daverclasper

Always found dipping new rubber parts in very hot water for a minute or so to soften them up helps a lot with fitting. Dave

Hi every one Trying to set mixture on carbs and have a theoretical question. Going of all advice,if mixture is too weak then lifting piston a fraction, the engine will stall/die. I would have thought that this would enrich/correct mixture and increase revs. Conversely if mixture too rich then engine will run faster if lifting piston. I would have thought lifting piston would make it more rich and cause it to bog/stall. Can anyone explain this please. Cheers, Dave

Hi. I plugged the water drain holes on chassis and then squirted a fair amount of engine oil in there, and then parked it different positions on a very steep hill, to allow it to slosh around a bit, then drained it. I guess this is better than nothing as it would be prone to most corrosion in the bottom sections. Cheers, Dave

Cheers chaps Will do that Dave

Hi everybody Just wondering how much. If I fill them up quite high, so resistance is felt quite soon after lifting piston with finger, then I have noticed it overflows into carbs after the car has run. manuals seem to suggest they are filled quite high. Any advice appreciated. cheers, Dave

Hi. It was suggested that the air filter box may have been put on upside down, which would cause the same thing, though I didn't think of the filters themselves. I had forgotten about messing with these, in the excitement of the rotor coming off, and thought it must be related to this. Dave

Hi everyone and thanks for your support with this. Well, I think I deserve 10/10 for perseverance and 20/10 for stupidity. At the time the rotor arm came off the dizzy, I had just checked the air filters and had put one back on upside down so no air flow through the cut out at the top. So chuffed its finally ok, though spent a lot of last weeks holiday time and money (though now have new ignition system and spares) on car, instead of camping with car in Pembroke shire as it's my only transport. Cheers, Dave

Cheers for that advice Pete, Something else regarding carb tuning if you don't mind, as plugs are generally pretty sooty around the city and my partner gets fed up If I want to do plug chops on a run . The washers that are between the the float valve vary in thickness between the cars (one looked about 0.8mm, the other about twice that). The actual valves differ in style and one has a mesh filter on the top that was a bit dirty and wouldn't clean easily, Both have have 1.5mm stamped on them. Also the float measurement on both carbs is about 21 mm (manual says 18mm). I don't know how critical this is, but I'm thinking it would make fuel levels higher, therefore more prone to running rich. Also the alloy washers at the top of the main jet assembly vary in thickness, though I guess the mixture screws for the actual jets would just have to be adjusted accordingly to compensate for different base height. Just wondering if over the years, any washers have been slung in, or if these differences in washers/factory float height settings have been done on purpose to compensate for carb/engine wear. Sorry to bang on, I don't need perfection, but wonder how much anything too much out can damage engine and also find it all interesting. Cheers, Dave

Thanks Pete. I think the very high revving was due to the cable having jumped out. I also loosened throttle clamp and front carb butterfly flap was not quite shut off, though I hadn't altered these and haven't listened to air suction balance in different carbs, with my trusty hose pipe and funnel. So have a low idle now. though engine won't completely die. Throttle spindles have wear and also I guess the butterfly flaps could wear at edges, allowing air in. Again thanks for the tips, Cheers Dave

Hi and thanks a lot for getting back with info. I know what you mean now. Mine just has a rubber/plastic tube from rocker cover to air filer box. I added a couple of jubilee clips to each end of this a while back to eliminate air getting in. One other thing that happened since this idle issue. Once when starting from warm, as soon as it fired up, the revs when very high immediately. I switched it off and it didn't happen again when I started it a few seconds later. Don't know if related. Cheers, Dave

Hi Pete. These are early cd150's. I don't know what the breather valve is, but not come accross anything that seems like that on my carbs. Cheers, Dave

Hi everyone. Vitesse Mk1 2Litre After removing the jet orifice holders on both carbs to drain the float bowls I now cannot get it to idle below 1,000 revs. I centralized the needles as usual and the air valve pistons are dropping with a small clunk onto the bridge after lifting them about 5mm. The throttle is returning to lower than its usual adjustment, as I have backed off the screws so they aren't making contact. I haven't altered the mixture screws or anything else. Also since this, the car is lacking on acceleration and this seems to improves when the choke is pulled out. The dash pots have their usual amount of oil (The air valve pistons start to resist after lifting about 5mm). So I guess there is air getting in. Could this be related to what I have done as I don't see how. Any advice much appreciated, cheers, Dave

Cheers for that tip Pete. Its funny. When I cleaned carbs out I also sprayed carb cleaner into the metal T piece piping that feed both carbs and they appeared clean. This morning I sucked at the front of this as it's back on car and spat it into a jar (not pleasant). There was this sort of pale white jelly in with the petrol, that seemed to emusify after being in warmer house for a while. Just wondered what this might be and if it may be causing my problem. The rest of petrol in the line from tank up to this T piece was very clean when pumped/blown through, as was the pump filter gauze. Cheers, Dave

Hi, and thanks for getting back to me. Sorry it's taken ages to reply. Cheers, Dave

