A 1980 Dolly 1300, 60k on the clock, original paint (polished through in places), been laid up for the last 1.5 years. Also not mine. Sad.
A fella on the TDC forum was asking for advice as his car wouldn't start, he's in Glasgow and I have form for fucking about with Triumph OHVs that are reluctant to start so I offered assistance.
Whipped out a plug and confirmed we had spark, then attached my hand pumped fuel primer thing and dragged some petrol up to the pump. With enough cranking the pump eventually managed to get some fuel up to the carb, the dashpot was empty so I topped it up with 20w50 to stop the piston getting stuck, and she fired up no bother.
The fuel had drained back to the tank/evaporated out of the float bowl and the mechanical pump takes an age to drag fuel up from the tank if it's pumping air. In my experience the battery will usually die before fuel arrives at the carb. Once started she ran a bit lumpy for a bit and wouldn't idle off choke at all. So I booted the throttle a couple of times and once a load of crap had been ejected from the exhaust a nice smooth idle came into being.
The fella who owns it can't actually drive, being partially sighted and having had a stroke, so his wife drives him around in it. Doing 100-200 miles a year around Glasgow I imagine it was pretty clogged up!
