Trike running problems

[mickeyboy]

Hi Guys, found you all at last, I've been building a reliant trike (1st ever build) for a couple of years getting ideas from your trikes I'd seen at Shepton Mallet shows. Its now finished and passed its MOT but I'm having a lot of probs getting it to run, its got no pull at all above 2nd gear, and to be honest the more I read up on different sites the worse it looks. Its got a standard 850 set up, SU etc, I've changed all the obvious electrics plugs points leads etc, but it feels like a fuel starvation problem, it hasn't got a fuel pump just gravity from the Harley tank, its also got a SU pancake same as the flapster, but there's nothing in it. I've been told to scrap the SU and fit a weber but I like the SU and I can see from yours that they do work. got a day off on friday and I've got a pump to fit, can anyone offer anything else I can try.
P.s this site is brilliant so much info for the numbnuts firsttimer like myself.

[davesatan]

i run gravity with no problems
fuel cap breather blocked maybe ?

[mickeyboy]

Hi Davesatan, thanks, I know the gravity feed should work, but it feels like its not getting enough fuel, the tank has a vent pipe which I've checked, I have'nt tried setting up the float yet so I'll do that too, just a process of elimination, a guy at Dr B's show last sunday suggested checking compression cause it could be a damaged valve.
Cheers
Mick.

[toad]

it could be a number of faults? reliant changed alot of settings throughout the range in a very short period of time! this catches alot of people out. if your using a haynes manual?. if ya pm me ya phone no. with your engine no i can give you the correct settings. it is possible you,ve burnt a valve if its an early motor as they wer,nt designed to run on unleaded without altering the timing and valve clearance,s speak soon toad!

[mickeyboy]

Hi Toad, cheers for the reply, the engine no.is:- 6L/8539079, it was registered on 1/8/77. Gutted if its the reason, the guy we brought it off never mentioned the fuel, so we took it as read that it was unleaded.
My mobile is 07990817758, off to the vets with the mutt in a min but I'll be around from half 12 onwards.
Thanks again. Mick

[Manky Monkey]

Hi Mickey 
We've always kept the original fuel pumps on ours, but Triker Pete used to run his Reliant with gravity feed. Said it was fine on level ground with a full tank, but used to struggle when the tank started to empty or uphill.

[mickeyboy]

Hi M/M thanks for your help, I've been looking at your trikes at the shows and in the mags, and had taken a lot of photo's of the setups, I always wondered if the lack of pump would be a problem, I've just brought a new one from reliant world after buying one off fleabay, polishing it and then finding it was for a 750 (Doh!) I am worried about the point Toad has brought up, its only done about 50 - 100 miles since the build so if it can't be run on unleaded, hopefully the damage won't be too severe!
I'm going to spend the day on it tomorrow, and hopefully a compression test will reveal all.
It does run ok in first and second but as you get speed up it just runs out of steam, and no matter how far you open the throttle all you get is induction roar and no go, its also got dirty great slotmags and I know I've probably mucked up the gearing but it just wont rev.
Great site, and I really appreciate the help.
Cheers
Mick.

[Manky Monkey]

Flap's running big ol' Wolfies on his. 14" with 60 profile tyres I think. My own one ran 15" with 50 profile last time I had it on the road & will again this time. Overall diameter's about 24", which gives us very quick acceleration, (they outrun my 1800 Fiesta & Tazet's 3 litre BMW stuggles to keep up), with a comfortable motorway cruising speed of around 75mph. They'll go 0 to 70 ish pretty damn quickly then level off & will gradually wind themselves up to a top speed of something like 90 if you push 'em hard. 3 usable gears with 4th as a sort of motorway overdrive.
We use an AAU needle in the carb & start off with the needle seat screw, (the big one in the bottom of the carb), wound out 2 full revolutions, then fine tune it from there. I took my green 'un to Tom Airey, an engine tuner from Cheriton near Winchester, who sorted it for me. Cost 100 quid but money well spent. He advanced the timing by 5 - 10 degrees, filed a little off the centre of the needle to improve the mid range, fitted one grade hotter plugs & removed the distributor vacuum pipe & blocked it off. Only small changes but they made a huge difference. It went into his workshop struggling to pull 12 bhp at the rear wheels & came out half an hour later with 28. Top speed went from 60 to 90.
Lots of respect to Mr Toad, (he knows his stuff alright), but our engines have all been cobbled together from all kinds of different parts & all run quite happily on unleaded. I'm no mechanic but I'd suggest checking your timing.
Michaels of Selby, (Yorkshire), sell an all purpose mechanical pump that fits all the models. Their link's in the Links for Commercial Purposes bit of the forum.
Oh, & thanks for the compliments by the way!   

[mickeyboy]

Hi Guys, ok where do I start? spent the day on the trike yesterday, first job compression test, all four readings were 14Bar give or take a point, so good news there! fitted fuel pump and inline filter (nice chrome and glass one off fleabay), plumbed her up, no change to engines performance.
did as you said Manky/M, wound in main carb jet although it was set up to the pin method it was running bloody rich, it was actually about 6-7 full turns out, wound it out 2 turns but it wouldn't start, turned it out 1 flat at a time until she fired, then one flat at a time until the throttle responce was nice and crisp, in all its now about 4 turns out. At this stage it was popping through the carb on being revved now and then. I then advanced the ignition by a few degrees at a time untill the engine revs picked up and it seemed to sound much smoother, plus no more backfiring throught the carb., re-set the tick over and took it for a short test, she took off really well from a standing start, something she's always struggled to do without bogging and a lot of slipping the clutch, all in all she seems much better, going for a proper test later today on the big open road, will keep you posted.
Thanks  for all your help and input.
Cheers Mick.

[Manky Monkey]

Sounding hopeful then Mickey. 
There's so many variables from one trike to the next it's tough to give definitive settings but sounds like you're on the right track. Just keep plugging away at it. Bound to take a while to get it spot on but they're a lovely little engine once they're set up right. 

[mickeyboy]

Hi guys, just to let you know after following your advice I managed to take the trike out for a 25-30 mile test ride Sunday afternoon, she ran great, still needs a little fettlin but is much more rideable, was having a great time until the skies opened and I had to ride home in a torrential thunder storm, I didn't know a t-shirt could hold so much water 
P.s thanks for the phone call Toad, you ARE the man.
Cheers
Mick

[Manky Monkey]

Ahh, the joys of the open road!
So what settings have you got it on now?

[toad]

nice one matey glad to be able to help ya out! 

[mickeyboy]

Hi M/M, Toad talked me through the black art of setting the timing and points gap, I know the carb needs a new jet and needle as it runs a bit rich, I'll sort that soon.
It's much more drivable, its never goin to be a rocket ship as I fitted similar cobra slot mags that you were looking at, they're huge! I've slaughtered the gearing, so it tails off in third, but it looks great, and who wants to go fast on a hard tail 

[andbolt0]

hi mickeyboy iam new to the trike scene i run a reliant  mine was not up to much speed wise i fitted afuel  pump  got rid of the flat air fillter for a kn style   slight improvement  adjusted distridutor and i got a vast improvement just point that may be of help  i spoke to someone at farmyard rally who was runing alandrover carb on a reliant engined trike he said it ran fine after rejetting best of luck andy