I have only been pootling around town in the Spitfire during recent weeks, and I have not noticed any significant loss of power, but I have noticed a slight tendency to roughness/unevenness at low revs. Today I decided to check the plugs (they were fine, all the same perfect biscuit colour that is shown in the manuals), and to treat Carly to a new set of HT leads, as the old ones have been in for a few years, and I couldn't think of anything else constructive to do!
After I had fitted the new leads, and fired up the engine, I remembered that I had intended to spray contact cleaner on the contacts on the dizzy. Without turning the engine off, I pulled No. 4 lead, and was astonished to find that it made no difference to the engine revs or smoothness. Then I replaced it, and pulled No. 3. Same thing happened. When I replaced that and pulled No's 2 and 1, I got the result I expected: the engine stuttered and died in each instance. I then tried pulling both No's 3 and 4 leads simultaneously. That didn't make any difference to the engine note either. I checked the spark, and all four plugs are sparking beautifully. Any suggestions? The only thing I can think of is that some kind soul has recently detuned the rear carb to such an extent that there is no fuel getting to the rear two cylinders! Not so fanciful as it sounds. As long-term readers will know, Carly has been the subject of some pretty inventive vandalism over the past two or three years. Back before Christmas, I found that someone had lifted the bonnet overnight, and removed the nuts from the exhaust manifold downpipe studs. Yesterday morning, I found a Christmas tree on her roof...
I shall be checking the tuning tomorrow, but if you have any other ideas or suggestions, I'd be delighted to hear them.
Any and all help gratefully received.
ATB -- Mike Ellie - 1963 White Herald 1200 Convertible GA125624 CV Connie - 1968 Conifer Herald 1200 Saloon GA237511 DL Carly - 1977 Inca Yellow Spitfire 1500 FH105671
*** http://www.team.net/the-local ***
Your messages not reaching the list? Check out http://www.team.net/posting.html
*** unsubscribe/change address requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or try *** http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool *** http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo *** Archives at http://www.team.net/archive *** Edit your replies!
