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The old girl spluttered,popped and banged and died today
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
Posts: 429
Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:22 pm    Post subject: The old girl spluttered,popped and banged and died today Reply with quote

Took the popular out for a run today and visited a restorer, another story.
On the way back it started to misfire, then backfired a bit when I discovered the accelerator pedal went much further down than I realised. I've been struggling up hills thinking its gutless when the pedal was hitting the wheel arch. Eventually it stopped on a hill on a busy road so the AA recovered the car home as it was unsafe to work on it where it was. I was happy to investigate the problem myself once home. While I waited for the AA and the car had cooled down, I tried to start it with choke and it fired but then died. Then just turned without firing. Having no tools, big mistake, I could only remove the distributor cap and check the points had a gap. I suspected the inline fuel filter was blocked, but once home I removed the fuel pipe from the carb and pumped it up manually and it was ok. So I gave it a go and it started, running a bit rough with the choke on but usually is runs fine. Any thoughts welcome

Tomorrow I will take the plugs out and check them.
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colwyn500



Joined: 21 Oct 2012
Posts: 1745
Location: Nairn, Scotland

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How often do you use the car Paul?
I'm sure it's going to turn out to be something simple, but recently, I also had to use the AA in similar circumstances. My little Fiat 500 had not exactly been struggling up hills but I was having to change down more often. My car also had problems starting from cold. It turned out to be valve-seat recession and it had got so bad that one of the inserts had fallen out and jammed the valve open.
So although I doubt you have that exact sort of problem,I would put valves...seating or clearances on the list of suspects.
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alastairq



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi..if you are a member of the FSOC, go on their website, members' area, and have a gawk through the back issues of the club magazine?

I think the major suspect is fuel vaporization..?

Are you on the [original] mechanical fuel pump?

Might be worth trying to re-route the fuel line in the engine bay, away from major heat sources?
Some have been known to lag the fuel pipe with ally foil?

Definitely symptoms of vapourisation, however..a Ford sidevalve plague....especially with modern petrol.

One way to overcome the issue is to fit an electric fuel pump, and bypass [remove & blank off] the mechanical pump....[blanking plates are even available from usual sources]
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
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Location: UK

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 7:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As the points gap has been looked at, check for any air leaks in the pipe that runs from the manifold to the vac wiper, a leak can cause all sorts of issues.

RJ
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
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Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My first thought was fuel vapourisation but after it cooled it still didn't start. When I removed the fuel pipe from the carb it took a lot pumps before fuel came out of the pipe, that's got me thinking that maybe the inline fuel filter is at fault. Usually four or five pumps and I can hear the fuel is there. A new filter can't be such a bad thing anyway.
Although I looked at the points gap I had no way of checking it's correct. I will check that tomorrow. When I bought the car I drove it home in pouring rain with the vacuum pipe disconnected and the wiper not working but the engine ran ok.
Since buying the car I've driven it a handful of times but this was probably the furthest I've driven it, but only a little further than another time and nowhere near as far as when I first drove it home.
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Penman



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
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Location: Swindon, Wilts.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 9:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi
Is the breather hole in the fuel cap blocked?
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Rick
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gauze filter in the top of the pump?

RJ
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
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Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I picked up an inline filter this morning and if it stops raining I will fit and see if that fixes it. If not I will check the things you have all suggested.
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Rick
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a problem once with a different Ford, ran like a bag of nails. Turns out the tiny wire beneath the base plate in the dizzy had fallen apart and was randomly shorting out against the metal dizzy body.

RJ
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billysugga



Joined: 01 Jan 2017
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Location: Carlisle

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 1:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sometime coils can be more temperamental when hot. Are you getting a good spark. A strobe can help.
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
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Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fitted a new fuel filter and it seemed to run much smoother, drove it to the garage about a mile away and about half way there it started misfiring and I only just made it. But I couldn't back it up the slope. I started pushing it with wood blocks in front of the front wheels, pulling the handbrake and then moving the blocks. I reached a crack in the concrete with grass growing out of it and it was too slippery to push any further. So I turned the front wheel and kicking the block up behind the wheel until I got a step in the concrete in the door opening. I just couldn't push or pull it over the step. I then thought about John mills in Ice cold in Alex, I used the starting handle with it in reverse and wound it over the step into the garage. I'm now having a beer, worth waiting for.
When I recover from the effort I will carry out some checks from your suggestions
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Last edited by Paul fairall on Sat Apr 22, 2017 9:04 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
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Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The way it misfires and backfires makes me think it's electrical and not fuel.
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alanb



Joined: 10 Sep 2012
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Location: Berkshire.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suggest you check the insulation around the condenser, make sure all connections are good if so then I would suggest trying another condenser.
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alastairq



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A problem I have suffered concerns the distributor.

If there is a bit of crankcase pressure [when hot] I have suffered having oil mist being blown up past the distributor shaft, leading to oil droplets forming on the points.
This can be seen when examining the distributor cap after the misbehavior....cleaning the cap is temporary, as it soon mists up again.

Crankcase pressure always occurs to a greater or lesser degree....and with the 10hp, it finds it difficult to dissipate that pressure...despite having a large-ish oil filler orifice.

My cure has been to switch to one of the Hall-effect conversions which replaces the actual points. I don't have much faith in magic boxes, however.
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petelang



Joined: 21 May 2009
Posts: 442
Location: Nottingham

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CONDENSER!
Ben there, had that. Spent a fortune on new plugs, coil, leads, points......
All along it was the condenser. Cheap Chinese made junk.
Peter
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