Subject: [TR] What I learned

From: "ronnie babbitt" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2013 07:07:10 -0500

What I learned. 

A couple of years ago I took Terra my TR3A to Tom Fanshers house in Florida
to send some time with them and tune up my car. 
I'm a very mechanically inclined but I am not a tuner. Both Jere Dotten and
Tom worked their magic on Terra and the car ran better than ever. Lately she
has been running very rough. 

How ever since the last tune up she has not had been driven many miles. 
...
This past weekend was our local night parade. So I decided to do some
tuning. I call a Dutch mechanic friend Willem to come assist me. We changed
the plugs. Cleaned the rotor cap. Did all the usual things. I'm using a
pertronics so gaping the points was unnecessary. 

I then decided to drain all the gas out using a transfer pump. Added five
gallons of new fresh gas. Turned the key and immediately she came to life.
Within seconds she began to run, as if time had been set back to the day I
left Toms house. Bad gas has been her problem all along. 

I have now learned a lesson regarding fuel stabilizers. I always thought If
I put in some fresh high octane gas that that would be fine. I was very
wrong. 
I drive the night time parade. The slow pace began to increase the water
temp, soon she began running badly. I figure the low RPMs was also causing
the plugs to load up. As soon as the parade ended I drove her back to the
starting point of the parade and quickly she smoothed out. I'm assuming the
Carbon burnt off at the higher speed. So next year I plan to add a pusher
fan behind a Christmas wreath to help cool the water temp. 

While doing the maintenance I decide to look at the OD for the unit was not
staying engaged. I decided to change out the relay. After wiring in the
replacement which was not configured exactly the same. She began engaging
and worked perfectly. 

Now my confidence is restored and I believe I will participate in the
Georgia triumphs annual Polar Bear run later this month. 

** [email-masked] **

Archive: http://www.team.net/archive