1in10

Evening all Just a quick update and thanks for all your replies as they have certainly been fitted and given me confidence troubleshooting on the side of the road. Right, first journey out was short in a good but of heat and given a bit of heavy foot closer to home just in case with out any interruptions. But I still felt uneasy as the problem would not have just gone away. The next journey was a week later again in some good heat and the journey was a bit longer with a very different outcome. Three unscheduled stop and no chance to use a heavy foot. The first was a shirt breakdown after a few judders and a grid to a halt. No hiss of air from the fuel cap with the fuel pump busting into life add I shut the boot, which may have been an indication of a problem. The second breakdown was a closer to home after about 10 miles with a longer break. I carried out the same checks no hiss of air from the fuel cap but no life from the fuel pump either with little fuel in the filter. A brief wait at the side of the road and the fuel pump filed the filter and of I went. The third was within a stone's throw of the house and reintroduced my dead mans click problem as well add no hiss from the fuel cap and no action from the fuel pump. Tools out time add this was pushing its luck. Using Doug's jump from negative to the starter got the engine turning, thanks, further investigation at home revealed it to be a break in the anti theft battery terminal which I have now cleaned up. I also tightened the connecting nut on the starter terminal which attached the negative cable to the starter as this had also become lose. A good look around the fuel pump showed the live terminal was also lose possibly causing the the pump to work intermittently. My last journey out was on the last of the hot days without any unscheduled stops but I am still a little issue if I have fixed the problems. Time will tell. Ask that aside the electric starter appears to whiz at very fast speed, more than usual, before starting. Have I done something wrong. Thanks again to one and all. Richard

Colin Doug There is no whoosh from the fuel when undone, so don't believe their to be air in the tank. I am trying to use the car more do may be moving crud in the tank about. It's an SU Electric Fuel pump, could even that little rise from the tank be a problem. I also found a kink in house from the Emission Valve to the Inlet Manifold. Although I'm interested in the folding theory. Both are easy fixes. Richard

All Thanks for the quick replies and apologies for my lack of automotive knowledge regarding pinking, it's clearly not pinning but it does judder a few times before grinding to a halt. It has electronic ignition. The pipes are all new, including to from tank to pump and this happened with a quarter of a tank but with a full tank several times last year. My filter is front of the carbs and I can confirm the fuel was not reaching the fitter until cool but I don't notice it this time. Ill check later if I can get her out today if not next week. Thanks again Richard

Evening I hate to bang the same drum, but I managed to take the Vitesse 2l for a drive during our one day of summer yesterday. It was even hot enough to put the roof down, nice. I wrote about this problem about a year ago, and I guess I haven't got her hot enough for the problem to reoccur, and the problem does not appear to have gone away. The problem is, it runs well for about 10/20 miles, then it starts to pink, then grinds to a halt. It will turn over immediately after stopping, and sounds as if it will turn over, but that's it, for about 20 minutes while I have the hood up for it to cool down on the side of the road with everyone craning their neck and waving, or at least I think they're waving. It turns over and starts after a good rest, but it would be nice to take her out and not worry about turning the car off, dreading not starting. I have an electric fuel pump in the boot, with all new pipes and a filter through to the Stromberg 150cd or could be cds as I have just noticed a very small s separate from the cd letters, not sure. As well as heat shields behind the carbs. Balanced the carbs, only a little though, front was weak and back was rich, I haven't been able to give it a double check as I let her cool down and have not been back yet. Cleaned the sparks,1, 2, 4 and 5 were dark brown, except for 3 and 6 which were grey. I have read all the posts in this forum, including other forums, about the carbs and the myth of fuel starvation, but it's almost as if the electric fuel pump stops pumping when hot and the fuel in the float chamber evaporates. Thanks all in advance and I look forward to any thoughts, thanks. Richard

Gents Good news I tried Dougs negative jump suggestion and found the problem to be the first earth cable to the bulkhead to be the problem. I really was hoping it wouldn't be the starter. Thanks for all your comments and suggestions, and I have put the sand paper back. I am still of the opinion that electrics is some form of wizardry but your comments have given me a little more confidence to approach it and hope to later follow Pete's suggestion to take the solenoid out when I have more time. Thanks again it really is much appreciated. Richard

