struggling for power

B

borat

New Member
Hi folks,

Need to pick your brains.The motor is running really well at the moment,I use it every day and reliability wise it is spot on.Thing is lately its starting to struggle on the hills.Ok on the flat,nothing special but enough to keep me happy,but hit any sort of incline and it really doesn't like it at all.

It's a 2000SC and a friend keeps saying I should get a twin webber or something.I'm no mechanic but I got the car to try and do things myself a bit.Is this something to think about or can you suggest anything for me.

any thoughts much appreciated.
 
First thing to do is check the spark plugs for rich running.

I had a problem like this with my 2200tc. I had been running it alot with the choke on then one day next to no power. plugs were black as 2 in the morning.

i would also check the air filter and spend £20 on a colour tune plug and tweak the carb,it will be one of the best things you ever buy.

oh and dash pot oil!!!

Colin
 
Hi Colin,

Put a new air filter on not to long ago.What type of oil goes in the dash pot?What is a colour tune plug and could you explain a little more on tweaking the carb?

Cheers,

Pete
 
hi borat i bought a colour tune and it is the best £20 ive spent on tools and when you buy one it comes with a booklet explaining what to do dead easy you might need a manual for your car so you can identify which screws to turn it is really
easy just sounds a bit much good luck
 
Colour tune is a sparkplug with a window that allows you to see the colur of when the petrol burns.

basically swap it for a spark plug and run the car, you will see the colour change from orange to blue depending on the mixture of fuel to air. You don't really need to know the science behind it. Think back to high school and Bunsen burners. You try and adjust the carb to give the best burn.

The twin carb is a little more difficult because the need to be the same. A vacum guage is handy for this. The linkage between the carbs open the carbs if one opens more than the other then two cylinders want to go faster than the other two. it is all simple enough to do though.

First thing is get the mixture, if they need balanced after that you can do it reasonable well with a little trial and error. with the engine running and the air filter off put a hand over each carb, they should suck equally if one get more than the other adjust the linkage so one opens more.

Get stuck in and it will all make sense. Search the net for Gunson colourtune and carbalancer. I watch ebay for ages looking for a colour tune and eventually bought a new one from Gunson directly as it was just as cheap. I think that Halfords sell them too.

Check the plugs before you do anything else. one carb feeds two cylinder so if they are out you will probably see two more soot covered than the other. if they are all sooty the both carbs are running rich.

Colin
 
Think Borat said he had an SC, so no balance problems, just the mixture to adjust.
I had a lack of power on my TC and turned out that the fuel pump had come loose and was hanging off, so it wasn't pumping enough fuel, bolted it back up and it was fine again.
 
Well spotted Richard.

Worth cleaning out the fuel pump, dead easy if it is a glass bowl type.

Colin
 
Was all ready to have a play yesterday,checked the oil in the dash pot first and it looked really low so I thought I'd top that up before I started on anything else.The Haynes book says it needs SAE 20,went to a few places,Halfords and the such,but nobody stocks it.Is there a modern equivelent or does anyone know where I can get some from?
 
I got some dashpot oil from Southern Carburettors in Wimbledon when I got my carbs done there.
Can't remeber the exact cost, but wasn't expensive.

Dave.
 
I believe the factory recommendation is engine oil - SAE20 being just that albeit a monograde, 20/50 or 10/50 i.e. a multigrade is fine also. I had read (many years ago) that the oil to use was 3-in-1 as it was lighter so less damping and gave a quicker throttle response! Autotrans sounds good also.
Regards, John.
 
I've got some auto transmission oil,is it ok to just top it up with that or should I drain out whats in so it's all the same?
 
Borat

I have a 2200sc and I had a very similar problem to that you are describing. It would really slow down on the hills and on the flat it would reach a top speed of around 65mph (when the problem was at its worst) and acceleration was poor in 3rd and 4th.

I was also advised to check dash pot oil level and had it topped it up with left over engine oil or 3 in 1 as other people have suggested. Fuel pump was removed and fully cleaned and replaced. Timing checked and engine tuned and all ignition cables replaced. All this did not fix the problem.

Finally, someone said "have you checked the valve clearances?" So I checked it in to Viking restorations in Morley to have the problem diagnosed. After a while I was told that the valve clearences were the problem and it would be much cheaper and quicker to replace the head with a serviceable one.

This was duly carried out and after exchanging around £200 all in, I started the engine and left.

Holy cow! the drive home on the M62 was like a time warp (even in a 2200sc!) what a difference. Outside lane doing 85mph no problem (except for the fuel gauge moving towards empty very quickly!). That was 18months ago and engine is running as sweet as a nut.

Hope this helps, gis a shout if you need any further info.

Russ
 
I'm surprised you were told it was cheaper and quicker to change the head rather than adjust the valve clearances. The only parts needed are a cam cover gasket and rubbers and a supply of shims and if you know what you're doing you should be able to get them done in the book time (3hrs SC, 3hrs 10min TC) with time to spare.
Valve clearances tend to get forgotten because they're not a service item, and in general don't tend to go out of adjustment.
 
If it's been running for any time with no valve clearance you won't get away with reshimming the clearances .The valve seatings will probably be burnt or maybe recessed due to running on unleaded. The clearances do not decrease for no reason
 
If you've got no clearance you'll have a misfire, and no misfire means there is still a clearance it's just tight. If what you say is true you'd never adjust the clearances on any engine.
 
Hi all

In reply to my earlier message, the valve seatings were indeed damaged or recessed, I can't remember which, due to running on unleaded without an additive. I was told by many people when I bought my car that the 2200sc head was hard enough to accept unleaded without an additive. At the time the car was repaired, it was certianly easier to change the head over.

I now use Redex regularly!!

Russ
 
Since we are talking valve clearances:

I got the head for my 2000TC back from the machine shop, and assembled it on the rebuilt block. I expected changes in clearances, but I didn't expect Zero clearance on all valves.
Now it's going to be some fun working from unknown values and doing the spacer routine probably multiple times.
Does anyone know a starting point when you run into this situation?
I am thinking of beginning with the large shims alone for an indication.

Dick West
 
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