Another little story - last Thursday:-
Vart came over to visit the lair of the Mac with a few running problems - I suspect his motor may have been previously owned by somebody 'who knows all about cars'.
Main problems - poor starting, ineffective choke, hot idle at 1100-1200 rpm and (unsurprisingly) running on, general lack of power.
Discovered - carb top bolts loose, 1 stripped thread in carb body, the usual air cleaner studs replaced with nut n'bolts, float chamber vent valve missing, accelerator pump jet very loose and directed into secondary choke, didn't matter as acc.pump operating arm was seized, full load choke pull off diaphram holed, full choke /throttle progression cam spring incorrectly fitted,
idle solenoid n/w (terminal broken inside), idle adjustment screw wound right in to compensate.
3 seized spark plugs, 1 plug not fully home.
One 'laying on of hands' later - carb restored to some semblance of health,
replacement idle solenoid, vent valve and choke pull off diaphram fitted.
Test drive - Vart reports car now moves when throttle pressed.!!.
Left plugs to an engineering firm near his home, rather than risk stranding him on my drive. (Vart now reports plugs fixed - 4 plugs removed, one thread restored).
Oh - we also sorted his n/w rear wiper, and the n/w boot light.
Guess we made a difference - he's coming back on Saturday for tappets and anything else that's falling off !!
Mac.
who's doing what to whos' car.
since then its had an oil change and filter and today for the bargain price of just 65p a throw new wipers from gsf (available in all the popular sizes if anyone wants any). the incredibly un helpful hanyes and volvo manuals were of almost no use in getting the old ones off. however i figured out it was actually quite easy.
since mac has reversed the effects of me and whomever played/abused it last it runs poifect. the clickety click of the tappets is almost soothing 'cept i'd rather have them sorted.
i also tried some bumper black also from gsf today with mixed results. sure is a darker shade of grey but its not the best.
it did develop an exciting knocking sound that i thought was the speedo cable catching on the wheels. turns out i didn't tighten the wheel nuts on the passenger side front wheel.......................
i'm tempted to clean the engine bay but i quite like the collection of rat droppings i've been collecting around the suspension turrent. the spiders in the wing mirrors seem edgy tho since its annual bath, takes them days to sort out their webs now.
all in all i must say mac has made it run as smooth as it can be. fuel economy is also around 40 now which is nicer than the 28 it used to be.
since mac has reversed the effects of me and whomever played/abused it last it runs poifect. the clickety click of the tappets is almost soothing 'cept i'd rather have them sorted.
i also tried some bumper black also from gsf today with mixed results. sure is a darker shade of grey but its not the best.
it did develop an exciting knocking sound that i thought was the speedo cable catching on the wheels. turns out i didn't tighten the wheel nuts on the passenger side front wheel.......................
i'm tempted to clean the engine bay but i quite like the collection of rat droppings i've been collecting around the suspension turrent. the spiders in the wing mirrors seem edgy tho since its annual bath, takes them days to sort out their webs now.
all in all i must say mac has made it run as smooth as it can be. fuel economy is also around 40 now which is nicer than the 28 it used to be.
1986 1.4DL - 147,000 - C746 VRT
It is astonishing what some people who 'know about cars' will try and do isn't it 
Chris's car had all the jets in the wrong way round and the float out of adjustment, and this was by a main dealer trying to get the car to idle, when it was in fact another problem causing that, destroyed fuel hoses. Result, when the correct fuelling was restored, over rich running and although running much much better, cos I've not got correct specs for the Weber carb replacement for a B172K still some issues, such as float adjustment height.
Good work that man
Out of interest how did they get those seized plugs out?
Chris's car had all the jets in the wrong way round and the float out of adjustment, and this was by a main dealer trying to get the car to idle, when it was in fact another problem causing that, destroyed fuel hoses. Result, when the correct fuelling was restored, over rich running and although running much much better, cos I've not got correct specs for the Weber carb replacement for a B172K still some issues, such as float adjustment height.
Good work that man
Out of interest how did they get those seized plugs out?
Havn't actually spoken to Vart since he had the plugs sorted (just e-mails).
I think the plugs were in reality just very tight - not fully seized. Vart had had a go to get them out but couldn't budge 3 of them - and couldn't get the 4th. fully tight. The guy he bought the car from had promised to 'sort it out' for him - hummm!. Second thoughts prevailed and he dropped the motor in to an engineering firm near his home. (I am quite sure I could have got the plugs out - but we didn't want to risk bringing the threads out as well, stranding him in my drive until I could 'helicoil' the plug holes.).
