bizarre

[baron_matt]

Ok so in the long running saga of the 1983 white "brown" something really odd has happened.

Monday car was running fine.
Tuesday car was running fine.
Wednesday morning Car running fine.
Wednesday evening car running like rubbish and misfiring popping and generally running like a turd.

Last work done to car was the replacement of the starter cable, which needed the choke cable to be loosened, to get slack to remove the levers from the tunnel. Cable set back up correctly and choke action checked and confirmed as working.

Car is on the same tank of fuel and is just over half a tank. Fuel filter in line before the pump was changed last month and is nice and clean.

Carb is nice and tight and nothing seems loose or disconnected. Puzzled.

Any thoughts on what I should be checking here?

[Gadge]

Sounds like an ignition problem. So I'ld start with a peek under the distributor cap and see if alls well. Check the points make sure there not loose and check the vacuum mechanism.

[baron_matt]

Yep well I hope to run through the basics this weekend.

Really don't want to take the carb off again..bloody thing.

[DeVilleChris]

Sounds very much like an ignition problem, as it came on sudden, I would check the condenser as I've had a similar problem.

[poxxxy]

No cap on my distributor... car was running like crap on a very moist day! dry day... working like a charm once again... might be similar story or we are still having a bad time?

[Mics126]

I agree with chris, it does sound like a condenser issue. was it ok when the engine was cold and started getting worse when it got hotter, if so then its more than likely a condenser (i had one go on me a few years back, it took me a while to work out because i thought it was the coil first of all).

[Gadge]

Best way to tell if your condensers paggerd is to take the cap off with the car running (assuming it's a BIS) and see what the Sparks like at the points. There should be virtually no spark so If it's bright and large then it needs replacing

[baron_matt]

Hi

I can't take the cap off with the engine running as the engine will stop.

This is a 1983 Aircooled car with a proper dizzy.

I've got a condenser so I'll try replacing that first.

[KAL SPL]

Earth able hasn't come loose ?

[rick]

Last December I had a condenser problem, but the car just stopped dead, as if I had switched off the ignition, no warning, no spluttering or rough running, just a dead stop! Most likely you have lost the adjustment on the points or you have moisture in the distributor. Or you could have a bit of grit in one of the carb jets, if you don't have one I highly recommend a line filter between the tank and carb.

[baron_matt]

Hi Rick

I have an in line filter fitted already between tank and fuel pump, which is clean and has been changed less than a month ago.

Inside of Dizzy cap had splashes of oil inside it and I have cleaned that out. Car is still trying to misfire, when throttle open.

Points to check next.

Here's a question for those Aircooled 126 jocks, how hot does the engine need to get before the thermostat opens?

Cheers ears

Matt

[Mics126]

if i remember corectly the thermostat starts to open at 70 degrees c and is fully open at 100 degrees.

[baron_matt]

Well this morning 1st thing I changed the condenser for a new one, and checked a spark plug whilst I was at it. The plug was very sooty so my mixture is probably too rich as well.

Not sure how to adjust mixture so just cleaned plug, fitted new condenser and reset the points.

She runs well again, but I'm still keen to get the mixture set correctly.

[Da Londo]

There is a thread on here somewhere about setting the mixture.

[Hazey-n-Marc]

Are you certain the fuel filter is clean? I was getting less than 40 miles out of a filter before I changed the tank.

Marc