Series 2 Series 2a Starting issues when hot

Hi Guys,

Today I had our 2a out for a wedding, I drove from our base to the brides house which is 60 miles (most of which are motorway miles) from our base. I stopped off at the services to grab a drink and then again at the church to put the ribbons on, then onwards to the brides house, I arrived 45mins early so I turned off the engine while I waited for the bridal party to be ready to leave. 15 mins before the planned departure time I tried to start the engine to make sure everything was ready to leave, the engine would only turn over and would not fire at all. I called the AA as soon as it wouldn't start so that is there was an issue I couldn't sort at least they were on their way. For half an hour I kept trying to start the engine but with no luck at all, the brides farther ended up taking the bride in his car, sods law the engine started just was they had left. I Called the AA to cancel them coming and made my way to the church so I could at least take the bride and groom to their venue which just so happen to be next door to the church! I hung around for the usual photos with the car, since leaving the brides house I kept the engine running as I didn't want to risk it not starting as I still had to get home. Once all the photos were done I left the venue and got about a mile up the road the engine started to cough and splutter then cut out. I couldn't get the engine re-started so I made another call to the AA who got a patrol to me in just under an hour, during this time I had kept the bonnet up. When the patrol arrived he had a bit of a look over the engine then just sprayed some carb cleaner into the intake and it fired up, I drove the car for about 15 miles to the local service station where our company met me with our trailer to take the car back to our base as we didn't want it cutting out on us on the motorway. Once back at base I couldn't have too much of a good look as I was still in my suit but took the car for a drive around (we have quite abit of land) it started fine but did seem to have a odd splutter while running but nothing major at all. When we turned the engine off it didn't want to turn off to start with, with the key out it still sputtered away for a good 15-20 seconds.

Any ideas what could be causing these issues??

Many thanks in advance!

sounds like fuel starvation, years ago I had a mk1 fiesta that had a similar issue, when it was hot, would start to cut out and then die, wouldn't restart unit it cooled down then ran fine. I found it was a fuel pipe that was running too close to the engine and was causing the fuel to evaporate, re routed the fuel pipe an ran ok ever since.
other things could be expansion, when engine gets hot, is there a fine crack in 'anything' that opens up and warps when hotter. see if you can do a compression test cold and when hot to see if there is any difference, then look for fuel leaks or carbs sucking more air in

yep i know exactly what you are getting at in regards to the engine not shutting off, i have the exact same problem, the problem you mention is called run-on, some small engines say ride-ons will get the problem as well, see what the problem usually the engine will get carbon deposits on the head and piston crown, and when the engine is hot some carbon may glow, and when you turn the engine off, the carbon will still ignite the fuel air mix, it can be very common after you have done a highway run and when you pull up the engine will get hot and when you turn it off it wont shut down,
so looks like you may have a little carbon build up, i would worry too much, i may some times let the clutch out really slowly to load the engine up and she'll stop then,

to the other issue, it sounds like you may have some soot built up in your carby or your fuel pump may have a problem which has just started, id try cleaning out the fuel lines, check the pick up line in the tank and if you wanted to, clean out the carb and set up the mixture again,
i sort of had that problem as well, as well i get vapour lock really bad, i'll be driving and stop the car 10-15 mins later and start up get doen the road and she'll start starving for fuel and she dies, i run a facet electric fuel pump in it now, took the mechanical fuel pump off and placed a blanking plate, it sort of help with my problem but it will still get vapour lock.

hopefully you can sort the problem out.

Tony.

Sounds like vapour lock....
A hot Engine left for a while refuses to start...
Ive experienced this with my series 3 petrol
Solution was a heat deflector made and fitted as below
Deflects heat from fuel pipe ....
Fixed problem....for run on
You can get and fit a ....
Fuel cut off solenoid...

chris7 said:

View attachment 99845 Sounds like vapour lock....
A hot Engine left for a while refuses to start...
Ive experienced this with my series 3 petrol
Solution was a heat deflector made and fitted as below
Deflects heat from fuel pipe ....
Fixed problem....for run on
You can get and fit a ....
Fuel cut off solenoid...

Click to expand...

that looks like a good idea, i should try that on mine as well.

Some 2a's [my 69 did ] had a hot spot manifold,a sort of a butterfly in the box bit of the exhaust manifold that directed hot gas at the base of the inlet manifold to heat up the incoming charge quicker and controlled by a bimetal spring. If it sticks then you can get the symptoms you have. If yours has one it's pivot and spring can be seen on the manifold near the downpipe flange.

sorted my hot start probs ect,with electric fuel pump and regulator,not before time either.............