Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,

Had a trip to Vdubatthepub over the weekend and all was well until about 40 miles from home.
My van started spluttering quite bad, like it was misfiring, and now and then could smell fuel (maybe it was flooding as it was missing?)
A friend was behind me and said they saw a puff of what looked like black smoke from the left side of where the exhaust is.
I managed to get home, it started to run ok on its own, the mis fire seemed to had gone but it wouldnt tick over at all.
this happened while going 55mph at about 3k revs

I had a look in my engine bay and there was now what looked like black carbon on the underside of the engine bay that wasnt there before, and what looks to be like oil from the bottom of the distributor. I removed the dizzy cap, and the rotor arm is burnt and the cap looks to have seen better days, even though they were both new 3k miles ago.

Any idea as to what the issue could be with it not ticking over now? ive checked the vacuum hoses and they are ok.

E D I T: ive already put in a new rotor arm and dizzy cap.

heres a few pics of what I found





the state of the plugs, i expected them to be black but they wasnt.


 

I am not a petrol guy but one thing I notice is that the carbon brush in the distributor cap has not been rubbing correctly on the rotor. It should sit central in the cap not how it is at present.
That would be my first port of call.

Yes, you can see on the rotor arm where it's gone off centre. Also the contacts in the cap, the one one the left looks badly worn, one on the right looks clean.

Not something simple like a worn/broken clip so the cap was jumping about is it?

aec wrote: ↑23 Aug 2022, 13:54 Yes, you can see on the rotor arm where it's gone off centre. Also the contacts in the cap, the one one the left looks badly worn, one on the right looks clean.

Not something simple like a worn/broken clip so the cap was jumping about is it?

the clips seem to be fine. the cap doesn't move when they are in place.
with the new ones on it starts fine and runs fine, just doesnt idle now for some reason

is it me, or an optical illusion from the camera, or is that middle pin bent and a chunk out of the outer pin?

Replace that cap and arm 

Shinnster wrote: ↑23 Aug 2022, 13:58

aec wrote: ↑23 Aug 2022, 13:54 Yes, you can see on the rotor arm where it's gone off centre. Also the contacts in the cap, the one one the left looks badly worn, one on the right looks clean.

Not something simple like a worn/broken clip so the cap was jumping about is it?

the clips seem to be fine. the cap doesn't move when they are in place.
with the new ones on it starts fine and runs fine, just doesnt idle now for some reason

When whatever destructive thing happened to the arm and cap, wonder if they clashed hard enough to pull the dizzy body round slightly and throw the timing out enough to stop it idling?

Or has the shaft got distorted (hence the off-centre rotation, and oil leak) What do the new rotor arm and cap look like after running for a bit? showing any signs of off-centre running now? Hopefully not.
 

Stesaw wrote: ↑23 Aug 2022, 14:24
Replace that cap and arm 

already been replaced now and it still doesnt idle

smiffo... not an illusion, that is how it looks lol

aec wrote: ↑23 Aug 2022, 18:51

Shinnster wrote: ↑23 Aug 2022, 13:58

aec wrote: ↑23 Aug 2022, 13:54 Yes, you can see on the rotor arm where it's gone off centre. Also the contacts in the cap, the one one the left looks badly worn, one on the right looks clean.

Not something simple like a worn/broken clip so the cap was jumping about is it?

the clips seem to be fine. the cap doesn't move when they are in place.
with the new ones on it starts fine and runs fine, just doesnt idle now for some reason

When whatever destructive thing happened to the arm and cap, wonder if they clashed hard enough to pull the dizzy body round slightly and throw the timing out enough to stop it idling?

Or has the shaft got distorted (hence the off-centre rotation, and oil leak) What do the new rotor arm and cap look like after running for a bit? showing any signs of off-centre running now? Hopefully not.

i'll give it a few miles run today and have a look, see if they look funky or not.
 

update:
ran the van for about 15 miles, and the rotor arm looks good, no issues with it not being centered.
it literally drives fine but won't idle, no mis firing or spluttering etc. took out the idle jet and that is clean, cleaned it more anyway. and cleaned the small filter on the inlet pipe to the carb (pierburg) but still no joy.

the issues all started after filling up with fuel. could it be possible i have a crap batch of fuel that has clogged up my carb somewhere? ? 

What fuel did you put in and how much?  Could be some manky fuel (i've had it before on my scoot where it ran rough) - i'd suggest topping up with Super (go to Esso where it's 99+) and see if it makes a difference.

Maybe turn your idle screw in a bit to compensate for a bit, When did you change your fuel filter last?

300CE wrote: ↑24 Aug 2022, 15:06 What fuel did you put in and how much?  Could be some manky fuel (i've had it before on my scoot where it ran rough) - i'd suggest topping up with Super (go to Esso where it's 99+) and see if it makes a difference.

I put in E10, and it was £30. same as ive done for the past with no issues.
Ive put in another £40 today of E5 and hopefully i'll see some improvement.

Stesaw wrote: ↑24 Aug 2022, 16:19 Maybe turn your idle screw in a bit to compensate for a bit, When did you change your fuel filter last?

I'll give that a go... once I read up on how to do it lol
fuel filter is 8 months old and looks good.

Its the screw that faces you on the right of the carb, Might have a plastic cover over it. Clockwise increases revs ccw reduces if I recall right .