Gents Thanks for all your comments, it really is appreciated, and apologies fir being a bit of sap, as I have always git someone to do anything electrical as there are darker forces at work when it comes to electrics. What is good for cleaning the terminals. I had go at the screwdriver and solenoid, a few small spark with a click and then nothing, back to removing the negative to get any life so I could try again, and exactly the same with small spark and click negative off. I appreciate the starter has a solenoid and the external solenoid can be taken out of the equation but I would like to rule out the solenoid before turning to other options, and have included a picture so you can see. I have even tried rocking in fourth gear to see if starter is stuck and tried again but nothing. Thanks again Richard

Thanks everyone. I have taken sand paper to ask the connections from the earth on the bulk head to the battery, a second earth to the to the bell housing, through to the solenoid and the starter as well as the positives. Although I will look again tomorrow Dan, along with the jump leads Doug. I have jumped out from another car which has worked. Adrian theatre is no further sound after the dead mans click, just silence, even when I remove the earth lead. Thanks again, I'm hoping it's the solenoid.

Gents I hope all is well with you all, considering. At least I have been given the time to have read as many posts as possible on the various sites, and I am coming up with the same conclusion except for one thing. There is nothing from a second turn of the key. I have a 2.0 vitesse with a Powerlite Hitorque starter and am discounting problems as I progress. The problem is recent and it now has the dead man's click. All earth and live connections to and from the battery as well as the solenoid and the starter have been cleaned. The key turns, the fuel pump pumps and the starter gives the dead man's click. Then nothing. I have to disconnect the earth from the battery, which is brand new 44ah 330a, in order to get life again. The car is dead until disconnection. I have always believed electrics are the devils work and how someone can shed some light. Thanks in advance Richard

Pete Apologies fir the delay as I have not had much chance to drive her out recently. I checked ask the pipes and found that the small pipe between fruit and rear pipe had perished, and replaced immediately expelling my overheating theory during this lovely spurt of hit weather. I also played a little with the screw under the rear carb which was running rich, but I still feel this is the Devil's work as the engine has idled to a halt once or twice in traffic. Not as concerned as before as it is a lot more reliable, and will have another look when I get some time. Thanks again Richard

Thanks all for your help. Unfortunately, there was still a limp home with a number of stops. I did check the pipes for slivers as this could have been the cause but nothing came out could the slivers have gone through to the carb float chamber. Forgive me but I still think it's something to do with heating although it appears the cooling system is working. Thanks again all your comments did stop me from worrying further.

Pete/Doug I think I might be confusing the issue, as I thought the lower rad pipe should be cooler. The car has an uplift Cam, so has an uneven running and the last unscheduled grinding to a halt with me standing for a few hours. The carbs were record about five years back and I had them tuned two years back as running and electrics are the devil's work. It turned over fine but would not continue to run, and this can happen after I turn it intentionally. I thought I had covered the carbs with a heat shield and was hoping to cure the problem, but the threads below are pointing toward fuel evaporation. I'm always contours of the HG after doing the deed to my Rover 2000 V8, once bitten and all. The film of glitter in the rad leads me to think it might be small shards from the fan, which I'll look at when I get back. I will also look at the carbs then also, but I would drippy appreciate more of your support if offered. Richard

Scrapman thanks I'll have a look again but I have read this could be the start of a water pump issue. Chris you are correct the larger stations in Spain have 98 which I am using 95 gives a horrible after run despite the other problems.

