help, help

Post by **ben739** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:51 pm

hink i have a problem, i re gapped the points and changed the distributor cap and rotor arm. upon driving down the road, got it up to about 50mph and starting to feel a hiccup in the engine like a misfire or something like that. got back home, and as it was sitting in drive i opened bonnet, and turned the brass bolt with spring on bottom of carb counter clockwise to bring the idle down a bit, thought it might be running rich. is this sounding right, or am i going in the wrong direction?

Ben

i could use a good lookover on my traveller, if anyone is in Devon/Cornwall. i will buy you lunch.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:57 pm

Turning it down makes it more rich. Turn it up for weak. But the re-gapping may have upset the ignition timing - could be the reason for poor idle. Try moving the timing up and down a little to see if it idles a bit better. And re-check the points gap - it may have 'slipped'.

Post by **flying** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:10 pm

also if you have a dwell meter stick it on and it will tell you if the gap is too big or to small

Post by **ben739** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:25 pm

where can i buy a dwell meter, and how does it work?

Post by **flying** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:52 am

buy your self a decent voltmeter and make sure it has a dwell meter on it, you simple connect one to the body and one to the neg of the coil from memory then it gives u a reading when engine is running.

in the haynes manual under ignition section in the data it will give you what the dwell reading should be...if the number on the reading is to high then the gap is to big or if its to low the gap is to small ....but you will only need dwell meter if you play around with the contact breaker & you could set the gap by feeler gauges but using a dwell meter gets the gap perfect....obv you can set it without a dwell meter...i would try and borrow one if you dont do much car work

Post by **ColinP** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:48 am

After I've changed and re-gapped the poits, I stick the dwell meter on - usually 56 degrees.

I'd suspect the rotor are/ cap/ leads myself...
Do check that all the leads are fully connected, and that the cap/rotor arm fit is ok (the graphite centre contact and the off-centre ones. You may be unlucky to have a pair that don't quite maych - try the old ones in turn?

Colin