Didn't achieve much today, but convinced myself the main problem is fuel supply......kept it running for several minutes until I got tired of squirting fuel into the air intake....idled quite smoothly so ignition system is probably ok-at idle at least.

Located the cold start valve, but spent most of the day finding the right tool to remove it..............picked up most of my mechanical skills on a '59 MGA , Triumph TR6 and Marine Sterndrives......they all had AF bolts etc.......... so Metric hex sockets had to be located.......a long 5mm one for the cold start valve was the hardest to find!!.....MB Engineering is going to be a whole new ballgame for me.......and I haven't even mentioned the Vacuum system yet!!!

I had an idea to short the thermo-time switch to be sure the cold start valve was activated.....it rarely gets below 15C(59F) in my garage in Bribane....... even in mid winter, so if it activates it woud be briefly and may be why it only runs for a few seconds (if the injectors are all blocked)........took me a while to pull the plug off the thermo-time switch......didn't want to break it.......eventually found the clip!!

Shorting the plug didn't seem to help it keep going, so I will have to get the mulimeter and wiring diagram out and check the valve is getting 12V when it is supposed too.......now I have the tools, tomorow I wil go ahead and remove the valve and see if it's squirting.

The idea of checking the plugs for wetness after a starting failure is my next step.......but I will disconnect the cold start valve and make sure it is not leaking, so the fuel could only come from the injectors.

While I was attacking the thermo-time switch I noticed the maze of vacuum tubes & connectors........the rubbers on the EGR valve had perished and would probaly have caused a vacuum leak....most of the other connections looked ok, but my manuals weren't very helpful when trying to sort it out

Can anyone give me any links to more info on the Emission & Vacuum system -our cars are probably set up similar to the California models

I would actually like to take the emissions stuff out of the equation if possible -I presume the EGR can be eliminated by pulling & plugging the two lines to it (unless it's stuck open)

I notice there is no belt on the air pump so I guess the air injection system is inoperative.......so it may already be running un-choked......we don't have any annual emmisions certificates as yet, but I'm sure they're not to far off for Australia

It looks like I am going to have to remove the Injectors eventually.......any tricks or things to watch out for?