A was for Austin, but now B is for Bedford

Still not running, but getting very close . . .
Today's set back was discovering that the new head gasket was not exactly the same as the original one . . .

Basically I couldn't be bothered sending it back and having it sorted . . . so added some holes, elongated two, and improved clearance in two other places. Should work okay? Obviously there are even more differences in the various Bedford 214s than first evident???
For every negative there is a positive: Even though I have always lifted heads on by myself previously, I do understand my advancing age and abilities, so, not wanting to strain myself, I used my engine crane to lift the head (with inlet and exhaust still connected). So easy! Why haven't I done it this way before now? With it slung so that it would come down evenly on the block I was able to align everything and ensure all head bolts were in place with the head still about 10mm clear of the head gasket (hoooeee metric measurement even!?).

Despite some oil line issues I finished the day with the engine all but ready to have a go at starting tomorrow. Simply need to clean the plugs, check the dissy, and connect an instant ignition lead. Fingers crossed all should be well tomorrow.
Funny how things change with time . . . years ago I would have been gungho until I had tried it, but nowadays I think, What's the hurry? It can wait, there is no rush!

The radiator in metric speak is 450mm x 600mm and the head clearance is 3/8" not 10mm. These are rough calculations. I get to work in both metric and imperial but do prefer metric.

It's okay cobbadog, I work in both too, but when I served my apprenticeship it was all imperial measurements, changing to metric later was a challenge, but not insurmountable. I only stir people with measurements, sometimes using both - a bit like spanners hanging on the wall in my garage . . .

. . . some absent on jobs elsewhere but with a rough sort of alignment between whitworth, AF and metric spanners which makes looking for similar sizes more convenient (when you can't quite find the right size to fit an awkward nut or bolt).
Just pity my archaic view of things, and please understand I am not as dimwitted as I might sound at times. Probably worse!? :lol: :silly: :blush:

I''m a committed Metric person.

Brought up Imperial but swapped in the 80's when I had my last Holden.

Gave away all my Whitworth spanners to a guy with an old Rolls Royce. At least they were being used unlike my Imperial spanners that live in the bottom drawer of my tool chest and haven't seen the light of day foe 10 or more years.

Try doing that with an English vehicle Zuffen - it would be a lost cause in my garage :oops:

AND now for the bad news: The engine shows virtually no sign of kicking into life, other than a tiny amount of exhaust, but not even a half hearted choof of effort. Initial tries were followed by all the usual procedures, finally dragging out the compression gauge - 60 psi in cylinders 1-4 and 30 psi in cylinders 5 and 6. I know they are only low compression, but surely they need more than this? Disappointed is an understatement. Consequently no video to show it running. :sick:
Dead in the water!

WOW, 30psi is less than my lawn mower and not enough. You would think that with 60psi in the other 4 that they would kick into life and carry the other 2.
With my spanners, I mainly use combination spanners a lot and I out the metric ones facing one way and the imperial facing the other.
Having a lot of Pommy stuff around here all my Whitworth stuff has a dedicated tool box for combination, ring and sockets. Can't believe a few years back I got tired of scrounging through tables at Rallies looking for half decent Whitworth tools. I started buy online and they all came from India and they have been a brilliant product to feel and use.

Squirt a bit of thick oil in each cylinder .....dry rings often dont have any compression.....also r likely any cylinder had rust in it has stuck rings ...which may free up if you can run the motor......Id also try some spray ,a lot actually.See if it will fire on spray ...or get a garden spray bottle /starch bottle full of petrol (lot safer than a jam tin), give the inlet a good wet with petrol......And maybe something for a fire if it happens.

Keep it up guys, encouragement needed right now, and was laughing after reading the two previous comments . . . not that I feel much like laughing at the moment. Hone and re-ring would fix it, but is it really worth that?

Last diagnosis for Sunday was I would try a liberal dose of oil down each bore (particularly 5 & 6) before hitting it in the guts again, and agree that once it fires it might tend to loosen things up a bit. However I spent Monday away from the engine and overdosed on Netflix instead. Designated survivor - great series, worth whiling away a few hours.

PS That jam tin has served me for more years than I can remember, easy to use and refill. I once sat on the front fender of a 1934 Vauxhall (not with that particular tin) and it was driven home about five miles, with a slop of petrol down the carby each time the fire went out - only backfired once or twice and somehow I'm still alive with 100% original working parts! :ohmy: :blink:

I can personally vouch for John K's method. I used to used 6 squirts from the oil can, but can oil the plugs sometimes. In any case, a few squirts, crank a few seconds, plugs back in and vrooom!
I have found so far that you won't have to repeat it, it'll go by itself next time.

Now don't do what I have done and get the distributor 180 degrees out!

Jarrod. We're all barracking for you!

Agree with the oil in cylinders method.
B & S mower motors difficult to start when worn
and been sitting a couple of weeks between uses.
Tip it up and pull the cord so oil reaches the piston,
then start right way up no worries.
Good luck, Paul.