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Running like a dream to rough then stopped all in 24 rs.Sorted. it was the Spark Plugs

Sprackers

Sprackers

Enthusiast
Messages
353
Location
Tunbridge Wells England
Evenning Chaps

This is a bit long but bear with me as I am trying to give all the facts in one go.

Everything has been fine with Cristine (Stephen King) upuntil yesterday.

for 12 months running fine better than fine actually.

Yesterday went to start her after a chilly night night and she coughed a bit and spluttered. Managed to get 2km down the road, spluttering got worse, turned back for home, she went like a 3 legged donkey to a 2 legged donkey to a 1 legged donkey.

Got home

Symptoms:

Starts 1st time
After 2 minutes starts to run rough then rougher after another minute.
Noticed very black around end of exhaust pipe
Noticed a bit of stuff (liquid Petrol? perhaps) coming out of exhaust pipe

What I have checked:

Fuel pump fine
Fuel into carb fine
Fuel filter under carb - Looks ok
Battery new
Coil new
Leads new
Sparkplugs new
points new


Sprayed carb cleaner into air intake

Car wont start now.

WHAT I NOTICED:

When I took off the air filter (a bit dirty) an looked into the air intake, the little metal flap was a bit stiff.

Should that not flip back and forth easily?

When I started it up with the bonnet open I noticed what looked like a puff of smoke coming out of the air filter nozzle. Any relevance?

I cant believe its the airfilter.....just all of a sudden like that.

Anyway any help much appreciated.

Cheers

Sprackers

ps. like the updates to the websitet but woold love spell chek
 
You can get spell check as an add on to your browser. If you have Firefox search "firefox spell checker" and avoid the google ad at the top.

Points have closed up surely. Check the points gap first. The little metal flap is the choke. It should be open once you have pushed the choke lever back in when the car is warm. It will be stiff as it is connected to a long cable. If the choke is closed when the engine is warm it will probably be the problem.

Puff of smoke - Check the points gap again or the ignition timing.
 
Make sure the warm air pipe is in the right place, Possible fuel freezing up if not,
 
Don't worry about your black exhaust, its probably been like that for a while, your mixture is probably a bit rich. The liquid coming out is just condensation and not petrol.
What carb have you got? it might have a filter that you could clean.
To rule out the air filter, take it off and try to start
But, as Malcolm suggests, sounds like points
 
I always put the hairdryer on the air filter pipe for around five minutes in cold weather, then the little R4 fires up first time with the choke full out.
 
I took off the distributor and replaced points with another set I had. Not new but I had sanded down the contact points so they are nice and shiney.

Replaced and got her started by twisitng the dizzy whilst a passer-by turned the ignition key. You definatley need help with that bit.

Still not running quite right but at least got her started.

The puff of smoke is actually coming out of a small hole in the exhaust pipe where it slots into the next bit of exhaust pipe (the joint) inside the engine bay, just before it dissapears into the wheel bay.

Would this tiny hole and the escape of exhaust gasses affect the running at all?

Any thoughts chaps?
 
Hi Sprackers, at the exhaust pipe join, the inner pipe is slotted, so perhaps thats the hole that you see. A quick fix is to push the slotted pipe in deeper so that the slot is adequately covered by the second pipe. If it really is a hole then fix it with Gun Gum.

A little hole won't affect the running of the car, but it probably makes the engine sound a bit rougher.

Now that you twisted the distributor, you'll have to re-do the timing
 
Hi Mojaby

The hole in the exhaust is exactly what you said it is. Its a quick fix with some exhaust paste.

I am confused with what you said about the re-timing.

Surely I have done the timing by twising the dizzy to get it started?

I have done it before. Maybe you can advise.

I turn the flywheel so the notch is at TDC. Make a note of where the rotor arm is. re-place the dizzy making sure Nº1 cable is roughly where the rotor arm is under the dizzy.

Then get a mate to turn it over and slowely twist the dizzy head back and forth in that area until she fires up.

Then tighten the the bolt and clamp (under the distributor)that keeps itall in place.

Thats what I did.

Should I do something else?

Cheers

Sprackers
 
Hi Sprackers, I'm just saying that its easier to start your car if the timing is more advanced but that doesn't mean that it will necessarily run smoothly at higher revs. If it's now running well, then that's fine. If you find "missing" or shuddering at higher revs then re-do the timing.

