bad times My current engine (AM2 Dyane6) came with my car as a spare as im sure everyone knows by now... anyways we got it running... ive been using it since august, it used to be a rocket and fly.... loved the high revs, i had 80 out of it.... maybe abit too much? was downhill anyways.... ever since haberdashers, shes been playing up... the drive home was fine, then during the course of the week... starting took longer and on a couple of mornings... quite a few attempts... turned out my condensor was failing and the points were quite low/pitted, so a brand spanking new pointsbox with contacts/condensor fitted was brought... couldnt get the timing right... believed it was due to it being an aftermarket box and not made as well... so managed to get an original box with screws that didnt unthread as i loosened them and im now using an original box with new everything..

i cant get the car to run properly.... i did it by the book... timing marks etc, timed it with the strobe... got it perfect.... but imagine my scenario

im doing 60 on the dualcarriageway/motorway in 4th obviously...

i accelerate... engine tone changes as fuel goes in... but it doesnt pick up, you can feel it hesitating and it takes a very long time to pick upto 70 compared to how it used to drive...

before i'd rest my foot on 2nd choke... so before 2nd choke of the throttle and she would glide all the way to 75 at ease.... now absolutely flat out... she barely does over 70....

i have spent the last 3 weeks tweaking the timing, adjusting as much as i can... and i cant get it right... it still hesitates nomatter what i do...

I've done a compression test today, and both sides are well into the 160's

but i dont know whether it could be another problem, or could it be more coil/leads related... im using a different set of leads and it feels the same, maybe abit more responsive low down... but high up it still hesitates...

dont know what todo any help will be greatly appreicated

thanks, Joe

i had similar syptoms with an old coil-it all worked fine satrted hot or cold but was amazed when i tried a new coil.

but from sounds of it the timing isnt right

is the thin metal dust sheet behind the box flat or has it "popped" does it
touch the avance weights

have you used the correct screw for the fixed part of the points, the cover screws protrude and foul the advance weights if used to fix the points

Sean

Have you checked the tappits?

thanks sean yep ive used all the screws that came with the new box, which i checked and they dont, and i will double check that the plate behind isnt catching on the weights tomorrow before changing anything else,

i have a spare coil in the boot which i will try aswell, my old one would start cold and run well but it wouldnt start when hot!

i've also thought more about fuel aswell as ignition, could it possibly be my fuel pump? the rod on the cam going to the fuel pump being worn causing starvation at high revs? or a carb problem? all to replace/swap tomorrow

Woa there
one thing at a time or you really mess it up

from what you said 'bout the coil id get a new one on and see where you go from there

Sean

4x4- this engine has been a little tappy as long as i can remember... but it never had a problem doing 75 before....

well i've been fiddling with the points for 3 weeks.... so will have a check first... if no change... then change the coil... if no change... move onto something else...

Joe,
it could also be a lean mixture on wide open throttle, if one of the carb jets is partially blocked with some debris.
In my experience, the best way to clean a carb out is with a compressor and blow gun, aiming the nozzle down the air corrector jets so that the petrol jets are backflushed.

It's most unlikely that the rod which operates the fuel pump will be worn.
They're made from hardened steel and bear on an eccentric which has both a relatively slow rate of lift and a small overall lift.

Btw, when you mentioned setting the timing 'by the book', did you mean that you'd set it at full advance?
If you're only using the strobe to check the tickover setting, that doesn't guarantee that the timing will be correct at full chat.
With a Dyane ( 9.0:1 pistons) you should be aiming for 'around' 32 degrees total advance if using 95 octane fuel.
However, if there's any pinking, it would need a shade less advance.

ken

oookayyy

ken you may have to help me alot when setting the timing.. i've done it basically as you would using a rod inserted into the flywheel and then marking the starter housing/closest tooth etc, then adjusting points box till both are lined up, move away etc but it was still hesitating then... i've never done it by counting teeth and im not exactly sure about degree's and that if you understand? i basically went by the haynes manual, and with the strobe, im also assuming with the strobe i should be on the nearside cylinder ht lead? if its offside that could be where im going wrong.... it was pinking a little the other day but i've adjusted since... i cant afford premium unleaded so bog standard will have to make do atm... full advance? help please

thanks

Thanks Ken with dad on hand to keep the revs up and strobe, we've timed her up and although it could probably do with abit of tweaking, she's much much better now! although i cant fully tell on the country roads, tried a decent scretch up the A5 and she feels better but will find out later on if i get a chance to go down the dualcarriageway.... hopefully it wont be a standstill like last night due to a nasty crash

update of the above...

after getting the timing sorted earlier... or so i thought... my engine felt extremely "stiff" on the way home m1/dualcarriage way etc, it would pick up but still sluggishly so i realised obviously something wasnt right... took her back upto the unit and re-set the timing and now i believe im not very far off at all... she revs freely but still hesitates a little.... i cant believe how long this has taken to get almost right... considering when i first changed to this engine... i stuck the pointsbox on looked at it and thought yep thats right... car fired up and ran absolutely spot on!!!! from just guessing... lol

another thing thats just crossed my mind from posting on jonathans thread...

my problems began on tuesday 6th october... wasnt a cold morning but damp... jumped in the car... no choke... foot on floor as normal... she fired first time but died.... and continuously failed to start/run after each attempt for about 10 minutes... im glad i have an extremely good battery or else i would have been well and truly shafted that morning... but yes that was the day things went from amazing to... not so amazing...