The old plugs quite obviously had been in there for ages and I think tighter than Varts diy plug spanner could handle - I guess a breaker bar and a plug thread 'chaser' solved the problem (actually showed Vart a chaser and described the 'best case' result - but you're cautious when the plugs are almost buried in rust and aluminium corrosion!!)).
Vart! - wheel nuts loose - what are you like! - I'll have a torque wrench on them on Saturday - and slap your wrists. !!!
Mac.
I think the plugs were in reality just very tight - not fully seized. Vart had had a go to get them out but couldn't budge 3 of them - and couldn't get the 4th. fully tight. The guy he bought the car from had promised to 'sort it out' for him - hummm!. Second thoughts prevailed and he dropped the motor in to an engineering firm near his home. (I am quite sure I could have got the plugs out - but we didn't want to risk bringing the threads out as well, stranding him in my drive until I could 'helicoil' the plug holes.).
The old plugs quite obviously had been in there for ages and I think tighter than Varts diy plug spanner could handle - I guess a breaker bar and a plug thread 'chaser' solved the problem (actually showed Vart a chaser and described the 'best case' result - but you're cautious when the plugs are almost buried in rust and aluminium corrosion!!)).
Vart! - wheel nuts loose - what are you like! - I'll have a torque wrench on them on Saturday - and slap your wrists. !!!
Mac.
tappets sorted today by mac, cars much quieter now, now more clickety from what sounds like the fresh air inlets. rear wiper system correctly soldered back together working properly.
the filth inside the rocker cover was quite good, took lots of white spirit to be rid of it but with it all cleaned out a dose of primer and paint made the cover as good as new.
the effects of T-Cut on my paintwork have been demoed and i hope to have it all cleaned up by next week sometime, whenever theres a grey day and i'm not at work. i'll try and dig out a picture too.
mac, discovered a new problem on the drive home, one i've had before but not as badly. filled up to the brim to see what the economy was and just as the pump clicked i heard the drippety sound of falling umm drips. seems theres a hole somewhere in the tank or the filler pipe. after 20 quids worth there was no leak but at full (£28) it was leaking. not much and it had stopped by the time i'd got home 4 hills and 5 miles later. my 1.7 would have leaked for an hour on flat roads or stopped........
assuming filler pipe hole? or overflow?
cheers again tho, much appreciated.
the filth inside the rocker cover was quite good, took lots of white spirit to be rid of it but with it all cleaned out a dose of primer and paint made the cover as good as new.
the effects of T-Cut on my paintwork have been demoed and i hope to have it all cleaned up by next week sometime, whenever theres a grey day and i'm not at work. i'll try and dig out a picture too.
mac, discovered a new problem on the drive home, one i've had before but not as badly. filled up to the brim to see what the economy was and just as the pump clicked i heard the drippety sound of falling umm drips. seems theres a hole somewhere in the tank or the filler pipe. after 20 quids worth there was no leak but at full (£28) it was leaking. not much and it had stopped by the time i'd got home 4 hills and 5 miles later. my 1.7 would have leaked for an hour on flat roads or stopped........
assuming filler pipe hole? or overflow?
cheers again tho, much appreciated.
1986 1.4DL - 147,000 - C746 VRT
What type of car is it? If its a 1.4 or a 1.7 then its the hoses to and from the expansion tank and the main breather hose. Also could be the fuel inlet and return in the sender at the top of the tank too. They're all made out of that cloth covered grot and seem to perish in about 2/3 years.
We've had them so bad that fuel delivery has stopped
Answer, remove and replace with good quality thick rubber hose.
We've had them so bad that fuel delivery has stopped
Answer, remove and replace with good quality thick rubber hose.
Hi pettaw, I've actually been having a PM converstion with foggy on this very suject - extract from my last message :-
you may well be right and the tank top is holed - but if you only get a smell when the tank is full, the problem may just be the expansion tank or it's piping behind the o/s boot trim panel (I have known the bottom pipe stub on the plastic tank to crack).
Varts motor is indeed a B14 (3door). As 'his' leak is external I would suspect a breather pipe - or any bets on it being the 'overflow' drain behind the filler cap !!! I've known that to be called a leak.
All the best - Mac.
you may well be right and the tank top is holed - but if you only get a smell when the tank is full, the problem may just be the expansion tank or it's piping behind the o/s boot trim panel (I have known the bottom pipe stub on the plastic tank to crack).
