields. Then Moggie, A35 van, A50. Driving these 60 years back was slow but they did the job. Great videos and good honest tinkering. Thank you for posting.
Loved the video on the A30's, what fun little cars, Claire's face when she was driving the black one made the video for me,she was genuinely loving it.
Great to see the A30 bug has bitten you well and truly. They are wonderful little cars and so under-rated as a character-filled box of fun when it comes to driving a classic.
That little black one is a honey, although she's not as original as the green one. I like how she still has the trafficators in use and I like the blue seats with the black body, although from factory, it would have had the option of red or grey. I especially love the fact that that one has opening rear quarter light windows - a rarely ticked option on the sheet - and she has factory fitted Smiths heater, so a bonus in the coming northern hemisphere winter (and if it doesn't produce heat, try back-flushing it, as this works wonders!). The 80mph speedo from an A35 is a bit of a giggle if she still has the 803 and standard diff, but she is a good tidy car and sounds magnificent - even the 1st gear idler (which is often damaged through abuse) sounds perfect! The sounds of 2nd and 3rd took me back to many a happy trip in the family car too. Speaking of gearboxes, the trick with the gear change is to time when you pull the stick into the next gear to match with roughly the engine revs that the gear will be starting at - ie: rev-matching. The old synchros in that box aren't like modern ones and like a good second of time between being in one gear and selecting the next and quick changes will result in you being told off quite soundly by the box. First and reverse have no synchro whatsoever and people pushing them back into the straight cut gear or high speed / prolonged use of the gear is what results in a worn / damaged and noisy idler.
With the lack of compression and the tag-on video of stuck valves, there are many ways of freeing them up and the internet is awash with videos of people that have conflicting views - as I am sure you've seen and heard / read. From experience, I have had a 948cc out of an A35 that had a stuck valve after sitting in a garage for 15 years or so. All that was required was a tap on the top of the rocker where it meets the valve and the valve went down and popped up again...and of course, she was away and laughing on all four after that.
However, yours present a minor dilemma with at least a couple of them as they look like they are stuck open rather than closed and there is a possibility that they don't have much (if any) more travel before they bottom out on the spring. Now, learned scholars would have you pull the head off, take it all apart carefully, grind the valves and seats, lap the valves in on the seats, clean all the passages and reassemble. This of course is the most correct way of doing it. However, before you pull the head off, take the rocker assembly off (as you will need to remove the rocker assembly and pushrods to take the head off the block anyway), then soak all valves down with some WD40. Make sure you get inside the valve springs so that the penetrating oil gets down in the valve guides to do its job. Give it about an hour and repeat the lubrication, then give it a couple of hours to do its thing.
Now, gently tap on the stuck valves starting with #1 exhaust and work your way to the back. When you hit the top of the valve, made sure that your hammer (or other large heavy implement) is hitting it flat on the top of the valve stem so that you don't damage the edge of the top of the valve - or worse, bend the stem or break the valve itself. Repeat the tap several times before giving up. If you are lucky, the first tap will break the valve or stem free of the crud holing it and she will snap back to the top. A stuck valve makes a dull "thack" noise when you hit it. A valve that is free makes a "ping" sound as the valve bounces down and returns on the spring to hit the seat.
There is the possibility that you may push the valve down and it not return. In this case, tap a medium-sized flat blade screwdriver between the bottom and second ringlets of the valve spring and then try to lever it up. If she won't budge, then the head has to come off so you can try tapping it back......but that had to happen anyway if you were going to lap them in anyway, right? The valves still have to be free-moving in the valve guides to be able to grind seat / valve and lap them in, so you've lost nothing and gained a bit of experience. If you are only left with a couple that aren't playing ball and coming back to top, then try more lubrication and time. One can never under-estimate the value of the ol' magic water, WD40!
Hope it goes well and all the very best of luck! Hope you get the little black one on the road and you can get out and enjoy it soon.
