Right... update... based on you advice above.
checked the points (broke the clip that holds the cylinder in place 
- slightly over tightened it - bolt snapped -have now wedge the cylinder in place at the right distance 20)... how angry did I get?....
Cleaned the carb and tank (there was some muck in that).
The diaphragm seems to be made from thick paper / carboard and that would not come off cleanly - so had to leave in place.but cleaned everything else around it.
put it all together and with the use of easy start can get it to fire up for a couple of seconds, then it dies...
Around the bottom of the carb where it meets the petrol tank - the diaphragm seems to be disintegrating... where is the best place to get a replacement.
Also on a similar note - I am not able to find the engine number 
- there is no panel with the engine numbers - only the Wolseley numbers mention in my first post - any advice to where it could be?
Now I need your masters experience and advice to advise on the next steps (please don't say "take it to someone who knows what they are doing!") to get to it run continually.
Cheers
aardvark.
Not familiar with this exact engine, but am fairly au fait with small engines in general - not too sure what you mean re: the clip that holds the cylinder so can't help there.
The diaphragms you refer to are in fact gaskets, as Gwiz suggests. When separating components you need to be aware of gaskets & keep them intact if at all possible in order to form airtight seals on reassembly, but if they do get damaged there's a few options - if it's only a small split or tear you might get away with it as long as you position it very carefully before doing it up. Otherwise (and assuming you can't easily locate a replacement) cut a new one from thin card (cereal packet?) or similar, thickness would not normally be critical, so long as it forms an air / liquid tight seal. Make sure you clean up both metal faces first, though - use a stanley knife blade or similar to CAREFULLY remove all traces of the old gasket / dirt etc & give a smooth clean surface, but be careful not to score the metal. You could also WITH CARE use a bit of very fine wet'n'dry to clean up the face, but no more than absolutely necessary & be sure not to start removing the metal! Or you could buy a tube of gasket cement (non setting, preferably) from a car accessory shop & apply a thin, even layer to one of the two metal faces before assembly. Can get a bit messy, though, best to stick with dry gasket material.
The good news is, it fires (albeit with quick start) and runs for a few seconds. At least that means theres nothing fundamentally wrong with it. All you need is fuel, air, and a spark. Clearly you've got all of these, just maybe not happening all together and in the right proportion. But its a start!
Air - unlikely to be a major problem, but check that the air filter (box or canister on the inlet to the carburettor) is not blocked. The element inside it may require cleaning (if a wire mesh type, swill out with petrol) or replacement (paper types). But for the sake of getting the engine running for now, just take it off temporarily. Secondly, the choke - usually a manually operated butterfly type valve on the inlet to the carburettor to control the airflow. In cold, damp conditions, you'll need to close the choke by a certain amount (trial & error) to give a richer mixture (more fuel / less air) to the engine until it warms up. If you don't use the choke, or even if you over-choke it, the engine won't run properly & after several starting attempts you will have 'flooded' the engine with fuel. You'll then have to leave it half an hour or so to allow the excess fuel to evaporate before trying again.
Fuel - as Gwiz says, check there's no muck anywhere in the fuel system. You say you've cleaned tank and carb, check the pipes as well, and then double / triple check the carburettor. For 'muck', read water as well. Water doesn't mix with fuel and even a small drop in the carburettor will prevent the engine from running. If it's a float type carb, check the float (careful - very delicate) is not damaged, moves / pivots freely, and theres absolutely no muck in the float bowl or particularly in the very fine jets - my guess is this is where your problems will be. Blow these out until you can clearly see through them.
Also, make sure you have sufficient fuel in the tank and eliminate any air bubbles from the feed line (you may have a primer button or lever to do this) to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fuel to the carburettor when you start it up. You may also need to apply some throttle when you start it.
Spark - although you clearly have one, the strength of spark or the timing may be an issue. Pay particular attention to the condition of the plug & the gap setting, same with the points, and the condition of the HT lead / cap and its connection to the top of the plug. If timing is an issue you'll probably need a bit more detailed advice, but my guess is, if it runs for a few seconds on starting, there's probably not much wrong with the timing, so lets not worry about that yet.
Hopefully at least some of the above will help you, let us know how you get on, and Good Luck!
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May 10, 2023, 08:42