Varts motor is indeed a B14 (3door). As 'his' leak is external I would suspect a breather pipe - or any bets on it being the 'overflow' drain behind the filler cap !!! I've known that to be called a leak.
All the best - Mac.
the smell of petrol was inside the car for a while. i just took it for a 45 mile trip and after about 30 miles the smell had gone, no leaks i can see. the actual drips were coming from the space between the side of the tank and the side of the car from about filler pipe level. when i had this trouble with the 1.7 you could tell it was from all over as it came from the same space plus it ran down the side of the tank and sort of flowed down every adjacent surface.
it lost i'd say about half a pint tops at the petrol station.
you'd have thought i would get a discount at total from working there but i don't, student loan pays for petrol. better than paying for books.....
full tanks the only way i can see of working out economy as the gauge is so excitingly inaccurate.
engine very smooth now.
it lost i'd say about half a pint tops at the petrol station.
you'd have thought i would get a discount at total from working there but i don't, student loan pays for petrol. better than paying for books.....
full tanks the only way i can see of working out economy as the gauge is so excitingly inaccurate.
engine very smooth now.
1986 1.4DL - 147,000 - C746 VRT
We've had 3 300s with this fuel tank arrangement and all 3 of them suffered exactly the same failure. Stupid us put the same cloth hoses back again the first time.....result......leakage restarted in about 2-3 years.
TBH this isn't too serious, you just remember to not fill the tank up quite so much. The more serious one is when the hoses on the sender unit in the top disintegrate, that means the fuel pump starts drawing emulsion rather than pure fuel and that leads to driveability problems.
Hopefully in a car of this age it will have been done at least once before so the stupid one piece clips have been replaced with proper clips.
TBH this isn't too serious, you just remember to not fill the tank up quite so much. The more serious one is when the hoses on the sender unit in the top disintegrate, that means the fuel pump starts drawing emulsion rather than pure fuel and that leads to driveability problems.
Hopefully in a car of this age it will have been done at least once before so the stupid one piece clips have been replaced with proper clips.
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foggyjames
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I think Andy (Pettaw) and Pete (Pesky Farrell)'s weekend trip to South Devon to fix up Nessy must be a record...although I think we had a fairly fun time!
I'll reply to your PM about the tank in a moment Mac...
cheers
James
I'll reply to your PM about the tank in a moment Mac...
cheers
James
VOC 300-series Register Keeper
'89 740 Turbo Intercooler
'88 360 Turbo Intercooler
'85 360 GLT
'81 343 GLS R-Sport
'79 343 DL
'70 164
...and some modern FWD nonsense to get me to work...
'89 740 Turbo Intercooler
'88 360 Turbo Intercooler
'85 360 GLT
'81 343 GLS R-Sport
'79 343 DL
'70 164
...and some modern FWD nonsense to get me to work...
-
petefarrell360
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See my post in the Dyno results thread about my fuel consumption!!! Dead chuffed!!!
Andy also forgot to mention the wrong renix had been swapped in... a pre unleaded 1.7 one, so timing was 2 degs out.
Andy also forgot to mention the wrong renix had been swapped in... a pre unleaded 1.7 one, so timing was 2 degs out.
'89(G) 340 GLE B172k
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
Ex:
'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
Ex:
'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast
another extended lunchtime servicing revealed more interesting elements of my car.
went in to see mac cause the brakes felt 'a bit funny' and lo and behold the cylinders were shot (later diagnosis showed they'd mostly seized). replaced these and bled the brakes.
replaced the fan belt.
then we came to the renix. this had died on me after owning the car for a few months and was replaced by its former keeper (sort of a mechanic) with one in his words "found in the back of my shed". this turned out to be coded 406. i'd be running on a b200k (406) renix for the last 5000 odd miles. hazah, the car goes up hills without pinky noises.
oh, air re-con had a replacement 1 way valve. bets on how long the vacuum holds will take place on the 1st and 21st of each month.
went in to see mac cause the brakes felt 'a bit funny' and lo and behold the cylinders were shot (later diagnosis showed they'd mostly seized). replaced these and bled the brakes.
replaced the fan belt.
then we came to the renix. this had died on me after owning the car for a few months and was replaced by its former keeper (sort of a mechanic) with one in his words "found in the back of my shed". this turned out to be coded 406. i'd be running on a b200k (406) renix for the last 5000 odd miles. hazah, the car goes up hills without pinky noises.
oh, air re-con had a replacement 1 way valve. bets on how long the vacuum holds will take place on the 1st and 21st of each month.
1986 1.4DL - 147,000 - C746 VRT