engine cutting out after driving approx.4 -5 miles

[surrytop]

My TR4A was rebuilt about 12 years ago and was completly reliable.However in the last 3 years I have had a recurring problem with the engine cutting out.This usually occurs after driving about 4-5 miles and happens when acclerating from low revs.The engine will not restart until after about 10-15 minutes then cut again after a shorter mileage.After checking everything I fitted an uprated coil and electronic ignition which seemed to cure the problem only for the problem to reappear this year.This occurs before the engine has come up to working temperature.Any advice would be gratefully received.

[Nigel Lay]

Have you changed the rotor arm, if not get a genuine OLD lucas, NOT the green box ones but one in the red packet or go to Martin Jay, The Distributor Doctor and get one of his.

Nigel (with TS952)

[john.r.davies]

st,

Next time try to get it to stop on a quiet road.

Nip out and open the fuel cap, listening closely.

If you hear a hiss and the engine will restart almost immediately, the breather arrangement on your fuel tank is blocked.

As fuel is removed, air cannot replace it, so a vacuum develops in the tank, that the pump cannot overcome - unitl you release the vacuum by opening the fuel cap.

I wot not how the tank 'breaths' on a TR4.

 

JOhn

[Guest Wyn]

Try changing the distributor cap and leads unless you have already done so. I had a similar problem a few years ago, completely erratic and in the end I was frightened to take the car out, always happended when the car was under a load, similar to you. I changed the above and I solved the problem.

 

Good luck,

Wyn

[Don Elliott]

I have heard that the modern LUCAS Sports coils will do this on a sidescreen TR. The distance between failures gets shorter and shorter.

[ianc]

Have a look at the bowl of your fuel pump - is it full of muck at the bottom? If so, load your Technicalities CD and read my article from TRaction 144 about Slosh Tank Sealant!

 

To whet your appetite, my engine would lose power and stop because all the rust particles from the petrol tank had been forced upwards by the petrol flow so as to block the gauze at the top of the bowl. But, when the engine stalled and the particles had dropped to the bottom of the bowl, all was well again. On the way to the International at Shepton Mallet that year (1997) the engine stopped about 5 times, and each time, the distance to the next stall decreased! I wondered if I would make it - but did!

 

Good luck,

Ian Cornish