Hi chaps and thanks for your support. This is doing my head in and also I'm losing in the banter stakes, with owners of modern cars in my street who are having electronic problems. Car is now taking longer to misbehave, so that has improved. Maybe I can just use it, to do the shopping now!. Plugs replaced same as old ones (NGK BP5ES). £10.24 inc vat and postage for 6. From, "Doctor Car Parts" off ebay if anyone interested. When I cleaned out carbs, in hindsight I should have also disconnected fuel line where it comes out of pump and blown it through from carbs to help clear any crap out. Will do this but maybe a bit late. I have never cleaned pump filter as car was fitted with plastic filter, just before pump and this was clean. Clutching at straws now so will take a look (does this have a rubber seal that may fall apart?). Also the LT wire from coil to dizzy looks old and a bit brittle (also this was used with electronic ignition), so will replace this anyway, though I thought as it's LT, it wouldn't break down under load. Thanks for your offer John. I live in Bristol, if by chance that's near you. Cheers, Dave

Thanks a lot for getting back. Bit of a story so please bear with me. Vitesse Mk1 2ltre. A bit back I fitted an electronic ignition kit. Car was running fine until I was trying to get the carb mixture better as plugs were always very sooty. With the air box off it backfired and stopped. The rotor arm had come of the cam and rotor had gouged 4 of the segments in dizzy cap. I replaced rotor and car ran, but rough. Fitted a new cap and rotor from dizzy doctor. Car would run ok for a bit then started missing/felt like not running on all 6 cylinders. Fitted points and condenser back on which were not old and adjusted timing to suit, checked vacuum and mech advance. Car still the same (have swapped these back and forth a few times). Couldn't see why it would have damaged coil, but fitted new one. still the same Since then have fitted all new HT leads and finally spark plugs. Also ran wire direct from positive battery post to coil, to rule out ignition switch Car now runs well for about 15/20 minutes (well into operating temp) but then starts to run rough again. Began wondering if the back firing had affected fuel system, or a fuel problem coincidental. Ran car without petrol cap to rule out vacuum in tank. removed petrol pipe from carbs inlet and cranked over. spurting out good amount of fuel. Plastic petrol filter that's fitted just before pump is newish and still clean. Removed carbs. Diaphragms ok. float valve pins moving freely Carbs not dirty though cleaned with carb cleaner including fuel entry passages to float valves. Used a colourtune and leaned down mixture to more a blue colour as was showing orange on both carbs. Checked choke was not sticking on. Now at a loss having replaced all ignition system, though still think it must be related to this, or finally, dirt in fuel line that is blocking it after running a while then unblocking itself after standing. Any advice would be greatly, greatly appreciated. Cheers, Dave

Hi everyone Got a problem with ignition system I think, and have replaced all electrical parts (though now also working at pos fueling issue). I think I'm going to have to take it to a garage (for the second time in 20 years). I was wondering if smaller garages normally have diagnostic equipment suitable for older cars that may diagnose electrical/fueling issues quickly, as on a bit of a budget as usual. Any advice much appreciated. Cheers, Dave

Hi. Thanks for getting back with the cap info. The expansion bottle seems to stay the same level, hot or cold engine. I wondered about this a while back and I sucked the tube at bottle end to check for air leaks and it held pressure. Cheers, Dave

Hi everyone I have a vitesse mk1 2ltre. When the engine is up to temperature and I remove the rad cap, It does not have pressure and no hot water spurts out. I have replaced with a new cap from Rare bits so assume is good. No difference. The engine does not overheat, though can get a bit above the center of gauge when idling in traffic on hot days. No coolant loss. Not a big issue I guess, though wondering why. Any advice much appreciated. Cheers, Dave

Hi, thanks No dizzy to borrow. I took the top plates off the dizzy. The centrifugal weights are free and springs look ok. Cheers, Dave

Hi. Reseted timing when fitted Elec Ign and car was running great until this happened. Have also been moving dizzy around since, while car is running, but doesn't improve it with points back in or Elec Ign refitted. Cheers, Dave

Thank for getting back. Have fitted a new cap from the Dizzy Docter. Car started on the button, but still missing/running very rough when moving and engine under load. It then ran a lot worse and now will hardly start. The vacuem advance is moving when sucking on the tube. Wondering if there could be other damage to dizzy when this happened or when it backfired a couple of times. At a loss, so any thoughts on this would be great. Cheers, Dave

Have being in contact with supplier of the electronic kit, who has some regard in classic car circles. He wanted to know who had given me the above info as he had never heard of this issue. When I disclosed this, he was pretty negative about this person in various way and also described him as doomongerer. So, difficult to get to the bootom of this I reckon.

Thanks for getting back Aidan. Spoke to the Dizzy Doctor who said it happened because the bottom of rotor arm needs to be shaved off for most of the kits, as is in contact with the ring that goes over the cam and therefore not seating properly. And they don't tell you this!.

Hi everyone recently fitted one of the cheaper electronic ignition units (including the rotor arm supplied, which seemed a bit cheap and light)to my Vitesse. Car was running well until it starting missing and back fired for a few seconds then died, while revving at higher revs than I usually do. The rotor arm appeared to have come adrift from its location with a few tiny bits of broken plastic in the top of the cam. Has this ever happened to other owners ?. I think I seated it properly. Also the rotor arm appears to have have worn/gouged, some of six contacts inside the dizzy cap when this happened. Have replaced the rotor arm with the newish old one. Car will run now, but very rough. Should I just replace the dizzy cap do you think, or could there be other issues ?. Any advice as always much appriciated. Cheers Dave