Is everyone in England as nice and fun as you two? That was very entertaining and honestly the laughter is really enjoyable. I sure wish I were nearer to help you both wrench on those old memories. Cheers! ❤
As soon as you cranked over the barn find you could tell it had no compression just from the sound of it. I think it will be fine, as others have said, it's probably stuck valves. Wasn't it blowing the starting fluid back out through the carby? The black car is gorgeous and Claire seems right at home in it and drove it like she had owned it for years. It's definitely her car. 😊
Exhaust valves stuck open. Remove cylinder head
Very fun to watch you and Claire work.
You don't need to pull the engine. From previous videos, you put diesel or paraffin in the bores without leaking into the sump, which means that the rings are holding compression.
When you were cranking with the Easy Start, did you notice it blowing out instead of sucking ? .. this would tell me inlet valve or cam timing issues, which I would investigate first. As others have said, check for sticky valves and valve clearances first and then maybe cam timing lastly. It did try and fire, hence why it was spitting back.
As a quick check, put your fingers over the air intake on the carb, you should feel whether the air is sucking or blowing. This should clarify my thoughts. If your outro of the rockers is this car, valve 4 is stuck for a start ;)
It may pay to remove the rocker shaft and get the pistons halfway through their travel and gently bounce the valves with a hammer (with lubrication on the stems) .. it may free them up without stripdown.
I agree, could be stuck or damaged valves. Pistons, bores and rings may well be ok. Put some parafin in the bores and this should free off stuck rings.
Agreed! (Always try the simple fixes first before committing loads of money unnecessarily)
Age could have caused the Rings to fall flat...maybe ? Hoping the other guys are right...
@@edwinmalan5142whatever do you mean by "Fall flat"?
@@samrodian919 lol
As others have said, rocker cover off and see what's what, valves sticking in guides etc??
Another great video with the two of you.👍👍
Thank you. At the end of the video, there is a very short clip of the rocker cover off. I got Claire to add it just before she uploaded this, as it may give a clue as to what’s wrong. Please let me know if it helps. I can only see three rockers moving.
These were great little cars. I have started a few cars that have not run for many years, and I never try to start them dry. I put diesel oil into the cylinders, then with plugs out, turn the engine using a large power drill after OVERFILLING the sump with reclaimed oil until oil is pretty much up to the dipstick hole. Make sure the radiator is full of water and water pump is not obviously leaking. It is often a good idea to add a little soluble oil if the pump has not turned for a long time.
Turn engine slowly, so the oil does not get sloshed around too much, and do this for a few minutes--so the mains and big ends are lubed up under a no-load condition. So now the bores and bearings are lubed up, drain the sump and re-fil to the dipstick mark with oil. Some engines had SU electric fuel pumps, some use diaphragm pumps. If your engine has a diaphragm pump, as like as not it will need a new diaphragm and valve kit, they are not expensive, so it is as well to do it now because the old one will not last long anyway, Not only that, a leaking diaphragm will allow fuel into your sump.
Drain the fuel tank and add new fuel, about two gallons, and some water absorbent as well, Fit new fuel filter. Drain carburettor float bowl, and since it does not tale long, you might as ell clean the fuel jets. Some carburettors and pumps are SU--the dashpot probably needs some cleaning out and new oil. Yours looks like a Zenith carb. Check the fuel jets and give the carburettor bowl a good clean. They are about the easiest carburettor to work on. The jet key is one of the float bowl bolts.
Now you are ready to start, so I use the header tank and gravity to start the engine. Once it starts, the fuel pump should discharge into your container. That gets rid of any rotten fuel and rust in the fuel lines. Let it run for a twenty to thirty seconds and if this is the case, and it runs OK you can then connect the fuel lines to the carburettor float chamber, Drain the float chamber of any water and debris. Change the oil filter and you are about good to go.
Now, if the engine does not start, and your float bowl is full, it is your ignition system that is the problem. Begin by checking the points, then of one gets spark there, the plugs, then if no go, check the leads. Seldom is it the coil, but if it is, it is probably non-resistor type. Ignition problems on these early vehicles are easily fixed--and another source of grief on old cars is the spark-quench capacitor. That is more likely a cause of trouble than a coil.
Have fun--I know I always did with my Riley 9's and Wolseleys, Austins and Ladas
@MikeBanks2003 what a lot of good, sensible advice sir!
