Manky Monkey Motors

I have seen a couple of post relating to lads and lassies wanting to convert from points to electronic ignition .
Perhaps the following link to an article I did a wee while ago might be helpful



https://sites.google.com/site/fifersrelianthintsandtips/electronic-conversions/how-to-fit-a-simonbbc-electronic-kit
.
.
Following info added on 19 January 2012

Unless you are very lucky , due to the new positions of the electronic pickups in relation to the distributor cam , when the Simonbbc electronic doodahs are fitted you will need to slacken off the side distributor clamp and rotate the distributor body by hand till it fires . You might have to move it a fair wee bit

I would recommend that you set up the engine in the best position with the original points in place before fitting the electronic doodahs .

{ 1 } Set the engine statically at the 10 degrees Before Top Dead Centre mark on the fan belt pulley with the rotor arm pointing at number 1 cylinder { the one at the front of the engine }.

(http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp316/fifer3w/R3W/timing-1.jpg)
http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp316/fifer3w/R3W/timing-1.jpg
{ 2 }   Switch the Ignition OFF

{ 3 }   Remove distributor
{ 4 }   Clean Distributor body including clamp { If required }
{ 5 }   Mark a line across the Distributor body and the clamp with tippex / paint / scribe so that if you want to revert back to points you will know where the original setting was  

{ 6 }   Fit the new electronic parts as per
https://sites.google.com/site/fifersrelianthintsandtips/electronic-conversions/how-to-fit-a-simonbbc-electronic-kit

{ 7 }   Slacken off the side clamp pinch bolt

{ 8 }   Fit the distributor back into the engine
{ 9 }   Rotate the distributor body till the bolt hole in the engine clamp slot is midway { This is so that you can still get a bit of movement to re-adjust the timing in the future }
{ 10 } Fit the bolt , spring washer and washer and tighten                    

{ 11 } Wire up as per  instructions below
 
(http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp316/fifer3w/R3W/DISTRIBUTOR/1ELECTRONICKITFROMSIMONBBCpriort-2-1.jpg)
http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp316/fifer3w/R3W/DISTRIBUTOR/1ELECTRONICKITFROMSIMONBBCpriort-2-1.jpg

Remember and insulate joins on both wires to stop shorting against the distributor body .


{ 12 } Turn the distributor body around by hand and align the marks you previously made { the body should be slack enough to turn but not too slack } . If too slack just tighten up the side clamp bolt a wee bit till you can turn it smoothly without a jerky motion .
{ 13 } Try to start the engine while holding the distributor body in place to stop it from moving . If it starts you are a lucky Bugg*r and you can go to { 20 }

{ 14 } If it does not start
{ 15 } Stop trying to start the engine .
{ 16 } Turn the distributor clockwise roughly about 1/4 inch { 6mm or so }
{ 17 } Try to start the engine while holding the distributor body in place to stop it from moving ..
{ 18 } If it starts and runs just stop the engine


{ 19 } If it does not start just keep VERY slowly rotating the distributor body till it fires and runs then
{ 20 } Stop the engine

{ 21 } Put a temporary mark on the distributor and clamp
{ 22 } Tighten up the side clamp pinch bolt

{ 23 } Start the engine and get up to working temperature
{ 24 } Stop the engine

{ 25 } Slacken off the pinch bolt enough to be able to rotate the distributor smoothly .
{ 26 } Holding the distributor body , start the engine and VERY slowly turn the distributor body clockwise to try and get the fastest tickover .
If it cuts out just rotate it back to the Original good mark and try again .
{ 27 } When you have reached what you think is the best point then just

{ 28 } Stop the engine
{ 29 } Tighten up the side clamp pinch bolt
{ 30 } Mark a line across the Distributor body and the clamp with tippex / paint / scribe so that if you will know where the setting was .

{ 31 } Set the Timing { if required } by strobe
{ 32 } In the future all you have to do is leave the side pinch bolt alone and slacken off the clamp plate to engine bolt to get adjustment either way  Smiley
.
I wrote this early in the morning just from memory { and that is bad } so if I have made a wee mistake here and there please feel free to chastise me and I will go and give myself a darn good thrashing   ;D ;D
.
.


  

Useful!

Interesting stuff! Gonna order one of them tomorrow!

Ordered and on its way,including new coil,cos I cant be messing around with the old one!

