Broke down today!

[wayne taylor]

After all winter in the garage and a new interior and some fiddling around the edges, took my pride and joy out for another spin (3rd one this week).

Down the dual carriageway running like a jewelled watch when.................it dies on me.

Wouldn't restart, had to push it to the offslip which nearly killed me and then freewheeled down the hill into a petrol station. breakdown turned up 10 minutes after call out!!! {Lancaster insurance}.

While I was waiting I noticed several things:

The clevis pin had worked its way 3/4 way out of its housing in the engine driven fuel pump. So I checked the fuel supply and voila no fuel to the carbs. Pushed the clevis pin back in disconnected the fuel pipe at the carbs and turned the motor over - petrol! Hooray.

Still wouldnt start!! Mechanic turned up and checked for a spark - no spark!

He checked power to either side of the coil. Yes incoming....and no outgoing (to dizzy). He concluded that it was either the coil or the condenser. Got recovered to home without further ado.

 

Your observations please before I chuck the whole dizzy out and go electric!!! Do coils fail that easily?

 

 

[RogerH]

Hi Wayne,

bad luck. As you use the car the defects will reduce - honest

What coil did you have. I use the gold coloured Lucas sports coil and has worked well for 15 years. Others have problems with them. Always carry a spare.

Some of the forum members actually have two coils in the engine bay - one connected and the other as a ready spare.

Don't go electric more complex = more possible problems.

 

The pivot pin in the fuel pump caught me out many moons ago. It came out completely but flipped onto the sump flange and by chance I spotted its shiney complection.

I put it back then knocked up some washers to trap it in situ - both washers have upturned flanges.

 

Roger

 

 

Edited April 7, 2013 by RogerH

[Dave Satchwell]

I have also had the Clevis pin work loose on a repro fuel pump- now refitted with lock tight and no further problems. I also acquired an original pump which is rebuilt as my spare, the pin is fitted with retaining circlips on both ends as standard. So repro pump not made to a suitable spec,

All the best Dave

[pfenlon]

Coils fail if a poor engine earth, otherwise a lucas coil will last a long time, I have fitted a facet pump near the tank, but cant yet quote reliability.

 

I found electronic ignition on my last 3A lasted 18 miles, others swear by it, but its points and condenser for me, hope you find a fix easily, let us know the fault please.

[AlanT]

Normally coils fail on the high-voltage side because this uses thin wire.

 

I should check this coil again. It seems odd to have two faults in unrelated areas at the same time.

 

I think the coil may be OK really and the fuel pump accaounts for it all.

 

Al.

[Paul Harvey]

Change the condenser and get a spare - cheap and quick fix if that's the problem.

My last one failed last week after just a week of use.

If you're staying with points Distributor Doctor Martin Jay sells uprated distributor parts inc. 'rally' spec condensers etc.

 

I'm waiting for a 123 electronic ignition to arrive and 'cocking a deaf un' to the knockers......

...........but I'll keep the old dizzy in the boot until I know all's well.

 

I've also recovered my old coil from the back of the garage and I'm going to bolt it to the bulkhead just in case (still need one with electronics)

Edited April 7, 2013 by Paul Harvey

[wayne taylor]

Alan T: Can't be the engine driven pump - it's spewing fuel out at the carbs.

 

Ordered a standard coil today the shop said Lucas doesnt exist any more. No such thing. They sold off their subsidiaries it seems.

 

E.I. here I come.

[RogerH]

Hi Wayne,

if the pivot moved out of alignment on the pump then the pump has a problem. but is easily sorted.

If the coil/condensor (capacitor) breaks down then a replacement is the answer.

 

Lucas do still exist but not in the motor trade. That part was sold off and the products were not quite as good afterwards - according to the grapevine.

Having said that nearly any standard coil will work in our cars.

 

Roger

[Ashley James]

Sports coils are rotor arm killers?

[Ian Vincent]

Back in the days before electronic ignition and fuel injection, all cars had a coil and a distributor. We might have carried a spare condenser but I can't think if any friends or acquaintances who carried a spare coil. It seems to me that we molly coddle these classics a bit too much - when they were new we just drove them as they were meant and then some.

 

If you want a decent coil, look for a Bosch Blue (or red which is the ballasted version) coil, they turn up on ebay occasionally - totally reliable.