Always fascinated by the dynamics between you too. Don't ever leave us !
Ah, thank you. Think we’ll stick around 👍🏻
Really enjoyed watching the video. Please keep doing more. Thank you
Oh gosh! That engine, gearbox and exhaust noise from the black car takes me back.
I remember a friend of mine telling me that he was picking up parts at the motor factors, when a very well dressed fella came in asking for parts for an A35. Seamus asked him did he have an A35. Yer man looked him up & down, taking in his oil stained overalls & with a look of distain answered with a curt yes before turning away. “His loss”, Seamus told me, “I’ve 3 or 4 owners manuals I’d have given him.”!
A30s are great little cars. It’ll be nice to follow this one’s progress.
@26.28, a C1565 carb is for a 948cc engine, my betting is it's got an A35 engine in it, if it's got the hanging type oil filter it is
What a delight to watch. There are so many "will it run" UA-cam channels from here in America that use comedy and silly words to replace component names to get more views, I guess. They get rather boring in a hurry. I enjoyed the simplicity and clarity of this video. My two cents worth on your Austin A30 . . . is to rebuild the motor if you can get your expenses back should you sell it later. Good job.
Thank you so much. We do try to use the camera as a little window into our life, so you get the real deal. Plenty of mistakes, but it’s nice to share the successes, too. It’s really humbling for us to know that our videos are appreciated by people like yourself all around the world.
Love both of your A30’s, I had a ‘56 model 2 door, in the turquoise blue colour with the metal sunvisor and the optional heater.
I had the same thought as @motorsport401. May well be sticking valves. Take off the rocker cover and see if they all go up and down. It could be that your WD40 might be needed to help free them off. Maybe tap them gently. Maybe heat. Once you get them moving you might get enough compression to get it running. Don't be alarmed if the compression is considerably less than the black one. Maybe the piston rings are all stuck too. If you can get it to run then you might get further improvements in compression.
By the way, I loved your happy faces when driving the black one. You can't help smiling when you drive an old Austin. (Mine is about 20 years older than yours). I reckon that black one looks to be really good value. I wish I was there to help you. (I'm in Spain). Best wishes to you.
My first classic car back in the 80’s. The heater as I recall was very impressive and warmed the interior up a treat.
A great video i hope you can get the car running it would be so nice to hear it work after all the work you have done trying to get it working 😊😊
This video brings back memories for I own a Austin a40
With a pump oil can, mix oil and a splash of diesel together and squirt a few times down into spark plug holes and leave for a few days.Rocker box off, check to see if the valves are moving up and down, as they may be stuck. If they are, then they are not sealing, look to see pushrods are moving up and down. It is unusual for there to be no compression, so try with a pump oil can through plug holes, several pumps per cylinder and try compression test again. If it improves it tends to signify piston rings stuck or badly worn. It is an A series engine and nursing back to life is not rocket science, and they are pretty strong old units.
This is a great reply. Thank you. We’re reading all the replies over the next few days and formulating a plan of attack. Comments like this are so helpful. Thanks again.
Very enjoyable video, thanks...
Glad that youse bought the black one to enjoy, clever thinking... they are quite sporty vehicles...
Some weeks are like that, everything runs out, don't work and such...crack on, you're both doing your best....
Cheers, from down under...🙂🙏👍🏼🇳🇿
Nice work GUYS ❤❤
great cars i have had one for the last eight years, had a full mechanical restoration runs lovely enjoy
Came across this vid tell you something very interesting I’m going to look at videos when I’ve watched this one I will go as far to say I’m going to subscribe 👍
Very beautiful old car 🚗 😍 👌 😊
Mate you guys have a winner of a show ,keep going
I've owned and worked on a good few of these old A series engines. If that is an original 803cc 3 gear A30 then that is not an original style oil filter. The original wasn't a disposable type, it had a central long bolt through the filter bowl and a disposable paper filter inside.
Definitely stuck valves … spray the valve springs woth wd40 and tap them with a hammer over and over till you see them start to move again. Spray all the rocker shaft as well 👍
The black A30 looks like a mini London Taxi.