That,s the way to do it  ;D ;D ;D
.
.

got my ignition kit and im now off to the garage to fit it. wish me luck  ;D

 :) Have fun!

well got the new stuff on. but she didnt want to start and i got pissed off. soooooooo will get the gun on her on sat and sort it out

You didn't really think it'd work first time did you?!  :D

i can dream bro

Sounds more like a nightmare. :D

naaaaaaaa. i'll get the gun on her sat. any tips?

BIG GUN,,,,,,,,,==HOWITZER,,,                                 or dynamite,,,, ;D ;D

First slacken off the bolt holding the distributor clamp to the engine and rotate the body till the slot is midway { This is so that you can still get a bit of movement to re-adjust the timing after it starts . }

After fitting the electronic doodahs , due to the new position of the doodahs to the distributor cam , it is often necessary to slacken off the side bolt clamp on the distributor .

Rotate the distributor by hand a bit at a time until it starts .
Switch off .
Tighten up the side bolt and try starting it again .
If it starts you can tippex a wee mark on the distributor body and the clamp plate ; That will be your reference point till after you set the timing up as per normal with the strobe .
Personally I would do away with the strobe and just set it up by ear and you can then strobe it if you so wish and note the new position { Might be 5 degrees or 12 degrees or any other setting because each engine is different .

If I get time over the next couple of weeks I will do a step by step and add it to the post  .

Got TIME  ;D ;D

See altered First post above 
,
,
.
.

Just fitted mine using the pickup 'ring' under the rotor arm as opposed to the 'all in one' type. The all in one type wouldnt allow the dist. cap to seat right down.Wouldnt start! Giving the battery a good charge ,then going to check all connections,continuity etc adjust the dist. a bit more tamara morning....excited now!!

Y'know there's a lot to be said for the simple spring actuated points set!!!!! along with the very cheap and cheerfull spare set you keep in your top pocket, just in case! cost, very little, availability, excellent, "get you home" context, priceless......

Yep thats the way Im feeling at the moment! ;D
 So ,Ive got a spark at the leads,Checked everything twice and Ive followed all the tips Fifer gave,and still it wont start! B*****ks! Just had a quick re read of fifers tips,yep Ive done everything! Ive turned the dizzy so far in each direction the leads are pulled tight (very short leads I admit!)

Totally agree  ;D ;D ;D
I had fitted a complete new electronic distributor a couple of years ago and used it for a couple of weeks then took it out and stuck the original points coil setup back in .
I just had no feeling of security with it fitted { Irrational , I know as  most are maintenance free }
I also missed doing the couple of minutes job of resetting the points and setting the timing by ear { Got horribly chewed up ears now , but worth it }.

I do a lot of travelling through the Scottish highlands and then go off the beaten track where there is no mobile phone signal and , as I have my disabled wife with me I carry a complete spare distributor set up ready to drop in complete with new cap / leads , new coil , lengths of wire , spare carb , length of petrol hose , length of water hose and spare antifreeze as well as tools .

I know that all I need is a spare set of points but , with my arthritic fingers at the side of a mountain on a bitter cold winters day , I find it easier to just remove the one bolt  , one wire , one vacuum pipe and drop the replacement distributor in .  :) 

Most work I do on other Reliants is fitting new points , setting the gap and re-timing .
For the folk with no mechanical knowledge whose motors I work on I would always recommend fitting the electronic ignition .
I can see the HUGE advantage of fitting the electronic system BUT For me points rule  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
.
.
.

SORTED!!!Now running ok! Im happy now :) :) :) :) :)
 Ah! ,theres a lot to be said for carrying spares the 'old fashioned' way!Always have done.But after my points breakdown last weekend,and bearing in mind it was the first time EVER having broken down on a bike/trike I realised how standing around in the cold waiting for assistance is a real pain on a bike,and not for me!So I decided to try to eliminate the problem!First time ever using my AA card as well!
  Always in the back of your mind they will fail,in a way I felt like that when I did my A35 elec ign! But it never let me down! Still going to carry a set of points and a condensor as a spare though!
 Ive already also found that I really need a 'top box ' on the rack ,even tho' it may look crap,cos I want to carry my junk(spares).

Great news ; I hope you now have many thousands of miles of trouble free riding  :) :)
.
PS ;
Did you do anything extra outside of what I had written OR found anything wrong with my How to ?
I can add it to the original post if you feel that it needs it  :)
.
.

