i've done everything i can think of.

Timing is 100% spot on, got spark, got fuel cos it stinks she just won't start. Checked all the earths and even used a jump lead to improvise an earth in random places across the engine.
The only thing i can't check is the compression, although the head has only been bolted down 48 hours so it should be alright. Changed the dizzy today thinking it might have been the condenser unit but still nowt. Confused and gettin quite annoyed with it to be honest.

Wanted to take the heap to pf night tonight, but i guess i'll be hovering over the engine bay till it gets dark again tonight looking for whatever is causing the problem !

Also.. is the Mfi cam different to a Carb cam ? i ask because the replacement cam i got is from an MFI head and wondered if that'd make any difference.

Engine is a 1.6 Carb cvh.

 

I'm by no means sure but think on these the cam/dizzy can go in 180 degrees out, ie the slot is not offset, that could be the problem.
tabetha

 

Tab's may be right, if all its doin is turning over then it can only be the timming.. take a lok at the dizzy. there should be a indent which lines up with the head to set the timming.

I pressume the car was running pre cam change?

 

i had to change the bottom end as the holes for the sump bolts were all fucked in my old block, i changed the bottom end (for an mfi one) and the cam at the same time whilst the engine was in bits. i drove the car into the drive, it was all put back together with fresh gaskets / seals / oil / filters within 48 hours and now the bloody thing don't work !

Tabby, when i changed the dizzy on it earlier, i set the cam to tdc, then set the rotor arm to #1 inside the cap. The only way the timing can be wrong is if the Haynes book of bullshit lied again - it's set to 1342, which is what haynes says it should be. (section 4 of the orion haynes)

 

we just tow started it and my god does it run like a bag of sh.t. Sounds like the timing is miles out, but it isn't, so loosened the dizzy to adjust that end and it got progressively louder, but didn't run better

Gonna let it cool down, then throw the old cam back in to see if the longer duration of the mfi cam really does make a difference. If she runs fine with the old cam back in, i might just phone newmans..

Also, she keeps backfiring and making a rather random squeek'ish noise, sounds like it's coming from the carb ? never heard it before so no idea where to look, or what to wack

 

Cams are different profile, but not radacally. I had an MFI cam in my old Mk2 xr2 (was just a spare one had lying round) and did not notice any difference i nthe way it ran or idled. I woul dbe checking your cam timing because the belt may have jumped, then re check ignition timing and get a strobe light on it to be sure. If you wanna find TDC of number one take plug out and pop a plactic drinking straw down the plug hole and turn engine - piston will move straw up and down to indicate tdc of the bottom end.

 

Already done that with a screwdriver rather than a straw

Gonna go throw the old cam back in it in a mo and see if it makes any difference.

 

will the carbed cam have the fuel pump running on it?, will an mfi cam drive the fuel pump

 

well i actually drove it under it's own lack of steam, so the fuel pump is obviously being triggered by the mfi cam it just seems completely erm.. fucked, basicly.