Clive Amazing thanks, that is a huge relief. Nope no boiling at all, just an over stretched imagination. Ill relax now thanks again, really much appreciated. Oh any thoughts on the glitter. Richard

Clive/Pete Thanks for all the information, i'll definitely try that. It over heated three times yesterday, and my wife is now asking me for compensation as I have even exceeded Easyjets delays policy. I was clearly paranoid about the temperature of the bottom hose. I may have another problem as I have found some glitter on the surface of the water in the radiator, but it doesn't look like oil, glitter and only a small trace. I checked the oil which I changed recently and it it's still translucent green/light brown. Nothing more than I would expect for the mileage since it had been put it in. No cream on the oil cap.. No white exhaust No soot on the sparks Just over heating after periods of driving. It turns on the button and nurses along at 50/60. I have a 7 lb Rad cap I can't bring myself tho say it, please don't say it also HG. Still she can have a rest now before the homeward journey. Richard

By the way the temperature needle doesn't move past half way, even when hot, thanks again.

Gents thanks for the replies. I am running on 95 which is the best you can get here, I am running on the standard silver box, and I have fired Heat Shield to the underneath off the carbs. There is no excessive fuel smell. It does tend to idle heavy when in traffic but can lose power and just grind to a halt on both occasions. I thought the bottom hose was to remain cold but it can get as hot as the top hose, so I am guessing the engine isn't cooling properly, I hate to say it knowing the weather in the UK, but it is warm here. Richard

The engine grinds to a halt until I open the bonnet and wait for the engine to cool down. It will turn over but won't run until it cools down.

Evening I have just popped across to Spain for the Easter holidays, in the Vitesse, and only made it to Bordeaux without major overheating. I flushed the rad, put on new pipes, fresh coolant, and changed the hoses, and I am carrying a higher temp thermostat, before leaving, as well as a full service. The temp in the top hose is hot and is to be expected, but the lower hose is also quite hot. Should I change over to the higher temp stat or will that make the engine over heat even more. Could be a shorter holiday than expected all thoughts welcome, thanks Richard

Thanks for the info. I have been driving it like this for the passed three years as that is all I have had it on the road, after taking four years through several garages to get to that point. I take your point is the anything else I could do to confirm the spring, and is there anyway I can check for damage on the coupling. The coupling doesn't appear to be in contact with anything, as I said I have loads more pics.

Gents Thanks again for you mails. I jacked her up and had a good look around, as the noise has returned a little, but not as bad as before, I have taken the pic while on stands, with the wheels removed, for a good look. It would appear the hub does not move freely, and is quite tight to rotate, although there does appear to be clearance between the Rotoflex Coupling and the spring, although the shaft rests on the chassis when jacked up. Can anyone confirm which spring this is, as I have always presumed it from a Mk II. I can't tell much about the bearings as the drivers side is fixed tight with very little movement, but the passenger side is quite firm and has no movement back and forth. I have more pics, if required, lots.

Happy New Year one and all, and thanks for the updates, which I read from my Tablet. I have been able to fiddle some spacers and raise a gap between the chassis, and the drive, large enough for a finger when the wheels are on the ground. Have a I been barking up the wrong tree. This has reduced the rubbing sound to a certain extent, although there is a slight rubbing noise, when the window is open, and will take a more serious look when I have some spare time.

Popped round to see her last night, and she has 11 leaves, so Mk2 for sure, phew. I also have Spax Shocks fitted, and they appear to be fitted well. There are witness marks on both sides I noticed, which would indicate the tight spring theory, and can't honestly see why these are rubbing. I have read your thread, thanks, and think there may be something more behind this, as I may need a bit more clearance.

Gents Thanks for all the responses, and I am hoping this is a stupid question as I would not like to break presedence. I have checked both Canley Diagrams, for both the Rotoflex, (rubber donut), and the Rear Suspension (shocks diagram on the left). But is there any chance you can have both Rotoflex donust, and Shocks at the same time. Richard

Thank everyone, it's a great help to have the Forum back. I am hoping, it's a strong spring, and that it can be evened with a spaced, although this alone sounds like a job in itself, so I don't think she will be going to the New Years day ball this year. Thanks for the reference of the article to the stats above, as I was fortunate enough to get the back issues of the Courier from my Wife one Christmas. I'll print it off and try to get under the car on the days after Christmas, if I can still squeeze under it. Hope you all have a good one.