Explanation fine mate,very comprehensive! 8) Although I did find that the screw that originally holds the condensor needed to be about 3mm longer to accomodate the thickness of the sensor base plate. The orig screw did fit and work,but didnt feel right when tightened down tight. Found a spare longer bolt same thread and cut it down to suit,worth the time and effort to sort this in my opinion.The other screw( that is the points adjuster screw) seemed ok for length.My condensor screw looked like orig equipment (worn cross head) ,but the other could have been changed at some time.

well iv just spent 3 hours trying to get her started. no luck. iv checked it all over did what u said having problems turniong the roter as the ht caps are in the way

Do you mean that with the new rotor cap fitted that the distributor cap will not sit down { meaning that the rotor arm is not seating down far enough }


Worth checking that it is not the same fault as RODeo in his previous post ?

.
.
.

its all sitting down fine. my plug caps are stopping me from turning the roter around alot. do i need to fit the pickup ring as well or just the roter arm

I think I understand now .  :)
Do you mean that the distributor body is butting against number 2 cylinder plug HT lead ?
Is the end of the HT lead a straight one ?
You should have less problem with the 90 degree angled lead to the plug .
.
.

they are all 90 degree but the body keeps hitting them

stick a photo on so we can see  ???

will do when i work out how to that

OK.  have you done it the way it shows here  https://sites.google.com/site/fifersrelianthintsandtips/electronic-conversions/how-to-fit-a-simonbbc-electronic-kit

yep. done it as it says, iv rang my mate who tried to fit one and had so much trouble he bined it and went bavk to points

Taz wrote a bit on posting photos on the forum here:

http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4469.0

and Nabsim added more info here:

http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6349.0

If the dizzy body is hitting something as you turn it to get it to fire,this is probably because the body is in the wrong place to start with. I had this when I first set mine up last year,I had the vac bit round at the front near no1 lead..I ponced around for hours getting nowhere,almost gave up! Try putting the distributor in at a different (window)after setting the engine up for static timing.Very roughly speaking the vacuum 'bowl' should be at 90 degrees to the eng. block to start with. Is this what is hitting the leads?Apart from moving the dizzy,this will mean moving the plug leads round in the cap,probably one position round. .In summary....static time engine with no1 lead coming up to fire with the vac unit facing away from the block.Hope this helps mate

ok here goes. the metal where the clips hold on the dis cap is hitting the spark plug cap so it wont turn any more. plus iv got here running but not right. also when she is running and i take a lead off she starts sparking at the coil

If the clip is hitting as you describe,then I reckon the dizzy needs repositioning as I explained previously.My clips are roughly front and rear of the cap.Sparking where at the coil? Which lead are you taking off?

coils, damp or cracked ,,,,,,,,,

i bloody well hope not. bought the whole kit with a new coil

Heres how mine sits,it is adjusted and running correctly.just gone out there to take this pic,hope it helps mate
(http://www.rodschopshop.co.uk/photogallery/media/trike/IMG_2766.jpg)

poor insulation on the low tension connections then,,

He hasnt said where it is sparking from??

its sparking from the red power lead the came with the kit. its sparking from the +termenal to the coil casing

and which lead are you taking off for this to happen?

if i take off any ht lead of any plug while the engine is running it starts to spark on the red wire from the ignition that goes to the + connector on the coil

Not knowing much about the working difference between elec ign and points,Im not sure about this. maybe the elec ign causes it to do that?sorry cant be more helpful dude. Is there a good connection of wire to spade terminal at the coil? I crimped one today,looked ok,but wasnt making contact correctly!

check the terminals on the coil and make sure there no oil or grease on the coil.have a good look at the coil top to see if there any sign of cracking.make sure all wire are tight

You did refit the earth wire in the distributor ?

Have a wee look at the distributor again .

Suck on the vacuum tube end on the flying saucer and check that the points plate moves .
Take the distributor out if you cannot get access to suck .

If the end of the flying saucer lever is not located in the points plate peg on the underside of the base then the points plate will not be in the correct position relevant to the rotor /pickup .

When you do start it , make sure that the vacuum pipe is connected from the flying saucer to the carb .
.
.

All good ideas there..I was wondering whether the post on the coil had been overtightened ,causing a crack between post and outer edge ? 

iv done it by the book. im stumped hereto why its sparking. the coil is right underneath my tank so it aint good

Have you sucked the flying saucer yet ?
.
.

