Or am I looking at this completely the wrong way around??

can just about wiggle in there

So does that mean I am looking in the right place?

Its a flat head right?

yeah thin flat head

long thin flat head does the job fine :) but only move it a tiny amount at a time as they are very sensitive

yeah thin flat head

Screwed in for less fuel (lean) and out for more fuel (rich) yeah?

Cheers steve.

Got a screwdriver that I can get in (woo!)

Managed to get it better. Perhaps you guys can help.

Basically, the guy that had the car before me made a hash of fitting some cheap shitty bolt on air filter and it was letting in waaay too much air. Because it was getting dirty air in (there were massive gaps) the throttle plates were getting dirty. Last week I sprayed in some carb cleaner and it ran perfect after being a bit hesitant, and its been getting progressively worse again as it gets dirtier. Now I've fixed the air filter (bodged!) so its only getting air in through the filter, I suspect its now running rich as when you move away it revs, then hesitates. i.e not getting as much air any more.

So I've screwed it in a wee bit so its better, but I can't get it perfect. When you move away quickly, the car still is a bit jumpy as before, and it also hesitates and gets jumpy when you let the car slow down by itself i.e not using any brakes.

Does this sound like a mixture problem still? anyone got any hints on fine tuning it?

Buy a colortune. Lets you see idle combustion flame colour inside the cylinder.

Can help diagnose other carb faults.

Roughness might be vacuum advance tube leak.

Buy a colortune. Lets you see idle combustion flame colour inside the cylinder.

Can help diagnose other carb faults.

Roughness might be vacuum advance tube leak.

Sounds like a good plan. Will see if I can find one on eBay for cheap.

I've got no hoses at all going into the airbox. Should I? There's also a hose running from the vacuum unit on the dizzy (its orange) which isn't connected to anything. Thats probably something to do with it..?

There should be a hose going to the carb for vac advance on the dizzy. And there is another vac pipe for a sensor(?) in the original air box. However, i've ran mine without it being conncected.

IIRC, that vac hose to the dizzy should be attatched to a small union on the front of the carb, right at the bottom. There are 2, and its the right hand one. The pipe described above goes to the left hand one.

BTW, where is your oil breather going to, do you have a catch tank, or is it loose in the bay?

There should be a hose going to the carb for vac advance on the dizzy. And there is another vac pipe for a sensor(?) in the original air box. However, i've ran mine without it being conncected.

IIRC, that vac hose to the dizzy should be attatched to a small union on the front of the carb, right at the bottom. There are 2, and its the right hand one. The pipe described above goes to the left hand one.

BTW, where is your oil breather going to, do you have a catch tank, or is it loose in the bay?

Are these the two inlets you are talking about? If it is, there is a hose coming out of one and going in to the other (i.e they are looped together and closed off.) Should the vacumm hose from the dizzy go on one of them? If so, should I block the left hand one off by putting a screw in the end of the hose, or should I somehow set it up to go into the air filter?

Heres a pic of the same place on the carb

With regards to the cartch tank/ crank case breather, I believe this is what you are referring to, its a large hose with an aftermarket filter on top next to the master cylinder. It looks like it comes out of a white plastic tank type thing, so yes I think it does have a catch tank.

On this on you can see the length of the vacuum hose from the dizzy, as well as an extra breather on top (the red thing) it makes a lot of smoke and make the top of the engine oily. Do you think I need it if it's already got a breather and catch tank (I think..)

Thanks for your help buddy

ye connect pipe from dizzy and close other pipe (a bolt or screw is fine).

The other pipe provides the vacuum to pull the hot air door to get heated air from exhaust manifold in colder weather for preventing carb freezing. It's a thermo valve in the airbox.

You may want to change this come late autumn/winter unless you enjoy losing all power and sitting at the side of the road waiting for ice in the carb throat to melt from the remaining latent engine heat.

Got my colortune off ebay. Managed

0.18% CO2 one year at idle for MOT.

As for the small red breather I'm surprised it's oily and smoky.

I'd seriously consider replacing the crankcase block's breather.

Google for bangernomics and oily polo...

Cool. I will connect the vacuum hose up in the morning, along with plugging up the other hose. That should make it run a wee bit better, hopefully improving my MPG too. Once I've done that I'll paly with the mixture screw as well. I'm right in thinking that I screw it in until the engine coughs on idle when warm, then bring it back out a smidge?

I will look into the colortune when I get paid, as well as getting a standard air box ready for winter. Although I could bould a warm air feed, somehow, possibly...?

I looked on bangernomics, very interesting. Obviously I've got the second stage oil seperator. I know what that is now. :)

The red breather inner sponge is full of oil and if you turn it upside down it drips out. I guess thats a bad sign then...

Cool. I will connect the vacuum hose up in the morning, along with plugging up the other hose. That should make it run a wee bit better, hopefully improving my MPG too. Once I've done that I'll paly with the mixture screw as well. I'm right in thinking that I screw it in until the engine coughs on idle when warm, then bring it back out a smidge?

I will look into the colortune when I get paid, as well as getting a standard air box ready for winter. Although I could bould a warm air feed, somehow, possibly...?

I looked on bangernomics, very interesting. Obviously I've got the second stage oil seperator. I know what that is now. :)

The red breather inner sponge is full of oil and if you turn it upside down it drips out. I guess thats a bad sign then...

Connected the vacuum hose up but its not really made any difference. Might try some more carb cleaner.

Tried adjusting the mixture screw but it doesn't really idle smoothly enough to hear when it gets too lean.. grrr

One thing at a time.

