Get up and go...

[willard]

I am hping that a few of you on here may be able to help me out. I know that the vans aren't renwned for their track like performance (with the exception of a handful of motors on here), but since I have had my van (nearly 2 years) it seems to have lost a bit of oomph! I have had a new silenser and tail pipe and a service (all fluids, filters etc), but sometimes when its running along it feels like it's being held back, and then gets over it and carries on fine. It may sound odd but its like it is literally being held and then let go! It has also cut out once or twice when idling not after starting, but after warming up. Once it's on a run it does cruise apng at 60 happily and will do more, but not as well as it used too (I appreciate it's had it's 21st birthday recently so if it's just age tell me!).

It's a 1.9 DG on an F plate. I am no mechanic at all so please bear this in mind if you respond I have the Haynes manual and can find stuff on the engine, but have few tools and experience - I also have to work on the raod side so daren't leave anything half done. The local mechanic is good, but I wanted to ask you guys so I don't talk to him blind!

It's due the annual medical in 2-3 weeks so if it need surgery it can go in now.

Cheers....in anticipation

[Ian Hulley]

Have you changed the inline fuel filter, spark plugs, cap, arm and HT leads ?

Ian.

[willard]

Cheers. Fuel filter yes, other items...no!

Guess thats the place to start! Any particular order or just do the lot and be done with it? I think I could do all of this and I know I can get all the parts on-line. So sounds fairly straight forward.

I guess this may improve my fuel consumtion too!?

[silverbullet]

Sounds a bit like the coil starting to break down or maybe another ignition fault.

[Damien]

Sounds like timing/ignition problem.

If it hasn't been done for a while i'd check/replace leads, plugs, cap, rotor arm, check the timing is set correctly and advance is working. General check over breathers and vacuum pipes for condition, test drive see how it goes, .

You should really be able to do most of the above with basic skills and tools, checking the timing would need a garage (unless you have/can obtain a timing light).

[willard]

Cheers all. Looks like a busy few hours to while away. Better get ordering. Sure if I put my mind to it I could do it...

Thanks again for the tips. I'll let you know if I fail miserably

[Ian Hulley]

Replace the cap with the old leads in place ... take a photo first ... and then replace each lead one at a time ! If the plugs are the single electrode style clean and re-gap them using a feeler guage, keep them for next time you service it. Keep the cap, arm, longest plug lead and the 'king' lead from the coil to the dizzy cap. These are valuable roadside recovery spares.

Ian.

[R0B]

worth a mention.folks stick a fuel filter in the engine bay not realising there is one just after the tank.this one can get clogged.check it out.

[willard]

Thanks again fro all your replies....definately no fuel filter in the engine bay (I did check that). As I said I will work through the recommended changes (thanKs Ian) and let you know what happens! I may become a simpleton mechanic yet.

Cheers.

[kevtherev]

air leaks?
biggest culprit is the brake vacuum hose (from the manifold) and the vacuum hose to the distributor and air filter box

[willard]

Okay...drove to work this morning and the symptoms were there so when I'd parked up, opened the hach and had a look at the vacuum hose from dissy to air filter. The dissy/ vacuum unit end looked a bit fraid around the edges and when I touched it it fell off...at bothe ends of the pipe So, pushed the ends back onto the relevant parts at each end (I think as I didn't see where the end of the piep fell from) - looking down at the top of the engine one end of the hose came away from the metal diaphram behind the dissy and the other end went rounf the back of the air intake/ carb on top of the engine.

Oil breather hose is starting to perish through at the connection so will be replacing that with the cheap alternative recommended on here previously.
Hopefully these 2 will assist for the moment while I await new leads, plugs, rotor and clean the dissy etc. what difference does a limited/ unlimited rotor make (other than RPM) to the general running of the engine?

Cheers, for all your help so far, will keep you all posted.

Willard

[Ian Hulley]

Buy the unrestricted one ... far less to go wrong. If you wish/can afford it buy a s/h clock set with a rev counter in, at your van's age they're plug and play (well our's was) Billy numbers has them occasionally. That way you can see what's happening if you can't hear it.

Ian.