 ;D

try your old coil

now thats just rude

is it the two wire system ????

red +positive from  feed at coil to unit in dizzy and a black   (trigger wire )  that returns to  neg - side of coil ???

what coil are you using

yep thats the one

i bought the whole set off ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110669216292?ssPageName=STRK:null:IT

i know it sounds ,,daft,, but check youve got the polarity right  and check the quality of the connection of the ,,trigger,, wire at the coil

it would be interesting to check each side of each connection/joint in the wiring with a volt meter..

did that about 5 times. what i really need to know is why its sparking from the live wire at the coil

It was a serious query as to my 1st post above .

its unusual thats why i asked about volage 12volt low tension shuold find it hard or shouldnt jump like that unless there,s a crack or a damp track for it to follow .
where as high tension I.E.. coil king lead or plug lead will jump that distance easly,

could do with a couple of ,snap shots, of youre set up ,, may be able to spot something,

Because all that voltage has to go somewhere!

You apply 12v to a coil of wire wrapped around an iron core, this induces an increase in voltage on the primary windings.
When the points open, or the module switches, the voltage is released, this causes a drop in voltage on the primary windings.
This voltage drop induces a current build up in the secondary windings, which are coiled over the primary ones, because there are many more coils in the secondary set than the primary set the voltage is much higher.
The secondary winding is connected directly to the king lead, and this is where the spark should go.
Your coil is either faulty with a break in the windings or your module isn`t switching.

and the model num of the distributor

can you hear the spark jump at the coil  loud  ,crack,,  or just see it ?

hmm. i'll try putting the old coil back on her tomorrow and go thru the whole system. hope i aint got a dodgy coil as that lot wasnt cheap

oh u can see and hear it just fine as its bloody bright and loud

sounds like a high tension spark then

Just re read this....

It only happens with a lead disconnected...
Which part of the coil body does it arc to?

Are you sure its arcing from the + terminal and not to it from the king lead?
How secure is the boot over the lead onto the coil?

sounds like a H T  crack (spark) to me ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

new ht leads as well. i really do appreciate all the help guys

its a pity you dont live closer to me i,d pop round ,,,

Sorry to keep asking , but have you sucked the vacuum capsule { flying saucer } .
It really is a crucial question .

.
.

how do u mean by sucked? not something iv heard of before

he means disconnect the vacume tube that go,s from the dizzy to the carb and suck on the tube with the other end still connected to the dizzy and with the dizzy cap off see if the baseplate moves this will tell you if the advance and retard mechanisim is working or not  ,,,its not something that would bother me at this point.in time.... more important to sort the spark,s out ..

Just my 2p again ........I bought exactly the same thing from them. The guy did ask me specifically which distributor I had. I thought the kit fitted all the range,but apparently not for some reason (cant remember what he said about this). P'raps you have the wrong model? If you dont sort it,maybe worth a call to them on Monday?
 Fifer is asking about the sucking,as if it works(plate moves),then the post underneath is connected,if it doesnt move,then post isnt engaged.Its easy to think it is 'home',I did this when I trial fitted everything .Although as spanners said,I cant really see how this would matter at this basic stage of fault finding?

this is a pic of the clip holder on the roter catching the spark plug cap. found out sparking was down to a bad earth

Cool! :) glad you found the problem,was that a bad earth on the base plate inside the body?Hmmmm...so thats the rear clip hitting no2 plug? I had a look through my plug top covers in my bits boxes today. Some do seem to protrude more than others. I got mine from VWP ,they are rubber and form a good seal round the top of the plug to stop water getting in.I made the leads up and crimped and fitted the brass connector inside each one. I mustve been lucky choosing those caps then!I think I even had to carve a bit off one of mine to clear. so...could you re time it and move the body round one place on the cap,then move all the leads round to suit?

i could if i knew how the hell to do that. iv always had bikes and cars with electronic ignition. this is the 1st time iv ever had to play about with pionts, dissies, roter bodies. i know its a great learning curve but im bloody lost here or i could just take the body in2 work and skim the corner off the clip holder thats hitting the plug. i had no idea that i would have to move the body so far around. plug and play my arse

have you got a photo of the side of the engine showing the full distributor and plug leads

will sort on out

and fifer i told my misses im off to the garage to suck my vacuum capsule. she said i was sick and should see the doc  ;D

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I have been pondering as to why some folk have difficulty with the distributor cap boss touching the number 2 cylinder HT lead due to having to turn the distributor too far round .
I think I have found a possible cause and a possible couple of solutions which I hope to post tomorrow .
.
.

set timing up to tdc.loosen clamp turn distributor anti clockwise one cylinder 45 degrees. move leads clockwise one cylinder to there original position. check timing.

