poor running

[rogermunns]

Getting down now to sorting out the poor running on my 1983 845cc TL.

Have only driven it for 25km. I've renewed the condenser, new spark leads. Distributor cap looks clean and fairly new. Haven't changed plugs. Am fairly sure I've got the leads on the correct plugs, but after a red wine at lunch, ??

I'm fairly sure it needs some tinkering on the fuel side of things. Exhaust is black. Starting from cold is a game of choke in-out-in-out with throttle jiggling. Fires up, doesn't know if it wants throttle or choke or both..................

Eventually can get it to run with no choke, but no power.

Car has stood for some time before I bought it, with hardly any fuel in it. I'll try putting in some new but I don't really think that's the problem. In the past I've started cars (not Renaults) that hadn't run for 20 years and they've been ok-ish on the fuel remaining in the tank.

 

[Andy Sherlock]

Check the points and plugs while you're messing with it. Ignition problem can be mistaken for fuel, well it did for a while on mine anyway.
If there was unleaded in it when it stood, then the petrol may have turned to jelly in the carb, so it may need blasting through with some cleaner.
Exhaust may be black simply from running on choke and not having a good run in a while.
I'm not saying these are your problems, just maybe.

 

[rogermunns]

Andy, you were right. Turning distributor anticlockwise (not sure if that's advancing or retarding) has improved things enormously.
Everything in {{Ducellier}} distributor is as new. Beautiful condition.

Only thing I'm a little concerned with is that the dizzy is now pushing on the #2 cylinder lead. Do you think diz. should be removed and replaced one 'tooth' away from where it is now?

BTW I saw another post regarding how the points seem offset. Mine are too, this is normal, offset reduces as vacuum advance comes in.

 

[malcolm]

If the vacuum advance is up against the end of a spark plug it the dizzy is 90 degrees out. Try turning it by exactly 90 degrees so the points operate on the previous cam. Leads would also need to be moved 90 degrees (in the opposite direction) so the same lead lines up with the rotor arm (which doesn't move).

Well worth checking the points gap (0.4mm is a good starting point) and getting hold of a timing light as getting the timing correct is very important. You'll probably find the previous owner has messed around with the carb to try to fix the running problems - but don't work on that until the timing is right.

Does your vacuum advance work?

 

[Andy Sherlock]

Pardon my ignorance, what is a 'dizzy'?
My car has Femsa ignition and I'm not sure that it's the same as the Ducellier ignition.
My only (limited) experience is with the Femsa ignition, So Malcolm is probably the man from here on.
Regards

 

[malcolm]

Sorry, that's slang. Dizzy is a distributor. I know nothing about Ducellier distributors either, but there's not a lot of difference in the way they work.

 

[rogermunns]

Malcolm, thanks for the suggestion regarding turning the distributor 90degrees. But I'm a little confused just how to do this and also the remark about the leads. Can you please rephrase?

 

[rogermunns]

Malcolm, can you go through again how to turn the dizzy 90degrees and replace the plug leads afterwards?