 

Rgds Ian

[stuart]

Sports coils are rotor arm killers?

Not if you buy a proper Distributor Doctor red rotor arm and not a Chinese copy.

Wayne have a look at the date stamped on the base of your coil as its possibly its original one in which case its done well and yes they can just give up and there was a spate of rubbish sports ones around a few years ago that didnt last five minutes.

Some of the repro fuel pumps have had that problem of the pin dropping out as well.

Stuart.

[wayne taylor]

Stuart:

 

The duff coil was relatively new (about 2yrs old). The pump is a repro I suspect because the previous owner rebuilt the engine.

Roger: The exploded view of the engine driven fuel pump shows circlips on the ends of the clevis pin. My pin doesnt have any!

 

I'm going to make the same mod you made to hold the pin in plce - ingenious!

 

Because of the break down, I have learned something about +ve earth cars - I don't understand +ve earth!!!

 

I can't get my head around it. Having spent all day saturday rectifying bad earths and poor connections, I am none the wiser about +ve earth and when the test lamp bulb illuminates or not - aaaaaargh!

 

God help if I ever need a jump start because of a flat battery - after reading a previous thread about +ve earth, I wouldn't know what to do with which terminal? I would allow the saint helping me jump start to risk damaging his engine chip either!

 

I'll probably get TRBitz to re-polarise it....I know it's in safe hands with them.

Edited April 8, 2013 by wayne taylor

[AlanT]

Just do what I do.

 

Put the your RED testl-ead into the -ve terminal on the test-meter

and the your BLACK test-lead into the +ve terminal on the test-meter.

 

Cilp the black tets lead to the body like you would on a +ve earth car an forget all about negative earth.

 

The meter will now always show positive numbers and your head will stop hurting.

 

If you don't have a test-meter ......

 

Al.

[RogerH]

Hi Wayne,

wise words from Al regarding the meter.

Your suggestion about getting it repolarized is sensible as most ancilaries are -Ve earth.

 

Jump starting is easy whatever polarity - simply think what that battery needs. You are making it bigger so + to + and - to - Warning don;t let the car bodies touch.

 

The repro pump pivot should have knurled ridges to hold it in place. Sadly not as good as the clips. The flanged washers will sort it.

 

Roger

[Dave Ashworth]

I have twin facet pumps next to the tank, wired for quick change over. I ran one pump all last year and will change it over for this year, so they both have some fun pumping the fuel.

 

Also two coils, mounted side by side on a little home made bracket. They look very sexy.

 

Call me a belt and braces man if you like, but at the top of the Stelvio pass, I won't need to call for spares... hopefully.

 

A seasoned rally man said he'd never even seen the professionals with twin pumps mounted.

 

All the best,

Dave.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Dave Ashworth

[RogerH]

...and the spare engine is where.....

 

Roger

[ianc]

Spare driver in glove box - just open packet, pour contents into a bucket, add warm water and allow 5 minutes for inflation to full size.

Dispose of old driver in a suitable green bin.

Ian Cornish

[ChrisR-4A]

I too have two fuel pumps, one mechanical fitted on the engine and a spare mechanical one in the boot in the wheel well. However tomorrow I. Will be in the boot to check the pin retention on the spare!

[Dave Ashworth]

Roger,

 

The spare engine is the spare TR4 at the moment...

 

Now, if I had Ian's car, then it would be standard and not mucked about with.

 

My TR4 probably a bitza for many years before it came home to Blighty, though, as the previous owner left me with a raft of paperwork for all manner of odd nuts and screws, so clearly it had been taken to pieces many times and put back with many things missing. I'm still finding things missing. It's a journey, so to speak.

 

All the best,

 

Dave.

[wayne taylor]

Roger

Me old matey, buddy, best pal........

 

Do you happen to have one of those ingenious brackets for the fuel pump? The one that stops the clevis pin from vibrating out?

 

Its the sided one that fits on the radiator side of the pump not the battery side (looking at the pump from the nearside).

 

I'll pay for it obviously but it is a work of genius.

 

Wayne

[RogerH]

Hi Wayne,

I'll have a play tomorrow and get back to you.

 

Roger

[wayne taylor]

Problem solved - coil as mentioned before.

I'va also bought an accuspark EI due in on monday.

 

Thanks for all your advice etc - fantastic support on this site, thanks guys.

 

W