I have found part of the problem as to why the distributor has to be turned round too far and it is caused by the vacuum arm . I will post a pictorial later on today  :)
.
.

cool. ta mate

have you got that photo yet

Had the whole article ready and was posting it on this post when it told me I had exceeded my 128kb limit .
Will get it posted up here but I have added the extra info to my website and you can view it just now at

https://sites.google.com/site/fifersrelianthintsandtips/electronic-conversions/how-to-fit-a-simonbbc-electronic-kit
.
Addition is near the bottom of the page under heading
POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR HAVING TO BE ROTATED TOO FAR CLOCKWISE AND THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP CLIP BOSS BUTTING AGAINST THE NUMBER 2 PLUG LEAD
.
.

Going to attempt to get article up as a 3 part post .

PART 1 of 3

POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR HAVING TO BE ROTATED TOO FAR CLOCKWISE AND THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP CLIP BOSS BUTTING AGAINST THE NUMBER 2 PLUG LEAD

I have been pondering as to why some folk have difficulty with the distributor cap boss touching the number 2 cylinder HT lead due to having to turn the distributor too far round .

I took a few photos of the distributor , set up correctly in position , and noted the position of the peg which locates in the vacuum capsule rod hole  .

It is approx half way on the distributor cap clip boss when the vacuum capsule is correctly located in the peg .

DISTRIBUTOR SHOWING POINTS ABOUT TO OPEN WITH THE PEG IN THE CORRECT PLACE AND ROTOR ARM POINTING AT NUMBER ONE CYLINDER

Click on image to enlarge  

(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_Distributorshowingpointsabouttoopenwiththepeginthecorrectplace-1.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=Distributorshowingpointsabouttoopenwiththepeginthecorrectplace-1.jpg)

Same position on the distributor but with the rotor arm removed to enable the cam position to be observed

DISTRIBUTOR SHOWING POINTS ABOUT TO OPEN WITH THE PEG IN THE CORRECT PLACE AND THE CAM POINTING AT NUMBER ONE CYLINDER .

Click on image to enlarge  

(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_Distributorshowingpointsabouttoopenwiththepeginthecorrectplacewithoutrotorarm-1.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=Distributorshowingpointsabouttoopenwiththepeginthecorrectplacewithoutrotorarm-1.jpg)
.
.
.

PART 2 of 3

Pic of the vacuum capsule lever showing the hole where the movable points peg sits in .

Click on image to enlarge

(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_1DISTRIBUTORPOINTSBASEPLATEBOTTOMVIEWSHOWINGTHEVACUUMLEVERARM.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=1DISTRIBUTORPOINTSBASEPLATEBOTTOMVIEWSHOWINGTHEVACUUMLEVERARM.jpg)

Pic of the moveable points plate showing the peg which slots into the vacuum capsule lever hole .

Click on image to enlarge

(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_DISTRIBUTORPOINTSBASEPLATEBOTTOMVIEWSHOWINGTHEVACUUMLEVERARM.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=DISTRIBUTORPOINTSBASEPLATEBOTTOMVIEWSHOWINGTHEVACUUMLEVERARM.jpg)

.
.

PART 3 of 3

I then removed the vacuum capsule and disengaged the rod from the peg .

I re-fitted the vacuum capsule just by pushing in and tightened the two retaining screws .

I took more photos and the change in the position of the peg which locates in the vacuum capsule rod hole was obvious .


Click on image to enlarge

(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_Distributorshowingpointsabouttoopenwiththepeginthewrongplace2-1.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=Distributorshowingpointsabouttoopenwiththepeginthewrongplace2-1.jpg)
.
It had moved further round in an anti- clockwise direction away from the high point of the cam .

The points heel was well away from the highest point on the cam

Since the cam is stationary when you are doing a static time of the engine you have to turn the distributor body by hand in a clockwise direction to get the points nearer to the high point on the cam where the points will open .