I learnt to drive in an A30 on a farm back in 1973 (13yrs old) Happy Days
It seems to have been the ‘first car’ of a generation. Great little memory-makers 😀
Good luck with getting your beauty running.
A year or so back I acquired an A30 that had not run for over 40 years. Unlike so many uTuber's "Lets try and and get XYZ running after its sat for over +20 odd years, that just turn a engine over with little little or no engineering knowledge" and crank the engine (Ok some take plugs out) without taking a basic set of steps to safeguard what is left of the engines internal moving surfaces; I do the following:-
1. The biggest 1st step most don't do is prime the engines lubrication system. Imagine for instance you have sat BARE bottomed on one end of a Level seesaw for 40 or 50 years (other end has a balance weight). Then along comes some Person whom starts Cranking a handle connected to central pivot pin. At that instance your inner butt moves back and forth, but the outer cheek skin had grown to or bonded with the wood of the seesaw. Needless to say you get your bum skin torn, possibly off. This is near what happens to the bearing shells around the crankshaft. The lube has dried out, and the metal has in some cases bonded.
So what do you do... you obviously remove the plugs. Then you work out how to connect an external lubrication pump to the engines main oil gallery. Then spend the next few days priming the engine for 10 or more minutes. After the 3 or 4th priming session, then start to gently rock the crank. It could take you a week or more. Look also that you are getting clean oil to upper engine motion parts. Bore scope it necessary. Then when you feel the engine turning freely, can you consider fuel and sparking it.
Many engines have the Oil pressure Switch after the Oil Filter. So you can take filter off, make a blanking plate to stop oil backfeeding... then remove oil pressure switch and connect your remote oil pump to here. Use low pressure to start. I have gauge on this priming line. First drain the sump, then leave plug out and have a clean pan under to view the oil coming out from your priming flush. Depending on the type of bearing material and seals used in original vehicle I choose different types of oil to use as an initial flush - crank bearing lubing. Also I have on occasion used quite fine low viscosity oils 10 grade hydraulic or like for the initial 4 or 5 pumping's. Only then going to 20 or 30sae oil for at least 2 more flushes ( each around 2L or more depending on engine size)
I have owned quite a few Vintage and Veteran cars in my life. My 4Cyl 8L PetL made on 8th March 1904 I didn't have option to do the above, as it was a Dry sump drip fed engine. Plus it had not run in over 80 year. So it got dismantled fully. Cleaned, measured, assembled and cautiously started. Sadly that was back at time of Beta and VHS tapes only. One day I may find the tape we filmed its first run.
Am I qualified to in this field to give the above advice.. Well am now 72yo. At 19 I did a 5 year apprenticeship as a Caterpillar Higher level Diesel mechanic. Later in life I worked for many years for Rolls Royce as a Marine engineer on large marine engines. And in the last 10 years I have worked hands on for 2 different Space Rocket Companies on the engine systems.
,
BTW What my A30 needed was a new coil, plug lead both ends changing (kept the leads), a new condenser. I lightly filed the points surfaces and re gaped the points. A battery, as there was not one.. and I dismantled and cleaned the carby. Was gummed up bad. I think the diaphram in the petrol pump is faulty, so to start it I just fed the carby from a small petrol reservoir with fuel enough to gravity feed.
I removed the brake shoes, when I had the wheels off to fitted 4 s/h tires {15% life left} (cost about 1kg of fresh home grown strawberries to tire shop) . and after about 30 mins of running engine was able to move car under its own power. Finding reverse was fun. Mine is a very early one and you have to LIFT stick to then get reverse selected.
I then drove it slowly home with Heavy Landrover behind and tow rope between. Landrover was my brakes.
Finally it has sat for about 12 months now, started average once a month, and in last few weeks I noticed Radiator has started leaking midway down on engine side. So that next to fix.
Then do brakes and get fuel pump running then take it for a drive again.
BTW I found my engine and chassis number on a sort of plastic/ivory plate that was affixed with 4 rivets to top side of right sun visor. It was buckled in slight roll shape... DO NOT .. DO NOT try to flatten it as I got told the crack and split in 2.. Someone in UK will have experience in best method to flatten it.
again good luck
regards
David in Australia
Absolutely love this video , great little cars , I would love one of them thank for sharing
My Father had one of these around 1966, what a lovely car.