Your points gap should be 0,4mm at their widest.
I always set the notch on the flywheel slightly before TDC and at this setting, the points should just be opening. With your ignition turned on, the points make a spark when they open
 
I havent taken it for a run yet but will do this afternoon.

"Shuddering" is an excellent desriptive word of the occurance.

Will report later
 
Didnt start.

Just ordered some new points and a new condenser.
 
Just a tip of the hat to Mr Billythefish's hairdryer tip. Especially as I haven't enough hair to warrant any other use for the device.
 
Hi Breton

the car doesnt start so a timing light at this point wouldnt help it right?

Cheers

Phil
 
But once you have got it started then use the timing light to set the timing.

You don't set the timing by starting the car. You should never even have to touch the distributor once it is set.

Are there any tutorials on here that goes through the step by step procedure for a setting the timing on a 4L ???? Anyone....
 
I have had loads of problems with this and this is what I have read and done:

Step one:

I put the car in 1st gear and then open the Bonnet and stick my head down in the engine bay so I can see the little window in the bell housing. I then rock the car back and forth and I see the flywheel rotate in the window of the bell housing until I see the little notch. I stop and rock the car back and forth until I get the little notch in the fly wheel to sit in the middle notch of three on the bell housing exterior.

With me so far?

Not I turn my attention to the distributor.

With the distributor cap removed you should see the rotor arm pointed toward you. I assume you are leaning over the engine bay from the off side (French car)

Now I loosen the nut of the distributor, located below the distributor, it has a little clamp on it.

Now you should be able to twist the whole distributor clockwise and anticlockwise.

Right

Seeing where the rotor arm is replace the the distributor head so that the Number 1 cable contact is roughly where the rotor arm is pointing.

Get into the car and turn the ignition on.

Go back to the distributor replace the head with the little metal clamps on the side and twist it slowly around where No1 cable contact and the end of the rotor arm is.

You will hear a click. That is a spark. Stop and tighten up the distributor with the nut at the bottom of the distributor (It’s a number 11 spanner)

Get back in the car and start your engine.

If that works you are luckier than me because mine doesn’t start.

I then spent 2 hours moving the distributor ever so slightly advanced (anti-clockwise) and the other way to try to get Cristine to fire up.

Nothing....but close mind you.

I then put the notch in the flywhell to positions to the left and right of the centre notch and repeated the same proceedure with the distibutor.

Same result close but no cigar.

Next step:

?
 
Sprackers, after you have confirmed that the rotor is pointing towards the No 1 lead on the distributor cap, rather leave the rotor and the cap off the distributor so that you can see what you're doing.

I think the part of the points that touch the centre spindle is called the heel.

I suppose I don't have to tell you that the centre spindle turns clockwise.

If you can imagine that your distributor is a clock face and the 4 lugs on the spindle are 12, 3, 6, and 9. Then the heel of your points should be on 2, or just before the lug on the spindle, when the points start to open. And that is when you can see and hear the spark.
When the heel of the points is on 3, the points gap will be at its widest and thats when you need to ensure that your gap is 0,4mm. Don't guess, you need a feeler gauge!

Remember that you can also get a spark when the heel has passed to the other side of the lug, in position 4, when the points are actually closing.

Also, what fuel do you put in your car? Do you have a lead additive?
 
We once had a huge long running refusal to start episode. I've no evidence that the following suggestion is relevant to this case save that we appeared to have covered all options and suddenly there it was. It only takes a couple of minutes to check....

Here is a snap of the distributor drive shaft key that broke - pop the distributor out and take a peek.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daviddb/3012961951/in/set-72157600040811005


Good luck

toodlepip!
 
Hi Mojobaby

Yup bought feeler guage and measured the gap or the points, at its widest at .4mm

I did take off the rotor arm and dust cover and dizzy head off the other day to have a look iside as the engine was turned over. I could see a spark. and the centre spindel went round.

I try not to put in SP E95 petrol with 10% ether in.....is that what you are asking.

David I have taken out the dizzy completely and had a look at the bottom and both little teeth are on it, in any case when I had the dizzy cap off and the engine was turned over I could see the rotor arm going round so must be ok.

Is there anything else I could check?
 
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