Mystery Engine Problem

[Andysdad]

I recently experienced a problem I have never come across before. I took my '71 Traveller on an approximately 15 mile journey. As it always has in the past,( I've had it about a year now),it started first time and ran smoothly all the way. I returned after about an hour and was a bit surprised that it need full choke to start again but it did. For about five miles the engine had no power unless I kept it on full choke, after this five miles I was able to reduce and then close the choke. It then ran normally. Normally I use full choke to start but then start knocking it off almost immediately and in this warmer weather completely of after a couple of hundred yards.
The choke cable is not loose, fuel is pumping correctly there is no sign of anything loose or not as it should be on the carb (SU)
The car has run complexly normally over the last couple of days.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Cheers Dave

[bmcecosse]

Carb icing?

[simmitc]

Crud in the fuel?

[beero]

Check the fuel filter and the fuel pump delivery, sounds like it could be intermittent fuel starvation.

[kennatt]

could be bit of grit stuck in the carb bowl needle valve or sticky needle/valve,preventing full bowl of petrol,now cleared . Just wait to see if it happens again,if so with ignition on,... tap,gently... the top of the fuel bowl and see if the pump gives a spurt of activity.Which will confirm the above. If so, maybe due a new needle and valve assembly, Very cheap and easy to do.

[Andysdad]

Thanks for the replies guys. I didn't think of dirt in the fuel because I would have thought it would have resulted in 'kangeroo' symptoms but I will investigate further. Pretty sure the fuel pump is pk because I could hear it clicking away as normal.
Any way looks like I will get have to check a bit deeper and or see if it happens again.
Cheers

Dave

[Andysdad]

Hi; For those of you that follow these things, I think it was dirt/sand in the carb. Took the top off the float chamber and it didn't seem too bad but there was evidence of the sandy type stuff you get in there. Tried to clean it out without removing the carb and I got the same symptoms as before. Took it off and did the job properly and the symptoms went away. Just hope it lasts.
Thanks again to everyone who contributed.

Dave

[bmcecosse]

It's not sand - it's rust from the tank............