Epic video guys. Love these cars - and great to have 2 on the channel.
We were so hopeful we’d have two running cars for you, but it’s great to know that people watching our stuff take the rough with the smooth, too. The black A30 was an inspired/lucky purchase; it really spurred us on this week.
What a fabulous channel! I’m hooked!!!
Great if you could get it running and usable! Leave it as it is and enjoy!!!
You have to get you little green car on the road it deserves a second chance it would be great fun to be there and give you a hand so please have a crack at it. Love that car.
Love your video's, blessings from Ireland ❤️ Eamon
Simple engine's rebuild. Happy days
Put a couple of squirts of oil in the spark plug holes, and re pressure test, if it goes up, its the piston rings. May be worthwhile checking the vales are seating first.
Sticking valves would be my guess as soon as you turned it over I knew there was no compression
I remember these A30s when they first came out new in New Zealand. It's alright to drink, as long as you know when to stop and go home. When i was at the local pub in my younger years, my method was, when i felt like visiting the bathroom for the first time, i went home to the toilet, instead of using the toilet in the pub. Claire is a real honey.❤ LoL. Bob. NZ.👍
Haha! Different times, eh?!!
G'day from Australia 🇦🇺, 😊 I loved the video!!❤ Austin A30's to a Car Show that would be great way to show both of them to the public. I agree with other comments about sticky valves, just get them loosen up... I truly love the shape of those cars, so cute... take care...😊😊
Standart procedure when dealing with engines that sat for long time, check for engine fluids, engine seized, cylinder compression and spark at spark plugs, fuel coming into the carburetor or fuel injectors, then try it, respectfully sir, most kind of you for sharing this video with us, blessings to you and your love ones, from the endless summer paradise Puerto Rico Jesus Torres.
Thank you. It’s great to know that our videos are being seen in Puerto Rico. I think the only thing we didn’t test, until right at the end, was the compression. We’d been so lucky up until that point, as everything worked. We still hope to have the car running soon.
@@UKBarnFinds most kind of you gentleman, at my 71 years of age often I watch those videos which I enjoy to my best and any technical support that I can provide to anyone at the global level for sure I know that it's welcome, blessings to you and your love ones, my gratitude for your kindness sir.
Love you two
They are really sweet little engines. I cut my teeth on rebuilding these when I was young (many moons ago). As others have suggested, it might be a simple case of sticky valves which you can check very easily. If so, you ought to be able to sort it fairly easily. I really love Clair's enthusiasm for you cars - my partner will only drive her car and moan if it won't go!!!
Same here work a lot on these when I was young ford pops /Morris minors/Alvis /Humber's /Not like today's crap .👍
I used to own an a30 circa 1968, great to reminisce, switch it to negative earth , just swop connections around and then flash large spade connector on dynamo to new live, it’s as easy as that ,
Phil Colledge suggested it could be a broken timing chain. I must admit, I hadn't thought of that. That would also cause the valves to not move (and zero compression). Good suggestion.
I had a 1952 A30 back in 1969. I paid £10 for it.
I'd heard about the car as being a non-runner in Harold Wood, Essex, UK. The car had a tx disc in the windscreen with 9 months on it.
I went to see the car with my young brother (14). The car looked good. The body was fine as was the interior, but the owner said the engine was broken.
I looked it over, took out the plugs and removed the distributor cap. While I looked in the engine bay, my brother wound the engine over using the starting handle.
Enlightenment happened. I gave the seller £10 and said I would be back later that day.
A few hours later my brother & I returned, armed with a new timing chain and gaskets.
Two hours after that, I knocked on the sellers door and asked if he would let us have some water.
We filled the radiator. Started the car and we drove home in it.
The sellers face was a picture.
I ran the car for a year with no problems !
Brilliant! Love stories like that. Mind you, there will be a generation of people reading this who will have no concept of buying a car with a bit of tax left on it 😂
Great video, my first car was MK11 Zodiac 210 KAF and second vehicle 1962 A35 Van 28 PRL.
