Hi, all.
I'm a new subscriber to the list with an immediate problem. I've had a
couple of Midgets follow me home in the last few months and I'm trying
to get one ready for a trip (a father/daughter thing where I'm going to
deliver the car to my dad... er, her granddad). This little '72 is
absolutely gorgeous, but isn't running so well. It was probably running
better when it was donated to the museum from which I acquired it, but
sat for most of the last five years in a metal building with no
attention (along with a couple of P-40s, an Osprey, a Quickie, an IL-2,
and... well, okay, it was a metal aircraft hangar stuffed with neat
aircraft awaiting restoration or repair). While it was inside at least,
the Tucson heat and dryness wasn't nice to some rubber bits.
Anyway, I'm burning a lot of oil in this thing. I mean a lot. Like a
quart every sixty miles or so. At least I think I'm burning it instead
of just pouring it out on the road because I'm fouling number four plug
and I'm smoking out the tailpipe, particularly on acceleration and
particularly after the engine has run for a while. There's also
droppings in my driveway from somewhere on the bottom part of the engine
(dipstick cup pulls out of the block... not sure that's the problem).
I've replaced the SU jets because the hose on one of them had split at
the end on the float bowl and believe I'm now running rich (long time
DGV user, first time SU tinkerer). The engine is down on power some
since the rejetting.
The engine is running a little smoother since I put a hotter plug in #4.
Runs a lot smoother with a clean, non-fouled plug. Before, it would
get to where it wouldn't even idle after I'd driven it ten miles or so.
Just rough idle now. Compression is pretty even, but lower than the
Datsuns I've been used to at around 110psi. This is on a cold engine.
I started but didn't finish a valve adjustment because I couldn't figure
out how to hand turn the engine to the right place. Found number five
with too much gap and think number eight might not have any.
So, here's the possible culprits I think I can name: 1) bad intake
seals, 2) worn intake valve guides, and 3) stuck oil rings. Gosh, I
sure hope it's not the rings because I don't have time to deal with that.
What advice do any of ya'll have to help me track this down and fix
it... expeditiously? Also, what's the recommended method for rotating
the engine for valve adjustment?
- Kendel
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