Club 80-90 Forums

Hi Guys, thanks in advance for reading and any help much appreciated.  I'll have to give you a bit of background to the problem first.  T25 1986 petrol 1.9.  My son's campervan.  I do all the maintainance on it.  I noted a few weeks back an oil leak that dripped slowly but continually.  Also that the engine was lumpy on tickover as though running on 3.  He works on festivals so uses the van a lot this time of year up and down the country. He wanted to leave the lumpy idle until he came back at the end of the season.  I assume somewhere between festivals the oil leak emptied the engine and it threw a rod and blew a hole in the block!  I have put in a second hand engine which came with all ancilliary parts, Carb, distributer, leads etc.  With the second hand engine it also has a very lumpy tickover and small backfire.  I've adjusted tappets as per on here new leads, plugs. The carb came with it but it seems to me that the issue is the same with both engines.  
To my question, whilst investigating I pulled each lead off one at a time and there was no change whatsoever in engine revs at all.  Only when I pulled off two leads did it make any difference.  To clarify no matter which lead I pulled off there was no difference in tickover and yet it sounds and shakes as though running on 3.  Although not impossible given my luck, to have inherited an engine with the same issue as the old one I will go down the route of changing things out that didn't come with the engine such as coil, fuel filter etc but I am at a loss to understand how it can be that with any lead removed it runs the same as with all 4 leads on?  Any help as always much appreciated

see post below - wbx disi woes

Mine did that and it was rotor arm blown between centre electrode and tip.
(I bought a dizzy as a spare)

Hi Guys, many thanks for all your responses and suggestions.  I have now purchased and fitted new plugs, leads, coil, cap, rotor arm, fuel filter, air filter, oil and filter.  I have adjusted the pre-load on the tappets (again) and ran a compression test after.  All cylinders are around 175 PSI (12 bar).  I added each new item and tested to see that if it cured the problem I would know which item it was that was breaking down.  I started with plugs and air filter.  started it up, it ran on choke lovely for a couple of minutes then started getting lumpy although no back fire or misfire just lumpy.  as it warmed up it got progressively worse and was back to as before really lumpy tickover which finally ends up dieing.  You  will remember that this is a replacement engine so I have all the ancillaries from the old engine so changed the carb over but no difference.  The only thing I am not sure about is the wiring to the carb.  there is a fat red lead going under the carb into the manifold which has no current going to it when the engine is running, I'm not sure what that is maybe some kind of manifold heater?  then there are three black wires which go to the overrun soloniod and two other places all are constant live.  I'm out of ideas now so if anybody has any thoughts please let me know other than a match and a gallon of petrol. Oh that reminds me the new fuel filter is full and what's in there looks healther enough there is no sludge in the float chamber.  Thanks for your time as always much appreciated.

Although you have changed tyhe carb, you may have changed 1 2e3 for another 2e3 with issues. Commonly the 2e3's auto choke  can play up. clean the return springs with lots of carb cleaner, check they are all there , intact and loacted correctly. Lubricatate with light machine oil. 

Also regardless of anything or everything, if not done replace all of the vaccum lines. and check for a split diaphragms on the choke pull down, secondary acceleratior  and dizzy vacuum advalnce.  

Whilst unusual , it maybe the ignition amp failing. It's a standard Bosch 7 pin unit.