Overheating...

[dadandlad]

Confirmed we will be coming mob handed on Friday

[BenNZ]

My car had been off the road since january with a similar issue. After a 4 hour drive where the car ran like a dream, it refused to start the next day. After replacing points condenser and coil and tightening the bobweight springs I could start the car but not rev it at all and the longer it idled the worse it got until it cut out completely. handed the car over to my mechanic who then changed points and condenser again without solving the problem, almost a month goes buy and by chance the condenser my mechanic bought was fitted with the points I bought. Hey presto problem solved. The condenser I had bought brand new from ricambio was a dud and was failing as it got hot and the points my mechanic sourced had no continuity once they got hot. The combination of two brand new parts being duds from the beginning caused 3 months of head scratching and I'm pretty sure my mechanics hairline receded farther than usual.
If you happened to source your condenser from ricambio it may be from the same run of duds? But I doubt you got your points from Japan like my mechanic did.
It's good to be back on the road again and I hope Mrs BV gets the same satisfaction soon, best of luck guys!

[tmf123]

Have you checked what fan you are running....?

After months of problems with overheating, not starting hot (fuel vaporisation) and not being able to use the car for any sort of distance, I discovered that the aluminium fan fitted only has 10 fins, whereas the original has 14. It also doesn't have the ventura or scoop and apparently is not as efficient.

After changing, the car does seem to run distance, no flickery oil light after ten or so miles and it starts 'hot'! - So far so good.....

....Just a thought???

[1973/126]

 Have you guys done a compression test on it at the end?

[Bar Vitelli]

Yes and it passed.  All to play for tonight, Mark's back with some extra help so hopeful that we will sort.  If not I'll let you have first refusal on this eBay bargain, Lad!

[1973/126]

 I`ll get my popcorn ready for tonight

 Hope you guys get to the bottom of this, as it must be so frustrating. It`s driving me crazy and is not even my car(yet)

 Just out of interest, have the valve clearances been checked?

[Bar Vitelli]

We're getting closer, big thanks to Mark and Amos for the time they've put in tonight after a hard days work. I'd like to say it was something really complicated but it's looking like it's going to be something relatively simple that we ticked off early on but was probably not at the right tolerance.

Mark's back tomorrow morning to make some final adjustments over a coffee and a bacon butty at which point we will know for certain. All being well the car will stay in the Vitelli family (sorry, Ladislav, looks like you've missed out on it again!) and with a decent weather forecast we might even get to drive it!

Thanks again to everyone for their support, I've learnt stacks through this and I'm really hopeful that we're close to getting it working!

 

[1973/126]

 Garry, that`s good news. I keep my fingers crossed for you.
 It would be nice if you guys could finally drive it.

 TBH I need another 126 like a hole in my head. Anyone who has more than one of these cars must be nuts
 

[dadandlad]

  MENDED

[drcdb15]

"MENDED" ?

"MENDED" ! ! !

Is that it?

EIGHT MONTHS with  half the country hanging onto the edge of their seats with the suspense, and all you can say is "MENDED"

So what was it? Exhaust valve clearance too small? Engine starts fine, runs, valve gets hot, expands, now too long and won't seat fully, so poor compression on that side, loss of power, other cylinder doing all the work, so runs apparently hotter, but faulty valve side actually cooler, engine stalls. Cools down, valve contracts, seats properly now, engine starts up fine.

Whatever it was, WELL DONE !!!

PS: please DO tell ... !!!

[Bar Vitelli]

It was incredibly complicated...

[dadandlad]

 

I wish I could say it was really complicated but I would be telling porkys

Last night we fitted an in line fuel filter between pump and carburettor so we could observe fuel supply which was fine

We run the car up until as usual it started to cough and splutter then stalled

Whipped  off the rocker cover and checked and set valve clearances, after starting she ran a lot longer before coughing to a stop

This morning after a bacon butty and coffee courtesy of Mrs B.V we adjusted the valve clearances once again as they are supposed to be set cold

Also decided to check points gap which was spot on

Now for the strange one

I noticed the distributor cap had small flakes of brass stuck around the inside and on closer inspection the segments had a groove in them which had been milled by the rotor arm
The rotor arm looked new and there was no way it had come into contact with the segments

Anyway Gary had a new cap so on it went

On start up it sounded better and it had lost the occasional cough it had

A decision was made to road test and it performed perfectly

drcdb15 hit the nail on the head with a great explanation of what was happening

Exhaust valve clearance too small? Engine starts fine, runs, valve gets hot, expands, now too long and won't seat fully, so poor compression on that side, loss of power, other cylinder doing all the work, so runs apparently hotter, but faulty valve side actually cooler, engine stalls. Cools down, valve contracts, seats properly now, engine starts up fine.

I have come to the conclusion with these little cars that although they are simple if they arent set up just right it causes major problems, in a four cylinder engine you would get away with a couple of the valve clearances being out and probably hardly notice

I should have found the problem a lot sooner with the old adage KEEP IT SIMPLE but it is very easy to get side tracked with different theories

The best thing about this was seeing the smiles on Mr and Mrs Bar Vitelli's faces when it was cured 

[drcdb15]

Well that is really excellent news - and getting it sorted, I mean, not my explanation!

It's a lesson well learned, as you say, but I am *so* glad it was a mere adjustment, and not a blocked oilway as I also suggested. It was when you mentioned about going over adjustments you thought you'd already set up properly that I realised the likely culprit. Far better that than a wasted engine rebuild!

Extra double celebratory bacon butties* all round, I'd say !

 

* for our overseas friends, this is a traditional northern English delicacy widely enjoyed at times of great triumph 

[dadandlad]

It was when you mentioned about going over adjustments you thought you'd already set up properly that I realised the likely culprit

I came into the problem after Gary and Chris started to struggle and was lead astray with the generator light and the very low charge rate , 12.9V at high revs and the fact the battery was flat

Still the parts fitted coil,condenser ,ignition leads, oil change are all serviceable items and not money wasted also the regulator was found to be faulty so another potential problem nipped in the bud

Sorry to all you guys lusting after the car but I think it will be a keeper now

[Bar Vitelli]

It's been a masterclass to watch with a terrific effort from Chris, Mark and Amos and I've picked up lots of learnings along the way and would probably be brave enough to try and change some of the serviceable bits myself now.

As Mark says there were a number of things that caught our eye and lead us down a different path, especially the electrical elements that were not what they should be. The really good news is that the car sounds amazing and much better than any of my other cars. As a 126 owner, I've always managed to dodge the serviceable bits because money is tight and the cars continue to work but they really do make a big difference to performance so are well worth doing.

Thanks again to everyone for the all the support, Mrs BV and I are thrilled to have this car back on the road!