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View Full Version : Idle and acceleration problems (t40s)



Chris14SR
18-07-05, 12:02 AM
I've got a 1300 with a 1.2 head and t40 dcoe carbs. I've just got the car back from having the following work done - head gasket replaced, cylinder head skimmed (it was already very highly skimmed so the compression is now ridiculous, although I'm not sure exactly how much. the company said there was nothing more that could be taken out of the head), new camshaft fitted (was running a 300 degree cam, but it was knackered, the lobes were showing serious amounts of wear so I've gone for a brand new piper 285 cam kit to give a little more oomph at the bottom end), full carb clean and rebuild, and a rolling road setup. Oh, and a new Weber throttle linkage as the old one was one of the front mounting types with the swingarm on a spindle, rather than the pulleys on springs like the proper Weber ones.

In many ways the car is running nicely now, and increasing the throttle gradually shows smooth acceleration and generally smooth running. Very nice. For this reason I dont' think the other problems are likely to have shown up throughout the rolling road setup. Increasing the throttle sharply causes the car to misfire, starting with a slight misfire but becoming extremely bad, to the point of losing power and slowing down. I have a feeling this is either the ignition timing or a fuelling/jetting issue.

It's also incredibly ropey on idle, far worse than it was before I gave the car over. Sometimes it's idling very high (1500-2000rpm) and other times it just drops and stalls. It's like suddenly it loses fuel and cuts out. It's also become a bit of a pig to start in the mornings, taking anythign up to 10 attempts, sometimes coughing for a few seconds, firing a few cylinders then dying. Eventually it coughs more and more, and then finally starts properly.

I don't think this is really the fault of the tuning company, as they don't generally deal with carbed cars, and it's always been a bit of an ass with it's idle and starting, but you would have thought that a milder, unworn cam would make it idle better and start smoothly, instead the opposite is true.

Giving 1/2 - 3/4 throttle, the car picks up superbly through the entire rev range, with smooth acceleration. Any more or less than this and it seems to have difficulty.

I'm pretty much at a loss as to why this is happening. I can only think that perhaps the new throttle linkage is set slightly out for the idle, or that perhaps in cleaning the carbs, something inside now has some residue that's causing unreliable operation under full throttle.

This is a shame, because the car is extremely powerful for a 1.3, showing 115bhp on the rollers, a figure I believe to be completely accurate based on how it's been performing up till now. I just want to be able to put my foot down again and for the car to accelerate like it should.

Oh, one last thing, when I depress the clutch say to stop at a roundabout, if the revs die quickly as if it's going to stall, and I stamp on the throttle, it'll stutter and die, whereas if I slightly press on the throttle pedal, it'll rev higher.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I plan on taking it to someone else to get a professional second opinion on this, but I'd also like to hear what other people think.

Cheers

Chris

-Bruce-
18-07-05, 10:27 AM
I dont think it is a timing issue!! So i would say drive it again and then drive it home after warmed up, and let it stall in your drive. Then get out and look at the plugs!! This may tell you if its too lean or too rich. And keep looking at you plugs to check whats happening.

As for the bad idle and back acceleration. This points to the idle jets and acceleration pump jets in the carbs. If you took them apart have a look inside them and see if they are ok. Did you get the rolling road to use different accel and idle jets when it was on the RR??

Bruce

Snowface
18-07-05, 09:59 PM
is your fuel supply regulated to 3psi? If not then that is the first thing i'd check as the symptons sound like that is the cause.

nathan.
18-07-05, 10:12 PM
As bruce say's. check your idle jets. Did you have the carbs re-jetted on the rr? Sounds to me like its been set up wrong

Chris14SR
20-07-05, 01:47 PM
There's no fuel regulator on the line so it's possible that that's the cause of the problems. I've spoken to the people who did the work and they're having the car back next week, possibly with a view to having a regulator fitted and set up.

The jets haven't been changed as far as I know, but then it was running ok before the carbs were rebuilt so I don't think the jets should be wrong, I think it's just the fuelling is a little all over the place.

The only thing that's really changed is the cam, which is now milder than before, and the throttle linkage, which was cobbled together and is now a proper webber linkage. Oh, and the head's had 5 thou skimmed off, but the difference should really only be marginal.

I'll see how they get on with it.

Snowface
20-07-05, 03:41 PM
if you don't use a regulator with the mechanical pump it will flood the carb's. It will eventually cause damage to the cylinders as the oil is washed off the bores by the petrol.

Get one of these on before you take it to a garage who will charge you ?100 or whatever for the same advice.

If it still crap, then go.

Chris14SR
20-07-05, 03:54 PM
Are they quite easy to fit and adjust? I guess they just go on the fuel line between the carbs and the fuel pump.

Any recommendations for where to get one from? I'd probably do well to get some extra fuel lines and hose clamps as the lines are a little short - there's no way it'd reach far enough to mount the regulator anywhere and I'd rather not leave it hanging.

addgsi
20-07-05, 06:58 PM
i use a filter king press reg cost me 35 quid from mpc then bought a press gauge which screws into the top would suggest you got it set up again after and they do go between the pump and carbs

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Snowface
20-07-05, 10:51 PM
www.burtonpower.com

Chris14SR
21-07-05, 09:07 AM
Managed to find one yesterday that's the same as the one Slim Jim on this site uses, so that should be good enough. Also ordered some nice braided fuel lines, just to tidy it up a little bit.

I'll report back the results!