This is on another forum, but I guess two opinions are better than one as always.
A certain friend of mine has a Dolly Sprint which ran fine when we bought it. It was always a wierd starter and never firing up that quick. It then started to lose power and very recently it stopped revving past 3k, but it would when idling. It did start to backfire via the exhaust
Now it revs up, it doesn't pull as well as it used to, but you need the choke out to prevent it backfiring via the carbs (I think through the front carb). It also doesn't idle too well.
We have changed the points and condensor and regapped them. The rotor arm I tested when the car refused to start (It was a long rectangular affair) and then put on a Lucas 45D4 rotor arm so that he could limp it home.
The dizzy cap then decided to snap its carbon coil bit inside so he then bought a new dizzy cap (albeit it for the 45D4 Dizzy (Dollys came with Lucas 44D4 dizzies)). Since then it has stopped the revving beyond 3k issue, but it has also had new spark plugs and a new ignition coil. What's left now is the idling issue and the lack of power with it missing now and again.
I then put my timing light on the No.1 HT lead (going from the fan side). According to my metal Gunson's light, his timing is advanced by 16 degrees at 1000-1200rpm, but this was apparently setup a few weeks ago. I also noticed that now and again on a semi frequent basis, the mark would jump either side of the 16 degrees by quite a way (say 2-3" either side), and now and again the light would go off for half a second (but I guess that could be the pickup) So I guess that also needs taming (any figures here for a Dolly as the Haynes manual only has static figures for which it states it should be around 3 degrees).
The HT leads look quite new, but he's thinking about changing them. The other glitch is how the rev counter doesn't seem to be consistant. It will waver around the revs the engine is actually doing, sometimes die and come back to life and at other times, be fine but generally it's not giving a consistant reading.
All this in mind what do you think the issue is? The Sprint in question seems to have refurbed carbs on it.
I'm sure he will sort it, but it seems to be like finding a needle in a haystack for everyone at the moment!
Final thing I'm tempted to try is my Britpart electronic ignition system from the MGB onto his car (assuming I don't need to butcher it (and even that's semi untrusted I admit). The Brown MGB ran alot better with it and surprisingly goes like a train, but even that has issues (timing doesn't shift from 20 degrees no matter how many revs you do (but I think that's down to me running an engine that has done nothing over the best part of 6 years).
Who said old cars were fun?LOL
A certain friend of mine has a Dolly Sprint which ran fine when we bought it. It was always a wierd starter and never firing up that quick. It then started to lose power and very recently it stopped revving past 3k, but it would when idling. It did start to backfire via the exhaust
Now it revs up, it doesn't pull as well as it used to, but you need the choke out to prevent it backfiring via the carbs (I think through the front carb). It also doesn't idle too well.
We have changed the points and condensor and regapped them. The rotor arm I tested when the car refused to start (It was a long rectangular affair) and then put on a Lucas 45D4 rotor arm so that he could limp it home.
The dizzy cap then decided to snap its carbon coil bit inside so he then bought a new dizzy cap (albeit it for the 45D4 Dizzy (Dollys came with Lucas 44D4 dizzies)). Since then it has stopped the revving beyond 3k issue, but it has also had new spark plugs and a new ignition coil. What's left now is the idling issue and the lack of power with it missing now and again.
I then put my timing light on the No.1 HT lead (going from the fan side). According to my metal Gunson's light, his timing is advanced by 16 degrees at 1000-1200rpm, but this was apparently setup a few weeks ago. I also noticed that now and again on a semi frequent basis, the mark would jump either side of the 16 degrees by quite a way (say 2-3" either side), and now and again the light would go off for half a second (but I guess that could be the pickup) So I guess that also needs taming (any figures here for a Dolly as the Haynes manual only has static figures for which it states it should be around 3 degrees).
The HT leads look quite new, but he's thinking about changing them. The other glitch is how the rev counter doesn't seem to be consistant. It will waver around the revs the engine is actually doing, sometimes die and come back to life and at other times, be fine but generally it's not giving a consistant reading.
All this in mind what do you think the issue is? The Sprint in question seems to have refurbed carbs on it.
I'm sure he will sort it, but it seems to be like finding a needle in a haystack for everyone at the moment!
Final thing I'm tempted to try is my Britpart electronic ignition system from the MGB onto his car (assuming I don't need to butcher it (and even that's semi untrusted I admit). The Brown MGB ran alot better with it and surprisingly goes like a train, but even that has issues (timing doesn't shift from 20 degrees no matter how many revs you do (but I think that's down to me running an engine that has done nothing over the best part of 6 years).
Who said old cars were fun?LOL
