Joe,
Overheating problems can usually be diagnosed by looking
at the spark plugs.
Pull and mark all 4, and compare.
White plugs means that cyl is lean and hot.
Black means rich.
Brown/light tan is normal.
Sometimes squirting water on a header tube will tell
if there is a gross mixture error, but this probably
wont help in your case, as it looks like yours is load
related.
Poorly adjusted valves usually wont cause and engine to
overheat, but can cause the engine to misfire as you describe.
Poorly adjusted valves is a quick way to ruin a head, so
take head to getting them adjusted.
>I drove it away and was happy with the increase in
>driveablity and power, especially when the second chokes on the carbs
>open up.
Huh?
You are running DCOEs right?
>Also I would like to convert to electronic ignition, thoughts?
>recommendations? anything? anyone?
Can think of any after market ignition I WOULDNT recommend,
although I have been seeing problems with Pertronics in that
they doent seen to be phasing thier magnets in the target ring
very well. This has resulted in measurable (5 degree) differences
between the timing on one cyl in relation to another.
Personally I run the crane cams ignition, with the optical
trigger. I think lumenition also uses this schem.
Jarrid Gross
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-alpines@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-alpines@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Joe Robson
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2001 11:50 AM
To: alpines@autox.team.net
Subject: Valve trouble?
Hi all,
My Alpine SIV is gradually being sorted out, last year was a new Holbay
bottom end which is still being run in, the latest expense was to have the
twin 40s balanced and properly jetted on a rolling road. I picked it up
and the guy mentioned that the valve clearances on 2 and 3 cylinders
needed setting up properly, and the new 4 branch exhaust manifold needed
correctly facing up to the head, but the carbs were now properly jetted
and balanced. I drove it away and was happy with the increase in
driveablity and power, especially when the second chokes on the carbs
open up. However, gradually over the next 100 miles the car ran worst and
worst, getting hot, backfiring, using a HELL of a lot of fuel, down on
power, generally very rough. I thought I would try and get it the 150
miles south to my home in London as it wasn't too bad at the higher revs
and sort it from there.
After only about 10 miles the car got quite hot (100 degrees) and
spluttered to a stall at about 70 mph. I called the rescue service and
they came out to find that the distributor was loose and had span way out
- which explained a lot. The guy set it as well as he could on the
roadside, and we set off again, 5 miles later the same thing, he checked
the points - fine, plugs - fine, condenser - fine, but yet still it would
drive for a while then get hot, backfire and stall when given any incline.
Eventually I got towed and the car is now outside my home in London.
Could this be down to teh valves? burned out? or still a timing thing? (if
so what should the correct set up be if it is running a Holbay head with
twin 40 Webers?), anything else simple to check?
I need to get the head all sorted out before our British summer time
(about a week long) is all disappeared, could anyone recommend a
specialist garage to take it along to? Hopefully not too far away from
London.
Also I would like to convert to electronic ignition, thoughts?
recommendations? anything? anyone?
Thanks in advance
Joe
1964 Alpine
1969 Stiletto
1978 Davrian
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