The vacuum advance diaphragm might be split. Suck on the advance tube and see if it will stick to your tongue.

Did adjusting mixture screw change idle speed? If not

it might be another air leak (than the disconnected advance tube).

Base rubber gasket is a posible failure point.

That might give rough idle (as would poor state of ignition components: plugs, leads, rotor arm and timing).

One thing at a time.

The vacuum advance diaphragm might be split. Suck on the advance tube and see if it will stick to your tongue.

Did adjusting mixture screw change idle speed? If not

it might be another air leak (than the disconnected advance tube).

Base rubber gasket is a posible failure point.

That might give rough idle (as would poor state of ignition components: plugs, leads, rotor arm and timing).

Suck on the advance tube whilst the engine is running? Disconnect it at the dizzy end, yeah?

Cheers

One thing at a time.

The vacuum advance diaphragm might be split. Suck on the advance tube and see if it will stick to your tongue.

Did adjusting mixture screw change idle speed? If not

it might be another air leak (than the disconnected advance tube).

Base rubber gasket is a posible failure point.

That might give rough idle (as would poor state of ignition components: plugs, leads, rotor arm and timing).

Suck on the advance tube whilst the engine is running? Disconnect it at the dizzy end, yeah?

Cheers

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

No, you could swallow fuel/air mixture, except an engine has the suction of 50 vacuum cleaners.

Engine off.

Disconnect tube at carb end.

Suck on it to pull the dizzy vacuum advance diaphragm towards you.

(it's inside the UFO capsule thing on the dizzy). Check whether the diaphragm is split by seeing whether the retreating diaphragm creates reverse suction on your tongue.

You might want to use clean new pipe or use a vacuum guage if you had one - unlikely.

New tube is probably a good idea anyway.The old pvc/rubber tube will be hard and might be cracked beneath cotton overbraid.

(Had that on a fuel line once).

You might want to cut an inch off before pushing it back on the pipe to get a tight fit.

(a few double-entendres for stevo there fnaar fnaar).

cheers dvdelrm for your help

It does stick to your tongue so I guess its ok. Although not sure if thats just the pressure in the hose.. It doesn't click or anything which I would expect it to if the diaphragm is clicking back into place..?

No click. it's like a balloon.

No split...

That's good.

So base rubber gasket leak or ignition timing or ignition parts worn.

Coast downhill with engine braking only and you might hear some loud pops from the exhaust. That ll be timing out. Least it was a sure sign on a Mazda i once parked upside down. New points and a timing light in skilled hands should fix that. The popping not parking in a ditch.

Search for shaving foam or carb cleaner for how to diagnose gasket leak.

Come to think of it - he did put a new cambelt on it. So Chnaces are he did it himself and didn't set up the timing correctly. It does jump when engine braking if revs get too low. I think you could well be right. I don't think it could be any gasket leaks - its got 41.5 mpg last tank you see.

Thanks yet again buddy - I'll report back shortly.

Come to think of it - he did put a new cambelt on it. So Chnaces are he did it himself and didn't set up the timing correctly. It does jump when engine braking if revs get too low. I think you could well be right. I don't think it could be any gasket leaks - its got 41.5 mpg last tank you see.

Thanks yet again buddy - I'll report back shortly.

You got a light in your garage then?

I meant ignition timing 5° BTDC at 800rpm from memory.

But if cam is out by one tooth you will also get roughness.

Sometimes these threads are like an episode of House. Where are Chase and Cameron?

I meant ignition timing which is 5

Borrowed a timing light now. Any suggestions on how to get the notch on top so I can put some tippex on it? Tried it the other night with the light but could not see the mark.

And, number one plug is on the timing belt end, right?

Borrowed a timing light now. Any suggestions on how to get the notch on top so I can put some tippex on it? Tried it the other night with the light but could not see the mark.

And, number one plug is on the timing belt end, right?

Yes number one cylinder/plug is near timing belt.

Haynes suggests removing number one spark plug, putting your thumb on the hole and turning the engine by hand until you feel compression.

As you have to turn it with a socket on the crankshaft pulley bolt through the offside wheel arch the instructions are for an octopus

engineer. Get a mate to help.

You could rotate until the dizzy rotor arm points to the dizzy's TDC line. The pulley wheel TDC will be then on top or on bottom of wheel

as dizzy turns at half engine speed.

I tend to put a drinking straw or a chopstick in number one spark plug hole and turn the engine watching for the

cylinder rising to highest point, then look for the pulley wheel TDC line.

Borrowed a timing light now. Any suggestions on how to get the notch on top so I can put some tippex on it? Tried it the other night with the light but could not see the mark.

And, number one plug is on the timing belt end, right?

Yes number one cylinder/plug is near timing belt.

Haynes suggests removing number one spark plug, putting your thumb on the hole and turning the engine by hand until you feel compression.

As you have to turn it with a socket on the crankshaft pulley bolt through the offside wheel arch the instructions are for an octopus

engineer. Get a mate to help.

You could rotate until the dizzy rotor arm points to the dizzy's TDC line. The pulley wheel TDC will be then on top or on bottom of wheel

as dizzy turns at half engine speed.

I tend to put a drinking straw or a chopstick in number one spark plug hole and turn the engine watching for the

cylinder rising to highest point, then look for the pulley wheel TDC line.

Ah. Thats where I'm going wrong - I was trying to turn the engine by hand without the socket that you suggest.

Probably might be a good idea to take it out of gear too! Didn't think of that before! ha