I had an A35 in 1960. It smoked a bit so one weekend I took of the head and sump, removed the pistons and put new rings on. Reassembled without a torque wrench and it started. I drove it to London the next day from Derby and it ran for 4 years. No need to take the engine out and a 8 hour job!! Such a simple engine to work on.
Remember driving a Austin A35 van in 67.Didnt like going round corners.You turned the wheel & it would just go straight on.Hair raising stuff, but seat of the pants fun. Skinny cross ply tyres didn't help.Gave better grip on ice & and snow, believe it or not.Ahh! Those were the days.
Kids today don't know how easy they've got it 😂
With regard to the A30 stuck valve I'm reminded of my old bodywork teacher's advice, "If at first you don't succeed, find a bigger hammer my son".
I would suggest you run the black A30 and leave the green one as a barn find and work of art - which was your plan A. She's so original and it would be a shame to replace parts just to get her to start. And replace even more parts to run her - tyres, brakes, fuel lines, tank and so on. Just oily rag her to keep the surface rust at bay and keep all the original parts as they are. She is beautiful just the way she is.
Just found your channel, excellent.
Thank you. We appreciate the support 👍🏻
I remember as a small kid, my Dad & Mum had an A30. It had to go backwards up steep hills. One of the few memories I have of it, then they managed to buy a 105E Anglia. It seemed massive compared to the A30. Driving around Catford, and Greenwich, Great Times. I hope you have fun in the A20.
We had one of those in the early 60's. Mum and dad and 4 kids in the back. How it ever moved I have no idea.
Another rocker cover off, to check valves suggestion.
Could possibly progress to head off, if valves are all moving, to check the underside of the head, and have a look at the top of the pistons. You'll then be able to see the state of the combustion chambers too.
Head off, isn't particularly hard, nor is refitting it. It's only really nuts and bolts...
Remember you can start them with a starting handle
The great Ole crank handles
This car has charm charisma no rip-off built in dealer con tricks dpf chipped failure scams..... over tech,d money stealing cons.
They used to call them jelly moulds, Wolesley did one like that too.
What a wonderful couple, just found your channel. Has to subscribe , very entertaining.
Thank you so much. We read every comment and ones like this make UA-cam really rewarding for both of us.
Hi Guys, you have stuck valves. One clue is the speed of the cranking, another. the easy start being blown out the carb when cranking.
Pop off the valve cover and find which valves are stuck. A little lube and patience will free them off.
There is a very small chance of a broken timing chain but with the fuel pump working, I doubt it.
Talk off engine rebuild??? no way, get those valves sorted.
Good luck !!!!
drain the engine oil and put some deisel in the engine. rotate the crank till its moving more smoothly and leave it for the night. drain the deisel and put in the engine oil and give it a go. adjust the valves as well
Great video. Seems like previous owners loved and used it alot, before it was suddenly taken off the road. Could have been because of the engine problem you have now discovered. Since there is no compression at all on any cylinder, I'll guess at a broken timing chain. Suggestions in other comments are also good possibilities
Thank you. We’re going to digest all the comments to see where to go next. So glad we stopped and uploaded the video, even though I was a bit deflated this week, as it’s providing so much in the way of helpful feedback.
Broken timing chain maybe? (can be replaced without taking engine out) could be why it got put in the barn all those years ago and not tooo expensive either
remove the rocker cover and no movement of the valve rockers would be the symptom
I would have done a compression test before even trying to sort out the ignition issues. That engine does not sound right as it is spinning over.
Takes me back.. when I was at school in the 80s our teacher (Mr Bisacre) had one of these and he would take half the cricket team to away matches in one of these!
I was only talking to my mates the other week about it and we can remember driving along and looking at the road going past as the floor had rust holes in it.
Another one was my mates dad taking us to rugby in a Princess in lime green.. he got pulled by the police who asked what he was doing with the car filled up with teenagers.. “just taking the boys to rugby officer”. 😂😂😂. “Okay, Mr Bell. Drive steady”. Different days I guess!!
