Pinto Engine Not Running Properly, Popping, Hot & Stalling

[Guest TheDog]

Hiya, i'm new to this, and actualy own a westfield, so i hope you guys don't mind me comming here to ask a question, but you seem so knowledgable, and friendly, i thought i'd ask.

 

I have just replaced my old pinto (untuned), with a more highly tuned pinto, and i'm not very experienced at this, so it quite a learning curve (although i do have a few friends who know what they are doing)!

 

Anyway, the engine is in, and it started ok, but I have a few problems, and what i would like advice on is if you think the engine is no good, or if you think that it is less terminal, i.e. needs timming done or something.

 

The engine has an RL21 kent cam (road/rally, so probably not great!), which it's range is 2750 -7000. Maxiflow2 head & lightened flywheel & alloy sump.

 

1. It idles on start up at 900 rpm, but when it gets hot, it idles at 2000rpm.. tried tweaking the idle jet, but didn't help much - i'm not 100% sure about the choke on the car.. but there is a sprung switch on each carb, and i have ensured that it is in the position where the engine runs slower rather than faster.

2. It runs much hotter than my old engine did approx 100 on the open road and 110 in traffic, where the old one was more like 85-90

3. It seems ok when it is cold, but when hot it runs really rough at between 2500 and 3000, and actually getting it over 3000 is difficult. It also seems to intermittantly loose all power, and feels like it is coasting, and then suddenly the power will take up again - very strange.

4. It is a smoking at high revs

5. the new facet fuel pump bust after about 10 miles - so isn't working at all at the moment!

6. it does caugh and splutter quite alot at all revs, but is better at high revs

 

So i'm not very experienced in this, and i don't want to pour any more money into it if it will never be good - do you think a good tune (and possibly a cam change) would cure most problems.??

 

Cheers for any help you might have...

Chris

[Longboarder]

You have fitted a lumpy cam, light flywheel and ported head. You don't give any information on dizzy changes or what carb you are using but I would have thought a minimum of 38 DGAS is needed or better still twin 40/45's or bike carbs. You don't say anything about how the engine has been built or set up. Has the cam been timed in. Has the cam been properly run in. Is a standard dizzy fitted. What is the ignition timing set at.

Your best approach is to go through it methodicaly checking all is properly fitted, compressions are good, cam timing correct, ignition timing set to about 12 degrees of advance. Don't drive it much in this state. When you are sure all is fitted properly and basic settings are good take it to a rolling road operator who knows his stuff to get it set up properly

When you upgrade, try to upgrade all relevant parts to the same extent. It is going to run roughly at low revs due to the cam and light flywheel but I suspect its running very weak as it's probably undercarbed and the ignition curve is wrong. Get some good hands on help and don't drive it till you do or you may kill the engine.

 

Nigel

 

Use the standard mechanical pump.

[Jon Green]

I had similar problems when I upgraded to an FR33 fast road cam without modifying the distributors advance curve. Really bad misfire between 2000 - 3000 rpm.

 

There's a good bit of advice and links to sites that tell you how to modify your dizzy yourself in this thread below:

 

http://community.rhocar.org/index.php?showtopic=12186

 

Good luck.

 

Jon

[Guest TheDog]

Hiya,

 

Thanks for your help so far - here is some missing info.

It is running twin webber 45's (DCOE) with 36 chokes - and the guy i bought it from said (and had the recipts too!) that it was built by an engineering company, was timmed and tuned already, and has done about 10,000 miles since then. I was expecting it to be lumpy, but this seems too much, i didn't do anything to the timming before i fitted it, as I thought i'd see how it went first - but it seems bad.

 

I will check out what you have suggested on the timming etc, and will look at the Dave Andrews articles. This may sound really bad (and shows my level of experience), but what is the Dizzy, and what does it do - i haven't even come accross that term before?

 

The distributor also came with the engine, so am i right in assuming the timming shouldn't be effected by changing the engine over. It does seem to use alot of fuel too (on the few miles I have taken it in testing).

 

I think it did sit in this guys garage for a year (or more) so - would this have an effect?

Anyone know any good rolling roads in hampshrie (near basingstoke?). Would a rolling road be able to look at the timming too, or do they just tune the carb?

 

Thanks for your help so far,

Chris

[Guest tom2b]

dizzy is the nickname for distributor

[Guest TheDog]

dizzy is the nickname for distributor

 

Ah... Thanks very much...

Chris

[Jon Green]

If you fill in your location in your profile there my be someone near you who can come round and drink your coffee and eat all your biscuits!

 

......and maybe offer some assistance!

[Longboarder]

'45's (DCOE) with 36 chokes'

 

Not undercarbed then. If the engine has sat for a year all built up with old petrol in the carbs then they would benefit from a good clean out. I think it's off to the rolling road for adjustment needed. Should be a beast of an engine when it's running right.

 

Nigel

[Guest elwe]

Anyone know any good rolling roads in hampshrie (near basingstoke?). Would a rolling road be able to look at the timming too, or do they just tune the carb?

 

As far as I know your rolling road choices are basically Reading or Newbury. I am in Basingstoke. I haven't been to either rolling road (yet).

 

A good rolling road will setup the timing as well as the carbs.

 

Dizzy is another name for the distributor.

[Guest hypermick]

Chris,.

 

This may seem a bit blunt for me to say this but, noting your confessed lack of technical know how, (and Im not in any way trying to be offensive!) the best , and kindest thing you could do for your car is to put it on to a trailer and go directly to someone with experience, who has a decent rolling road.

 

From what youve said, the make up of your engine is probably sound, but if you continue to run the unit the way its set up, youre fast heading for mechanical hell.

There are a number of basic checks they'll need to do before they start tuning youre engine, the first of which will no doubt be to see if the cam timing is correct, after which a compression test will no doubt be taken followed by an over view of ignition timing and how your carbs are jetted. From here they have a starting point to begin tuning your engine correctly and setting the advance curve so that the power is properly attained within the given range.

 

Hope it all goes well for you. Keep us posted on how you get on and their findings.

 

Mick

[Guest TheDog]

This may seem a bit blunt for me to say this but, noting your confessed lack of technical know how, (and Im not in any way trying to be offensive!) the best , and kindest thing you could do for your car is to put it on to a trailer and go directly to someone with experience, who has a decent rolling road.

 

I have to say i agree with that, and have found a tuning company. Anyone heard of Airey Tuning? They seem to know what they are talking about, and just south of Basingstoke - http://www.aireytuning.com/

 

I will book it in for a full tune up - and hopefully afterwards it should be ok (Tom Airey seemed to think that all it required was a decent tune up).

 

Cheers for your help on this,

Chris

[Guest hypermick]

Tom Airey has been around for a long time, and I'm sure if anyone can, he'll sort the problems out for you and give you good advice.

 

I remember his name from my old Twin Cam/BDA days back in the seventies.

 

 

Mick

[Guest TheDog]

Not sure if anyone will read this but;

I seemed to have a problem with my ignition coil - I was out driving and the contacts seemed to stop working (my fuel pump is connected to the same contacts, and it stopped working while connected to the coil). However, after some amount of removing and re-fitting it has now started working again.

 

Would heat cause any problems?

 

Any suggestions?

 

Cheers

Chris

[NeilD]

Yes - coils are notorious for misbehaving when hot - swap it out....

[Guest TheDog]

Cheers... sounds like a plan.