something serious...

[bmcecosse]

Check everything! Did you retighten after the first heat cycle - and re-set the valve gaps ?

[phurn]

Yes and yes!

[bmcecosse]

Sorry if this sounds petty - but are the gaps correct? Done in the 'rule of 9' ? If all ok there - then you have to go back to basics - points gap/leads/timing/carb tuning...........

[phurn]

So its more likely to be that than me messing the gasket up then?

[alex_holden]

Compression test? That would enable you to rule out a problem with the new gasket.

[phurn]

I don't have a tester but cranking it and putting my thumb over the spark plug hole I get four even bursts of pressure.... and at tick over or no stress it runs better than it ever has.

[chrisryder]

re-reading your first post in this thread, it sounds fairly similar. sounds to me like one of your initial problems is still there.

i daren't say it for fear of being shot down in a barage of insults... but have you tried swapping the coil for a known good one?

some will tell you that coils either work or don't work. but when mine started to fail, it started with a backfire or two, then progressed to misfiring going up hills. and ended with nice smooth tickover but as soon as you revved it, it would misfire.

if you've got another coil knocking about i'd give it a go if i were you.

[phurn]

Alas the only coil I have lying around is from a 924 which is no help here! I'll file out what I can though I won't have any time till Monday now =[

[chrisryder]

where abouts in birmingham are you phurn? i'm up on the lickeys near the longbridge 'factory'

i can come over with a coil if you're not far away!

[phurn]

Not actually in Birmingham unfortunately.... I'm in walsall, so complete.opposite side to you =[

[chrisryder]

well if you do get rediculously flumoxed, i'm happy to help!

[bmcecosse]

" i daren't say it for fear of being shot down in a barage of insults. "

[phurn]

Well ill rule everything else out I can first, save you a journey but thanks for the offer!

[phurn]

fully fixed! turns out it was a bad connection.... but a very strage one.

i took my hd leads off, fitted these devices i have that flash everytime theres a spark at the corresponding plug... cost me a pound a few years back. anyway turns out that all 4 plugs were sparking at the same time! i spent ages chacking everythign over then remembered, the connection to the coil was abit loose so i pushed it on further, out of curiousity i pulled it back to where it used ot be, and now everything works fine, no problems what so ever... pulls like a train. and the oil leak i originally had when i baught there car has gone too!

all in all, a success alround. even if it took 5 days =/

now i never, ever want to see a head gasket again!

[alex_holden]

That's weird. Which connector caused the problem? Any idea what was happening when it was pushed in too far?

[phurn]

The ht that find from the coil to the distributor, not a clue why its like that but I'm not moaning.

[alex_holden]

The distributor end of the lead, presumably?

[phurn]

No The coiled end! That's what made it confusing!

[bmcecosse]

It's not making much sense..........In fact - no sense at all! Oh dear.... At least it wasn't the coil!

[chrisryder]

ofcourse, it's never the coil!