Powerless!

[TimM]

I have a '61 2 door which had a problem with sudden engine problems with oil being pushed out of the car when the car is under load. It transpires that this was caused by too much engine oil creating pressure.

Now, the car has a new carb, etc but is still not able to accelerate and has no power. Could this indicate that it simply needs new plugs as they may have been burned out when the engine problem occurred?

The car starts OK but sounds pretty rough. I replaced one of the spark plugs and the other three are blackened but were also recently changed.

Thank you! Tim

[James k]

Hi,

Could you give more detail on the oil problem, please? When you say it was being pushed out of the carb, where exactly was it going in and out? I can only imagine it being sucked in through the breather tube and then into the engine, or was it something else?

When it had too much oil, was it running okay otherwise and did it have power?

What was the reason for the carb needing replacement rather than just cleaning out? How was the mixture set when the new carb was installed?

Thanks,
James

[TimM]

Hi James,

Thanks for the reply. The oil came out of the car, not the carburetor. It squirted out of the bottom of the engine, through any place it could To be honest, I did just clean out the carb and air filter, jets, etc. The car ran fine up until it was placed under duress and then I think the pressure of the excess oil caused it to squirt it out. It could however limp home without too much problem.

What do you think that I may have burned out the plugs?

Thanks again,

Tim

[oliver90owner]

If the engine is filled to the correct level, there cannot be ‘too much in the engine’

I suspect you have a crankcase pressure issue. Either no ventilation or excessive piston blow-by.

[James k]

Ah, okay, understand now. Since you mentioned replacing the carb, I assumed you'd just mistyped and missed off the b the first time round.

Yes, if there's oil being forced out the engine, and not just dripping, you must have pressure in the crankcase. What type of breather system do you have and is it all clear?

If I understand correctly, the car was running fine until you placed some demand on it and then it's been running badly since. Is that right?

I would start by doing a quick compression test to rule out, or indeed confirm, head gasket failure.

Thanks

[TimM]

Thank you, will do!

[simmitc]

There's a lot going on here.

The car has a "new carb etc". Why was the carb changed? What carb is now fitted? What is the "etc"?

The oil level was too high. Why was it overfilled? The dipstick is easy to use.

A lot of concern about "burnt out" plugs. Genuinely burnt out plugs are very rare. One was changed. Why? Yjr other three are black. This could be oil or a rich mixture, need to clarify which.

If I understand correctly, the car starts well but then lacks power. Has it always been like that, or is it specifically since the oil was overfilled?

I agree with above suggestion, first thing is to check compression, then service the engine properly - clean and set points, set timing, adjust valve clearances, check and if necessary replace air filter, adjust mixture. perform proper oil and filter change. Assess results.

[TimM]

If the engine is filled to the correct level, there cannot be ‘too much in the engine’

I suspect you have a crankcase pressure issue. Either no ventilation or excessive piston blow-by.

The car was not filled to the correct level, it had too much oil. Could this have caused the problem?

[Jim McCrae]

I agree with the other suggestions about a proper engine service. I would also add that you should check the state of the ignition leads, distributor cap etc. I would as a matter of course replace the points and condenser. if you are concerned about the plugs you can clean them with a brass wire brush.

A couple of thoughts about the carburettor -
* Check the gasket between the carb and manifold for damage/air leaks.
* Make sure the piston moves freely up and down
* Make sure you have refilled the damper tube on top of the carb with oil.

Good luck

[simmitc]

Tim,

Could this have caused the problem?

But which problem? Can you please respond to earlier questions, we do need some more information in order to best help you. You say that the car is running rough and lacks power. That could be a head gasket. It could also be a stuck choke (particularly if the plugs are sooty rather than oily) and binding brakes.

Two other things to check:
What is the state of the water in the radiator - oily, low, clear, ponging or odourless?
Is the engine running n all 4 cylinders or only only 2 or 3?

There are lots of possibilities, we need to know a proper history and exactly what is happening now if we are to find the correct solution for you.

[TimM]

Tim,

Could this have caused the problem?

But which problem? Can you please respond to earlier questions, we do need some more information in order to best help you. You say that the car is running rough and lacks power. That could be a head gasket. It could also be a stuck choke (particularly if the plugs are sooty rather than oily) and binding brakes.

Two other things to check:
What is the state of the water in the radiator - oily, low, clear, ponging or odourless?
Is the engine running n all 4 cylinders or only only 2 or 3?

There are lots of possibilities, we need to know a proper history and exactly what is happening now if we are to find the correct solution for you.

I do not think it's the head gasket. The engine doesn't overheat and it has been pressure tested...all fine. The water in the rad is also good. Brakes also fine and the choke is not stuck. The engine is running on 4 cylinders.

[James k]

You should still check the compression. If the head gasket has blown between two cylinders, it won't cause it to overheat and it won't cause dirty oil. A compression test will also give an overview of general engine condition so is the best place to start, in my opinion.

[oliver90owner]

If the engine is filled to the correct level, there cannot be ‘too much in the engine’

I suspect you have a crankcase pressure issue. Either no ventilation or excessive piston blow-by.

The car was not filled to the correct level, it had too much oil. Could this have caused the problem?

Of course. They did not provide a dipstick for no good reason. Low level can lead to engine failure due to lack of proper lubrication and excessively high can mean the crank shaft is striking the oil - bad news. Loss of power and potentially a broken crankshaft can be outcomes. Oil will leak from seals at back (and likely the front, even at rest if the oil is stupidly over-filled to the point of the level above the crankseals.

[TimM]

OK, so I have been looking at the car and the problem seems to be in the mixture. Where would be a good starting place to re-set the carb so that it doesn't run too richly?

[James k]

First, double check that the choke isn't stuck. It's caught me out before as the outer sheath of the cable can snag where it attaches to the carb.

For a base setting, if I remember correctly, screw the mixture adjustment nut on the jet all the way up then back it up two full turns. Start and warm up the engine then lift the piston slightly using the lift pin. If the mixture is correct, the revs should rise briefly then return to normal. If too rich, they'll rise and stay high and too lean, the engine will sputter like it's about to stall. Adjust the nut one flat at a time in the appropriate direction and repeat the test until the behaviour indicates correct mixture.

How did you narrow it down to a problem with the mixture?

[les]

I’ve got a feeling the factory manual gives a description of the basic carb settings and how to achieve this, must admit I haven’t opened my manual for a while. I seem to recall starting with getting the main jet flush with the bottom of the carb body, then so many turns down.
Opps sorry, the above post has just beat me to it, while I was typing this reply. Oh well !!

[TimM]

Thanks guys. I'll give it a go tomorrow. Fingers crossed I've narrowed it down correctly, really these are the only things that I have changed since it was running OK.