This is why the distributor cap spring clip boss hits the number 2 cylinder .

SOLUTION ;
Engage the vacuum capsule rod in the points peg attached to the top plate.

If the rod is engaged correctly in the peg then might it be possible to slot the 2 holes in the electronic pick up thereby allowing you to move them nearer to the firing point ? .
.
.

I added the following info today 25 January 2012
https://sites.google.com/site/fifersrelianthintsandtips/electronic-conversions/how-to-fit-a-simonbbc-electronic-kit

ADDITIONAL NOTE 1 ;
I think the following modification suggested by R3W forum member " norfolkandchance "  is a worthwhile addition .


ADDITIONAL NOTE 2 ;
R3W forum member "Azzy" suggested doing the following




.

Question for Fifer.....Is it still possible to use the sliding type points ,even though I have cut the post off to fit the module? Also.. Is the coil that is compatible with the elec ign (new 12v) compatible with the points? Wondering cos I want to carry a set of points and a condensor as spares,and have found a sliding set in the garage !Otherwise I will order a set of early points that will fit without the post.

The early Red points unfortunately do not fit the Blue point baseplate . :(
I will upload piccies of baseplates for both types and point out why one does not fit the other
.
.

:(

The blue sliding points are much better at preventing wear than the Red points due to the fact that the smaller face can slide up and down over the other point face thereby reducing the time it takes for the mountain and the valley pitting to occur on the points faces .
If you fit the Blue points with the peg cut off then the points faces will not be central but will be at the bottom of the other fixed point face .
I have not run one that way before so I do not know how the points would perform .

Can you not just get hold of another blue point baseplate and that way you can have the points and condenser pre-mounted on the plate .
Only a matter of removing the two baseplate securing screws and dropping the points setup in

If only carried as a spare then the Red set will be perfectly adequate
I have a few spare Red points plates here and you are welcome to have one free .

Just PM me your address or even better e-mail me at fiferonmankymonkeymotors@gmail.com and I will post it down to you .
.
The coil will work perfectly well with points .
.
.
.

woo hoo trike is all up and running tho i think she is running a bit hot as there is a little steam coming out of the hole in the back of the engine block

what hole  :o

Great news Skates,was wondering how you were getting along with it! No need for me to come down now then?
 What hole ?? Core plug leak?

there is a small hole at the back of the engine on the block. i think its where the thermostat is

what on the l/hand side at the back. below the exhaust manifold.
that's the cylinder block cooling system drain hole. there should be a plug in there

right in the middle of the block just underneath the rocker cover

on the cylinder head

yep

on the back. of the head

Im confused guys! ;D

so am i  ???
is it this one.the small one in the middle
(http://i40.tinypic.com/fzbzgh.jpg)

From memeory,thats a sort of angled hole? I was wondering if he had a hole in the core plug!

yes its an plug for a oilway end.
and if theres steam or water coming from there. hes got real problems.

P'raps he thinks its coming from there,but its really coming from a dodgy core plug?

ok now im worried. wots a core plug?

if you look at terrys picture the round thing slightly below the hole i think is a core plug they tap in to the holes they occupy

core plugs a steel friction fit plate which fills a hole left from the casting process [i think]  used to pop out when the engine froze or start leaking when they rusted through from the inside out. easy to replace though. hardest part used to be access when engine was in car or it was one between engine and gearbox.  can anyone confirm?

yes Dobber there purely to protect the block from cracking in freezing conditions when antifreeze is not present in the coolant

this is a photo of a reliant cylinder head. as you can see i wrote on there to show you whats what
the small one is oil
the large one is water

(http://i41.tinypic.com/xp0jyu.jpg)

now you post a photo showing us where the problem is and you might get the correct info to sort it out

is the thermostat not at the front of the engine

,
,
,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  SKATE,S,,,, POST A PHOTO ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The thermostat as stated is at the front of the engine .
The core plug is round but is not flat to start with .
It is dished outwards { bulges outwards } and is a neat fit into the recess in the head .
The hole needs to be thoroughly cleaned out before attempting to insert the core plug .
When it is inserted into the hole in the head and hammered in the centre of the dished out part it spreads to touch the side and forces against it to seal .
The maximum sealing point would be when it was flat
Lots of folk go too far and hammer it too much thinking that the more they hammer it the tighter it will get . Unfortunately it has the reverse effect because the core plug becomes dished inwards with the result it pulls it away from the side .  :(
 
.
.

