Carbon on exhaust valves....or something a lot simpler?

[Elstro1988]

Okay, here's the issue I thought was overheating blah blah...

My ohv engine before Xmas had horrendous starting and idling problems...which were duly fixed by new points, condensor (Halfords ripped me off) and HT leads. So it starts first time and actually holds its idle without blipping or choke on.

But basically when its under load/cruising at 60 on a road with some kind of incline the speed drops and it splutters. It accelrates and holds that speed fine on most roads, including the A14 but its just when there's any kind of incline it does this. It never used to, so I know it's not just because its a 1.0! It actually cruised better even when it was having idling problems.

Rang around some garages and one of them reckoned it was carbon building up on the exhaust valves (which makes sense as it's mostly used around town etc) but is it simply a case of perhaps new plugs/dizzy cap?

Generally it's perfectly useable but it's just mildlyannoying as I have to pick my routes carefully if going out of Cambridge and I need it for a trip to my parents in April which is a 110-mile round drive.

Anyone with better knowledge of the 10S engine know what it is?

[novasrikev]

have you tried some red x i would take the plugs out and have a look

[John]

Have you checked the timing? I know you've said you've had points but is the actual timing ok? What condition are the rotor arm and dizzy cap in? Remove a spark plug and check the colouring, this should give you a good indication of how it's running. I used to have a 1.0s and used it everyday for a 50 mile round trip to and from work, it flew and i loved it!

[Elstro1988]

Cheers, may do that...have a Haynes manual so plugs/cap is one thing that I can manage. I forgot to mention it's pinking slightly (there's a light rattling which is only noticeable on lower revs) as well - when I got it serviced in January apparently the timing was done but knowing Halfrauds, they've probably over-advanced it..

[AndrewJenkins]

theres your mistake taking anything to halfords lol so did the problem just occur or happened gradualy have you checked all the breather pipes as it could be a split in the hose not adjusting the carb under load?

[Elstro1988]

theres your mistake taking anything to halfords lol so did the problem just occur or happened gradualy have you checked all the breather pipes as it could be a split in the hose not adjusting the carb under load?

The idling one was gradual but it happened a year before (coil was on its way out and it got new points, plugs, cap, arm and leads as well) as well. But once the points got replaced (I thank saloonwoody for pointing me to that) it was cured and it started first time again after 3 months of several attempts...but it;s only recently I noted the struggle under load.

And yes, Halfrauds - I deserved that one...seduced by their Christmas discount and 67 point service check...

[marc69]

I had exactly that problem, on a long journey, every hill, then 2 minutes later mine would actually stall, it can be one of several things, dizzy is knackered, no advance on load due to knackered vacumm or pipe,or timing and points are not set properly. I think it is the latter as it is pinking.

As I said before, the 16 thou points gap in haynes didn't seem to work on mine and I went to 13 thou as old guys told me they always used on ohv engines. I also changed from ngk spark plugs to champion and set them at 25 thou and not the 32 thou. I have driven that car like that the whole length of the country with no problme s and often drive it fairly hard.

I ran another 1.0 for 7 years around town and never had carbon build up problems, if it were running that rich, you would fail every mot. Be wary of garages telliung you it is major engine work, i had a rough 1960 morris mini years ago, it went to a garage as it wouldn't idle/run well etc. I was about to pay out for a major rebuild, an old farmer looked at it, took a hammer to the distributor to loosen it and adjusted the ignition timing, it went like a dream after that!

The only mechanical problem I ever had with a nova ohv engine was when I broke a valve by going way over the red line!


Shame aberdeen is so ffar away eh?

[John]

If it's "pinking" the timing is out, get it checked (not at hellfrauds) :)