The things people got away with back then 😂 I remember driving two cars with big holes in the floor. Never really bothered us, until the road was wet!
Nice....👌... Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪
"Freckles" lives again!
from what others are saying start with stuck valves and go from there, she needs to be saved bless her.
Used to fix my own cars, with the help of a car manual. You can get a car manual from Halfords.
Always ordered car parts from Halfords, in the days when they actually used to stock parts on the shop floor. Never used a garage, as they got the wrong parts and charged for labour without actually rectifying the problem, three days later. Sometimes, they where clueless.
I would fix it in an afternoon.
Makes good videos, by dragging it out, though.
Remember, a car won't function without electricity 😅
my family had 4 door , my Dad rebuilt the engine , in the lounge room ,had to have 'commonwealth' made car , (or taxed at %47) ,fixed traded on 2.3 litre holden , 6 cylinder , good luck , i remember words i'd never heard ,
I can certainly relate to the “words I’d never heard”. We have to bleep them out of our videos, though 😂
On the black Austin the reason for the gold rocker cover is that its a reconditioned engine, Austin and others did this and hence it was originally known as a gold block
We used to call them Gold Seal engines.
New subscriber, looks a great channel. Valve(s) stuck open. dead easy engine to fix either way. Don't give up on her. You'd have matching A30s then. Claire looks like a demon behind the wheel!
I don't know my British car models that well, but to me the little green Austin seems worth preserving. An engine rebuilt will cost a few. Yet, its not a big engine. Preserve the Austin body and interior but invest in rebuilt engine, transmission and suspension. Just so it passes inspection. Doesn't have to be a beauty on the outidie.
always use mineral 20/50 in it don't use modern synthetic oil in it as it wasn't designed for it
Cut your losses and let it go, concentrate on priority projects. Loved Claire's driving 👍
I'd check the valves out first, remove the rocker cover and turn the engine over, make sure each valve operates. Another thing I always go for (though not for the low compression) is to check the carb jets out. Petrol can crystalise after a long period and clog everything up, especially after seeing all that shite in the petrol filter.
Great video . . Love it . . . Good to have a second car to use as a comparison . .
As far as the green one goes . . Rebuild the engine if its the original engine . . If not . . . Umm . 🤔🤔(. Slap a 2litre twin cam in it and have so me fun). . .
Once again . Great video . . Hi from NZ . . Take care 💐
Sorry commented before the last clip, yep top end problem. It would be worth taking the head off that way you wil be able to check the bores for any rust pitting or scores on them. Will help you determine if need total rebuild, if ok just recon the head and would be worth taking to machine shop, and have harden valve seats put in so can run on moden petrol with out having to put addatives in the petrol every time you fill up.
I would love to spend a couple of hours helping you out with this. I'm fairly confident there's not much wrong with it and certainly wouldn't consider taking the engine out yet.
We know it's not the timing chain as the fuel pump and distributor work, both driven off the cam shaft.
You have zero compression - even with worn rings and bad valves you would have some.
My guess is, the rockers are seized on the rocker shaft. As the car has been standing for many years, when you first turned it over the pushrods opened the valves and the valve springs are not strong enough to close them. The result, with all valves open, is zero compression and the engine spinning so quickly on the starter motor. This would also account for the flash blowback through the carb with your easy start spray.
Just two bolts to remove the rocker box will tell you. Just a few easy bolts to remove the rocker shaft and free it up should have you up and running.
Also, if you look in the boot, you should find the starting handle - so much better to turn the engine by hand slowly rather than the brutal inertia starter motor.
Another thought.. The original fuel pumps had a little hand priming lever on the front of the pump. The thermostat housing, if it an aluminium one is usually corroded in place. The front lever shock absorbers always leak and need topping up before an MOT. The little bypass hose between the cylinder head and the block is a job to replace unless you remove the head.
Wishing you the best of luck with this grand little motor.
Absolutely agree with all of that.
If a cylinder head clean up is needed, it's not a big job and you could check out the state of the bores at the same time.
It's an easy engine to work on. Very simple.
Try pouring regular atf in the carb as you crank the engine. The atf being flammable will raise the compression maybe enough to have it start and run. A mechanic taught me this 40 years ago. I was the one to crank the engine as he poured the transmission fluid in the carb.
