I am posting this to the list to see if you guys have some different advice
of this Roadster owner, he is restoring a 1970-1600
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. My problem seems to be at lower
rpms, less than 2000. The engine spits, sputters and sounds like it's missing
on
one cylinder. I've taken the carbs off, cleaned them well, tried my hand at
balancing / tuning but it still runs rough at lower rpms. I checked the spark
at
each plug and it appears all plugs are firing. I checked the timing but
couldn't turn the dizzy enough to reach 16BTDC. I could only get about 12BDTC.
I've
checked and set the points gap. The dizzy could be the problem, maybe it's
off a tooth or two on the timimg. The shaft feels tight and doesn't seem to be
loose. I've never taken the dizzy driveshaft out of the car. I did disassemble,
clean and lube the top section but never took the whole dizzy out of the
engine block. I haven't adjusted the valves clearances yet, but doubt they
could
be causing the problem because it runs well at higher rpms. Because I thought
it was not getting fire on all cylinders, I let the engine warm up and put a
few drops of water along the exaust manifold. I noticed that the exhaust
manifold was much hotter at the front of the engine (1-2) and got cooler as I
got to
the back of the engine. The water would actually sizzle on the front part of
the manifold (as you would expect), but didn't on the back part. You might be
thinking either irratic or no spark on 3 / 4 or that there is something wrong
with the rear carb. My checks on these systems leads me to believe that they
are working. My next steps are as follows;
- Remove the dizzy and try to improve on the timing (any suggestions here?)
- Adjust the valves
- Replace the plugs and wires
- Either put a bullet through it or find a good roadster mechanic in the
Reno, NV area
Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Dave Sexton
775-626-2612 home
775-626-6900 work
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