The early Red points unfortunately do not fit the Blue point baseplate . :(
I will upload piccies of baseplates for both types and point out why one does not fit the other
.
Click on pic to enlarge
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_DISTRIBUTORSHOWINGBLUEPOINTSFITTEDANDWHERETHEADJUSTERISLOCATED-1.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=DISTRIBUTORSHOWINGBLUEPOINTSFITTEDANDWHERETHEADJUSTERISLOCATED-1.jpg)
.
Click on pic to enlarge
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_DISTRIBUTORBLUEPOINTSSHOWIMGLOCATINGHOLEONTHEPOINTSPLATEpic1-1.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=DISTRIBUTORBLUEPOINTSSHOWIMGLOCATINGHOLEONTHEPOINTSPLATEpic1-1.jpg)
.
Click on pic to enlarge
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_DISTRIBUTORSHOWINGREDPOINTSFITTEDANDWHERETHEADJUSTERISLOCATED-1.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=DISTRIBUTORSHOWINGREDPOINTSFITTEDANDWHERETHEADJUSTERISLOCATED-1.jpg)
.
Click on pic to enlarge
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/th_DISTRIBUTORSHOWINGtheREDPOINTSREMOVEDANDTHEPEGONTHEPOINTSPLATE-1.jpg) (http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh543/fifermanky/DISTRIBUTOR%20STUFF/?action=view&current=DISTRIBUTORSHOWINGtheREDPOINTSREMOVEDANDTHEPEGONTHEPOINTSPLATE-1.jpg)
.
The Blue points have a locating peg on the back of the points which sits in a hole in the base plate and the adjusting peg is down at the bottom of the points .
The Red points have a locating peg on base plate and the points pivot is hollow and fits over that peg
The adjusting peg is down at the top of the points .

.

sorry guys was out at a party last nite. will post up a pic today

had you been drinking when you posted? ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
 

iv had a look and it seems its coming from the core plug

give this guy a call for a new plug

http://carwisespares.moonfruit.com/#/parts-on-offer-1/4518247643

are the difficult to do? ???

Nah , pull it out , clean hole out , fit new core plug , bash it with a hammer  ;D ;D ;D

.
.

cool. is it normal for the to leak. mine look bloody old

They are prone to rusting if not coated .
Depending on access on your trike it is easily replaced insitu .
Have a look at yours and see if it is bashed inwards rather than being flat { ish }
If it is still sticking out a little bit you might just be able to give it a gentle bash in the middle and if lucky it might seal  :)
To take the old one out there are a couple of old school methods .
Drain the coolant .
Make a wee hole in the centre then Bash a long very sturdy screwdriver through and lever off { taking care not to score the sides by putting the screwdriver through too far }.
Make a wee hole in the centre then insert a large self tapper screw and grip it with pliers and bash the pliers outwards with the hammer 
Most important part is making sure that the head casting where the plug sits into is thoroughly clean and has no score in the metal leading from the inside to the outside .
On refitting , a TINY amount of Blue sealant can be used around the head lip if required or a Bars seal pellet put in the water .
.
.
.

Mine blew on my first Reliant trike. Suddenly I was enveloped in steam & couldn't see where I was going!

Free Sauna  ;D ;D ;D
.
.
.

just fitted the kit going to try her see if she'l start im gonna position it just like this, ;D

rod i cud bloody kiss you , tied the choke up so i didnt have to hold it positioned my dizzy as your pic jump lead from bat to starter(got the cables but not doing it untill tomorrow) struck the starter with ye old screwdriver and fired up within 2 seconds sound beautyful ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 :-* :-* :-* :-* glad it worked mate!

it must be where the dizzy needs to be set to its far to covenient for me to look at your pic and mine start first turn, i even gave her a little tickle and she happily reved without a cough or splutter, i havent had her run properly like that since i brought the car last feb with blown head and i wasnt expecting it to be so responsive and rev so freely. going to get the thermo to rad water pipe in the morning so i can run it up for a bit,then my daughter can have her fuel tank back for her mini quad ;D it was just to handy to hook on the bars.   hows you engine coming along rod,i dont mean to rub salt in the wound as so to speak  :-\

Congratulations!

Engine done,picking up tomorrow! 8)

Then congratulations to you too!

Brilliant news , Rod  :)
.
.