I think you may have discovered why the car was parked in the first place. The clip at the end indicates broken/bent pushrods or a camshaft failure.
Great video ,lovely car. One of my mates has an A35, lovely little car. I have a Morris Minor as my daily driver, which also uses an A series engine.
I can tell from the clip at the end that stuck valves are the problem. You never know, WD40 down the valve guides might just solve it! Failing that, take the head off and get someone to overhaul it. With the head off you can check the bores for wear to see if more drastic action is required. Don't give up on that engine yet.
Good luck 👍
Cool little new black car. But just wont keep up with modern day traffic..if i was going to get another it would have been souped up.. Something you can rev up and have a little blast. . And had the green one to toootle around in. Good luck. 👍
Yip I agree with a lot of the comments below, take the rocker cover off before you condem the engine and see if their is any stuck valves, (more than likely exhaust valves on that engine)
A good soak and tap the valves should clear the build up of rust.
The valve seats should recover after the engine runs for a bit.
Hi, we did add a little 6-second clip of the rocker gear right at the end of this video and it seems you’re right. I’m trying to free them up now, but one of them is not playing ball.
great video, in regards to that oil filter, i once worked on a Scottish aviation inc. B125 Bulldog airplane, and it had a similar looking oil filter that was reusable, the clamp held the 2 halves together and had a cleanable screen assy. inside. might be worth looking at a bit closer
More brilliant stuff from you two, I love it. Thanks. I'm wondering if the black A30 has got a BMC Gold Seal reconditioned engine in it. I'm not saying it has, but going back a few thousand years I used have around 10 Austin A 60 Cambridge and Morris Oxfords, a couple of them had a gold painted rocker cover which I later found out that the gold ones were fitted to factory reconditioned 'Gold Seal' engines. I went on to buy three of those engines through a BMC (British Leyland by then) Dealership and those three did come with the gold rocker cover and to be honest I don't remember seeing them on any other Austin/Morris apart from the re-fit ones. This may not be the case with an A30 of course and I'm not sure how you'd check it out these days. Love you two, great video.
It’s very possible. The green one has a gold seal engine. When I’m up at the workshop next (probably in the morning!), I’ll take a look at the engine number. Thanks so much for the support; we both felt that this video has shown a bit more of ‘us’, which can be a bit daunting on UA-cam.
Got one in the shed decades engine may go in again one day so many projects good video
After the amount of time the car has sat and as you have shown the head has valve problems which is old school mechanics to sort out easy job, the thing to note the rings on the pistons could well be stuck . So when you take the head off fill the cylinders with automatic transmission oil and let them stew for a few days while the head is rebuilt. Once the engine is running let it do a few heat cycles and the rings will slowly free up and then hopefully happy days.
A bit sad about the engine. Take the rocker cover off and check valves aren't stuck. We had a few when I was at the engine shop. The second gear may well not have syncro so double clutch may help. Love both these cars and all your video's here in Australia. Marc
If I'm not mistaken,thats a Lucas M35J starter.Take it to bits n fix it.Not being big headed,my late father had me doing such in my early teens.I'm now 58 and would love another go at one!!Honestly,piece of cake.
I’ve never taken a starter apart. That sounds kind of fun! You’ll see in the subsequent video on this car that I found a local company to rebuild this one. Cost more than a cheap replacement, but it’s lovely to have the original one still.
Had to make a Bendix spring compressor for these motors as part of my apprenticeship,wish I still had it!@@UKBarnFinds
The seating and seal of piston rings may be the issue and might come good if you can get the engine to run for a while. Which it should, at that compression ratio. Of vastly greater concern, is how sound is the underside of the body, especially the areas of the main structural points. For a car, because of the salt on the UK's winter roads and/or one located by the coast, even for a car of the late 1960s early 1970s, these cars, at that time already, were scrappers. The Jags, like Morse's, were insanely bad, due to the water traps in the chassis channels. To get a feel for the compression, use the starting handle :-)
The A30 is distinguishable from the later A35 by the small rear window.