27 replies to this topic

[sledgehammer]

Check the pumping pressure before replacing the pump - it was just a possibility

 

condenser is nice & cheap & easy to fit , may make a difference under load

 

have a look at the engine in the dark , you may see stray sparks

[gazza82]

There are some new condensers on the market that aren't up to it and once they start to warm up, fail.  Try and get once from a trusted source or a NOS ...

[Callummax]

I've had a very similar issue to this... A jet had disintegrated and was causing problems, but i guess when you stripped the carb you checked the jet?

 

C

[NoonanN92]

Healthy spark from all leads.
Good fuel flow.
Still reluctant to run.
Yes, jet is fine
Not sure what to do now.
I don't have a multimeter to test the coil. Believe the points etcetera are gapped correctly.

Edited by NoonanN92, 25 February 2016 - 09:11 PM.

[ChopperHarris]

So if the fuel is fresh and getting to the plugs? and you have a healthy spark then theres only one thing left...the spark is arriving at the wrong time. Assuming you have no compression issues. Could the timing have slipped since it first packed up? Is the Dizzy loose?
By reluctant to run, what do you mean exactly?

[NoonanN92]

Sorry for the patchy info. Thank you for replying.
I mean it usually starts up ok. Idles fine, then after a few moments it deteriorates and dies.
Sometimes it will run fine for minutes but will always eventually die.
Sometimes it runs rough and then dies like its misfiring.
Pushing the choke in seems to speed up its demise.
I will double check the timing.

[WimpyMiniMan]

Sorry for the patchy info. Thank you for replying.
I mean it usually starts up ok. Idles fine, then after a few moments it deteriorates and dies.
Sometimes it will run fine for minutes but will always eventually die.
Sometimes it runs rough and then dies like its misfiring.
Pushing the choke in seems to speed up its demise.
I will double check the timing.

It sounds like you may have a problem with the distributor - It could be that for some reason the spark plugs are getting less and less current from start up which would explain why it dies even after idling ok for a while. Although pushing in the choke seems to 'speed up its demise' this could be because as the spark from the plug becomes less powerful, a leaner fuel air mixture is harder to ignite, especially when the engine is cold and so the engine dies. If it idles ok the timing wouldn't cause it to suddenly die - if the timing was suspect it would idle rough consistently or not start. Since it sometimes idles ok and usually starts it is unlikely to be the cause of the problem. Since you have checked your carb and fuel supply we can rule these out. It could be a mixture problem however if you can start it and even then without moving the choke it still dies we can rule this out. I suspect that the vibrations of the engine are moving an electrical connection in the dizzy creating a bad connection which eventually becomes unable to transfer adequate current to create an acceptable size spark, failing to ignite the fuel air mixture leading to the engine dying. Also the rough idling sounding like misfiring could also be connected to a bad connection. Hope this helps.

 

Regards

George

[jameseddolls]

This sounds very similar to what happened to me.except i broke down on a really damp evening and it was cold. Breakdown people got it started and before the car conked out it struggled in 3rd gear and had to keep it in 2nd. But after he got it goimg about 5 minutes after driving it the car car was better and ran in 3rd and 4th

[NoonanN92]

Thank you very much guys for your help.

I'm starting to think its the condenser. And seeing as its a relatively cheap component to replace I've ordered this and will let you know the result. 

(Also ordered; new distributor cap, rotor arm and points - breaker points fine but a spare handy)
I've ordered a 'quality' condenser rather than the cheaper 'inferior' one according to minispares.

If this doesn't work, then I look forward to more head-scratching with you guys.

 

I've also tidied up some of the wiring that was frayed and in some cases very loose and cleaned up the connections. This didn't solve the problem but it can only help.

Also I was thinking could it be to do with the ballast ignition wiring, whereby once the car is running properly the voltage delivered to the coil is reduced hence delivering a reduced spark?
Seeing as the car will start perfectly for a few moments and then start to die. Then reluctant to start. Or should I think about this if replacing the condenser fails to work?

 

Regards and thanks again for all the advice.  

[gazza82]

Just change the condensor first .. if that doesn't work, try one in the other parts .. otherwise you will never know what caused it.

 

 

If you have a ballast wired car, have you got the right coil?

[sledgehammer]

temporarily run a 12v +ve , to coil +ve , (a hot wire if you like)

 

start it , see if it runs better - don't do it for long as a ballasted coil will get hot

 

the pink / white ballasted wire could be a problem - they do fail , often getting hot

Edited by sledgehammer, 29 February 2016 - 08:21 PM.

[NoonanN92]

Hi guys, Getting there!

 

The parts arrived this morning (condenser, dizzy cap, rotor arm & points).

I replaced the condenser only and started her up. Ran normal and I kept my fingers crossed that it wouldn't die in the first few moments. 

It didn't. I let it run for 15 mins with no issues. I even managed a 10 minute drive around the block. Great!

However, the engine seemed close to dying and occasionally would die when the choke was put all the way in.

I had it out all the way or partially on the majority of the drive. And when rebuilding the carb previously I didn't alter the fuel mixture or idle etc.

 

I feel like replacing the condenser has helped to give a better spark but isn't the underlying problem.
I haven't fitted the other parts yet as I believe them to be ok and would like to fit them once this problem has been resolved.

 

 

What should I check next?

 

And

 

How do I determine if the coil is the 'right one' ?
Currently has: 12V Ducellier coil & 59D distributor.  

[David128]

Hi glad you got part way there ,, sounds now like the mixture needs sorting.. have you got a multimeter? measure the coil resistance .. lots of threads on here regarding which coil has what resistance or post results and someone will help