Misfire - disributor question

Website · Post by **dbroada** » 01 May 2007, 12:20

1,9l watercooled.....

I have had my van now for 3 years and has been running fine. At the end of last year it lost power going up a hill and never really recovered. For various reasons I have only recently got around to fixing it. I have changed most of the replacable bits - plugs, leads etc. but not altered any settings.

It now runs fine on the level but again lost power going up a hill and misfired horribly going down. Various people have suggested it may be the vacuum advance/retard not working however this

shows it hasn't got a vacuum can. Arrow B indicates that there is a hole in the side. Is that where it should be?

Also arrow A points to something that is free to rotate with no apparent restraint. I assume that is part of the timing trigger. These 2 photos show the extremes of travel.

There are a couple more photos on http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l168/dbroada/bits/ but I don't think you will find anything different.

Now, lots of questions, generally under the heading of HELP!!!

Is this likely to be the source of my problems?
Is this distributor normal?
If its not, why did it work?
And finally, how do I get my van running nicely again?

I haven't touched any settings and haven't checked the timing although I will be borrowing a timing lamp for the weekend.

Post by **Hacksawbob** » 01 May 2007, 13:10

Is this a game of guess the engine? DG 1.9? how did I do?

Website · Post by **dbroada** » 01 May 2007, 13:22

tbh - I've no idea. Its a 1,9 watercooled (as in my sig) but I don't know what type of engine.

Post by **Hacksawbob** » 01 May 2007, 13:44

Hi just an idea to put the engine type in the main section I dont tend to read the sigs. Here's a picture of a 1.9 you can compare against, do you know I cant see a vac advance on it though.... it also shows you where to look for your engine code although I'm not sure if this will affect what dizzy you have I think they were all the same
https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/images/1.9-D ... tem%29.jpg

Website · Post by **dbroada** » 01 May 2007, 14:00

mmm, not much engine visible to compare to. Mine is earlier than that as I have a different coolant plumbing but the carb looks the same!

As you say - I can't see a vac can either although the distributor appears to be fitted 90 degrees diferent if that plug on the side is anything to go by.

I'm sorry, I still can't see where the engine type code is on that photo. OK, found it now!

Post by **Hacksawbob** » 01 May 2007, 14:22

Actually yes there was an issue with how the dizzy was fitted it is 180 degs out so the wires are different.

Post by **Rozzo** » 01 May 2007, 18:48

looking at your pics m8, i'd say the black piece is deffo the ign pick-up,, and i'd also say that it shouldn't be free to move? it should i think be spring loaded as i think it will be joined to a centrifugal advance system of some kind which throws out as revs increase to increase the timing advance for more power. presuming the spring is broken this could explain the poor running? or if the advance mechanism is on the centre rotory part the pick up(black part) should be in a fixed position again explaining the poor running.
i'll fish around and see if i can find a drawing.
cheers
julian

Post by **Rozzo** » 01 May 2007, 19:33

as far as i can work out m8 from a crap piccy i've seen , the vacuum unit should be fixed to the side of the dizzy, with the mechanism going in through the oval hole in the side and somehow connecting to the black bit (hall sensor) to control its position.
how the heck its run right without it is a mystery for someone else to answer? but it deffo shouldnt just be free to move back and forth as its critical to ign timing.

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 01 May 2007, 21:09

I have vac advance units on the shelf.
Yours is missing, letting the baseplate of the dizzy to move around at will, which means your ignition timing is also free to move around at will.

Not good.

Post by **Rozzo** » 01 May 2007, 21:31

i can't see how its ever run right simon with the timing just dancin all over like that? maybe someone bodged/jammed it up somehow

superglue maybe

Website · Post by **dbroada** » 01 May 2007, 21:56

rozzolink, thanks for looking and Simon, you should have a pm.

I guess I've been lucky then! Actually when I first got the van it would have periods of running really rough which I put down to fuel starvation. Maybe it was related to this too.

And a piece of string question - how hard is it to add the can and set up the timing? I have looked through Haynes and I think I understand it all. Are there any gotchas I should be wary of? And finally (?) does anything actually lock that plate in position? Is there a screw or does it locate on the vacuum unit somehow? I don't have a unit to refer to.

Post by **Rozzo** » 01 May 2007, 22:14

hi m8
as i said before i only have a rubbish picture for reference but looking at it i'd say theres probably a pin that faces downward on the lever from the vac unit that drops into the hole in the pick up or a pin facing upward on the pick up that fits into a hole in the advancer lever?
my guess is that as well as the timing being all over the place you'd get damp/moisture into the dizzy through the oval hole which would make it run rougher than a bag of spanners.

it'll sing when you put it right.

Post by **T'Onion** » 02 May 2007, 07:15

dbroada

your engine code is stamped on the block just under the black oil breather tower ,which is just to the left of the alternator , possibly covered in grime like most , wipe it of and the first two digits will tell you the code ,
i.e DJ,DG,MV,DF ...

Post by **The_blue** » 02 May 2007, 09:06

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/images/CU-engine-top-1.JPG

Dizzy with vaccum unit fitted.

Website · Post by **dbroada** » 02 May 2007, 09:08

T'Onion wrote: possibly covered in grime

Surely not!

Thanks, its something I have been meaning to do for a looong time. I guess now is the time, I will spending some time in there this weekend so I'll read it then.