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Things are getting smokey and smelly!


avivalasvegas

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On a weekend recent drive, we noticed an acrid burning smell in the cabin. "Tooting has gone downmarket" was my first thought. But the smell followed us into Clapham, and so we pulled over only to discover this smokey smelly vapour. Initial thoughts were an oil leak, reminding me that I need a new valve cover seal. But then I remembered that I had just turned the heating from "cabin" to "off" position. The symptoms have since subsided by switching the heating back to "screen". A couple questions:

1) Assuming this is the heater valve, any recommendations on a replacement unit?

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID007995 <- rimmer option

2) Anyone recommend rocker cover seal for square alloy covers? I was tempted by silicone but hear that cork suits the alloy covers better?

3) I need new hoses - any known silicone replacements?

Many thanks in advance!

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My (limited) experience of leaking antifreeze is that it has a sweet smell. I’ve recently replaced my heater valve with a generic sold as “Herald/Spitfire” and it’s actuation is opposite compared to the original (blocked by 50 years of accumulated crud). It can’t easily be reversed. Not a big deal but now not per the owners handbook 😩

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I can't see how a heater valve would lead to an acrid burning smell coolant is just not hot enough, my first thought would be to check if the heater cable is causing an electrical short when pulled on as acrid burning smell is often the Lucas loom smoke escaping. I think that the club shop do silicon houses and gaskets for alloy rocker covers. There are indeed 2 heater valves the early spit and I believe herald pull for on whereas spit mk4/1500 pulls for off

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yes club shop for alloy gaskets and silicone hose sets

Ive  used the neoprene gaskets for years no problems ( and like to think we started the idea of making them available for ally covers )  and are certainly easy to reuse over and over again , i have a spare hanging up its been hanging for years .

as for screen or footwell air distribution its all the same air  the crude flap just deflects it up a pipe or out the footwells 

if the bonnet to baulkhead seal is poor you get engine fumes escape and go down the heater intake  and you get the pong !!

Pete

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silicon

silicon is transistors and would make quite a crunchy gasket :lol:

Club shop have gaskets and hoses.

I fitted one of these, much easier action than the original unit. However. agree with Dan,  I'm not convinced the problem here is down to the valve. 

valve.PNG.d619a1fa8f67ae4aece1bb080391a6c5.PNG

 

Doug

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On 10/04/2022 at 10:15, avivalasvegas said:

On a weekend recent drive, we noticed an acrid burning smell in the cabin. "Tooting has gone downmarket" was my first thought. But the smell followed us into Clapham, and so we pulled over only to discover this smokey smelly vapour. Initial thoughts were an oil leak, reminding me that I need a new valve cover seal. But then I remembered that I had just turned the heating from "cabin" to "off" position. The symptoms have since subsided by switching the heating back to "screen". A couple questions:

1) Assuming this is the heater valve, any recommendations on a replacement unit?

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID007995 <- rimmer option

2) Anyone recommend rocker cover seal for square alloy covers? I was tempted by silicone but hear that cork suits the alloy covers better?

3) I need new hoses - any known silicone replacements?

Many thanks in advance!

 

IMG_1892.MOV 14.43 MB · 16 downloads

Wouldn't this more likely be the heater return hose leaking than the valve?

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The plot thickens. The car began sputtering and died a few times on my way home. Could be ignition or fuel related but my first thought was “I’ve run out of coolant” and I intentionally entered the bus lane to limp home. 
 

Coolant looks fine. Oil level looks and smells good. What on earth is going on?

42A2D4C5-14C0-45AE-BE50-FA15596F22F3.jpeg

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its the breeding season for rubber slivers  in the fuel lines tend to float and block the back of the float needle valves 

wonderful culprits for stop go erratic behavior

as do duff spark plugs 

HT coils polarity reversed wiring 

poor condensers   closed up points if you have them 

Pete

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6 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

its the breeding season for rubber slivers  in the fuel lines tend to float and block the back of the float needle valves 

wonderful culprits for stop go erratic behavior

as do duff spark plugs 

HT coils polarity reversed wiring 

poor condensers   closed up points if you have them 

Pete

If the condenser actually had an electronics type capacitor in it (which used to be called condensers, don't know why that changed) then they can and do fail producing a very acrid burning smell and usually smoke. If that was the case, the condenser would then have failed which may be causing the poor running. Easy to replace and test before diving in deeper.

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1 hour ago, cliff.b said:

which used to be called condensers, don't know why that changed

Also Condensators, but always were capacitive with capacitance. Were the people who made the condensatorists?  

And I've had the dread rubber slivers, water in the fuel recently too. E5/10 absorbs water until it can't any more and then separates, this happens if left standing and will not aid good running!

db

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37 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

Also Condensators, but always were capacitive with capacitance. Were the people who made the condensatorists?  

And I've had the dread rubber slivers, water in the fuel recently too. E5/10 absorbs water until it can't any more and then separates, this happens if left standing and will not aid good running!

db

Yes indeed, so the more pertinent question is, probably, why do we still call them condensers on cars 🙄

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The car is officially in trouble. I was able to get it to the petrol station despite idle dropping to <500 rpm (It was a healthy 900 rpm before these symptoms began). After filling up, it's almost as if the car entered "limp home" mode. Throttle did nothing except what sounded like flooding. 

Releasing throttle meant the car died instantly. It did get me home though. There's no way I will make it to a garage - it'll need to be recovered. 

Plugs are new, as are the Magnecor leads. 

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9 hours ago, avivalasvegas said:

The car is officially in trouble. I was able to get it to the petrol station despite idle dropping to <500 rpm (It was a healthy 900 rpm before these symptoms began). After filling up, it's almost as if the car entered "limp home" mode. Throttle did nothing except what sounded like flooding. 

Releasing throttle meant the car died instantly. It did get me home though. There's no way I will make it to a garage - it'll need to be recovered. 

Plugs are new, as are the Magnecor leads. 

Did you notice if the temp was still normal when it was like this?

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Yes. I do have an auxiliary fan that kicks in when the temperature gauge needles crosses into the dangerous half. It did kick in and stayed on earlier when I was stuck in traffic fearing a breakdown.

It did not the second time when I fueled up the car as the drive was too short.

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ALV,

OK, rubber slivers are a real thing, I' have, on occasion, had to take my carbs apart twice in quick succession to get clear of them. This can be done without removing the carbs from the car. Take the bottoms off the reservoirs, (5 screws on each)  undo the valves, ensure they are clear, pump some fuel through and ensure floats are free moving. Put it back together, you may have to do it again. 

Doug

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18 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

Because we are OLD ?

Doug

Hence the large text... saves me having to find my glasses.

The original problem does sound like fuel - running rich / flooding? Hence the smokey overflow onto the manifold? My 13/60 stank when running last year, far too rich and there were also fumes coming from the engine bay.

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