Engine Missing Power can you help find it.

[General Lee]

Hi,

I have a 1.2 carb nova saloon I went over a large bump yesterday, and it seems to have done something to me engine. When I pull away it pulls away normal then looses power, then catches again and shoots off. Also when on mid range throttle it does a sort of kangarooing down the road. Full throttle is fine pulls nicely, and it idles fine too. Confused aint the word, i checked the fuel hoses they are fine, and it doesn't feel electrical related. Can anyone advise me if this has happened to them or what it might be.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Nath

[MK999]

I'd check the dizzy etc myself, even if it doesn't feel electrical it's worth checking, and that's what I thought of first when you said problems after a bump, could have knocked something out there. If it knocked a fuel line you'd be noticing the little puddle of fuel that isn't getting to the engine lol.

Fuel pump relay is also a possibility, they seem to be knock sensitive? Have heard of a few people reviving them with a sharp tap, maybe it works the other way too lol

[General Lee]

O rite, where be the fuel pump relay. next the fuse box i pressume.

[MK999]

I believe it's in the engine bay on the firewall, but I'm not 100%, my nova is a bit of a strange one in that it's not gone too wrong yet lol

[General Lee]

I just thought my fuel pump, its just a mechanicle one with it being a carb engine it's an E reg mk1

[novaguy08]

if thats the case it wont have a fuel pump relay lol
Stilll check that you havent given the carb a rattle, you might have got a float stuck or something. check all the leads are secure dizzy ca & rotor arm too

[MK999]

Duh, didn't even think of that lol as above then, the carb is probably the root of all your evils, you may have 10 more bhp but look where it's got you! :p (Yes I'm a bitter spi owner)

[novaguy08]

lol same here MK :D
1200??
still trying to work out why mine is over fueling!!

[MK999]

Mine is the same, plugs look like coal lol but it's all standard and it's EFI so I'm stuck too, tbh it's getting given to the nice man with a crusher in a month or 2 so I just threw some new plugs on it a month or so back and left it.

I think mine could be a shonky cat actually, as it was overheating pretty badly a while back (stat went) and I think that's buggered the cat, so it's all backing up a bit too much and not burning properly. That would give the effect that it's overfueling as the fuel isn't burning fully, but the EFI is pushing in the right amount of fuel, personally I thought this was levelled out using the lambda sensor though.

[novaguy08]

thats what i thought too. however now that you have said the C word im sad as now i need to think of that?!
Mind you mine has always done it!! Did yours pink at 3k too?

[MK999]

Not that I've noticed, besides a slightly lumpy idle compared to when I first bought it, it runs fine tbh, besides being as asthmatic as you'd expect a 1200 spi to be. It was bought at 33k miles though, so it ran pretty sweetly and the idle would have looked like a high flatline if you had it on a graph I think lol

edit: you're welcome to any bits you think might fix it, or the entire engine in a month or 2 if you want it, I was just going to chuck it wherever would take it.

[General Lee]

if thats the case it wont have a fuel pump relay lol
Stilll check that you havent given the carb a rattle, you might have got a float stuck or something. check all the leads are secure dizzy ca & rotor arm too

checked leads didn't check rota arm but dizzy is all secure, how would i check the float.

[novaguy08]

hit it with a hammer, if its stuck then it will free with shock, or failing that take apart and refurb it with plenty of carb cleaner!
MK ill take the whole soddin car off your hands :D

[MK999]

Haha, not for free you won't, and I'd want another car in better condition ready to replace it lol I'll be getting rid of all the 1.2 gubbings though, can have the lot including exhaust with a new backbox I just put on it (was not impressed at finding a nearly new backbox in a scrappy, I only wanted it to last a month or 2) for £20 or something :p I'd say we were hijacking a bit here, but since we're talking about spi's the title fits PERFECTLY lol

[General Lee]

ha ha, i just took it out for a spin gave it a little thrash and it seems to have cured itself. so may have been a stuck float as said,cheers guys, i love quick fixes.

[MK999]

Speed bump fix it? lol

[General Lee]

well not a speed bump but one hell of a bumpy road yeah!

[novaguy08]

woo i was right :D
i think anywho!

[Bubba]

i just filled my cars with wd40, clean the jets n all and that fixed the same problem