Will have a look at it later this week if I get a moment. But for bored ERA ists on warm summers nights with nothing to ponder.....read on.
Played up night before VW show so didnt go, drove it from home to workshop about 8 miles and made 4 of these and oil lamp comes on on dash, but gauge says its ok let it tick over should cut out but doesnt but when you rev it wont rev try harder cuts out, ok try this a couple of times oil lamp goes out and so drive on lamp comes back on with a click from back of dash wont rev pull over ticks over for ten mins doesnt cut out, temp is fine both on guage and feeling rad and pipes and has water in it, dashpot has oil in it, ok try and limp it to work nightmare everytime raise revs tries to stall, must be fuel pump not running right due to relay clicking it out somehow why is it still running but not reving who knows, maybe relay is ok but oil pressure switch is shot.. so wire pump direct to battery with some wire ok can hear pump running great, pull off exactly the same.... suddenly it finds about 2800rpm and runs spot on so hold it exactly on those revs drives ok, big round about change revs nightmare returns same symptoms.
Sat overnight started warmed up on choke and try again oil lamp on not reving.....
there it sits now...
Fuel pressure? regulator?, will put a low gauge on and check it.
Crap in carb? possible... sticking needle valve perhaps? sticking needle again possible. Module on distributor??
Never been right since it went to HI Tech for rolling road..
Paul
Black one being a pain again.
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An old original
Re: Black one being a pain again.
A sticky needle/dirty carb isn't going to cause the oil light to come on so I wouldn't start by taking the carb apart until you've eliminated the electrical side of things first.
My first thought would be check out the oil pressure switch in the front of the block and all associated wiring. This includes something which you might find strange.. when/if the light comes on unexpectedly, Stop but keep the engine running if poss, dip the clutch, put it in reverse and get someone to see if the reversing lights work. This is because the wiring for the reversing lights use the same fuse as the oil pressure warning light.
Story time...
Years ago I could drive around all day at about 50mph or slower and never had a problem. as soon as i went over that for a few minutes, the oil light came on and I eventually ground to a halt. I soon discovered that the fuse was blowing on each occasion but after several roadside recoveries and at least 4 visits to service dealers I was no near the answer until one day whilst stationary I heard electrical interference on the radio which came and went when I switched from pos 1 to pos 2 on the ignition key. I ended stripping the whole dash and heater out where I discovered the wires to the reversing light switch was squeezed between the back of the heater on the bulkhead and so every time the heater got hot enough it melted just a tad more insulation off the wires therefore blowing the fuse.....
My first thought would be check out the oil pressure switch in the front of the block and all associated wiring. This includes something which you might find strange.. when/if the light comes on unexpectedly, Stop but keep the engine running if poss, dip the clutch, put it in reverse and get someone to see if the reversing lights work. This is because the wiring for the reversing lights use the same fuse as the oil pressure warning light.
Story time...
Years ago I could drive around all day at about 50mph or slower and never had a problem. as soon as i went over that for a few minutes, the oil light came on and I eventually ground to a halt. I soon discovered that the fuse was blowing on each occasion but after several roadside recoveries and at least 4 visits to service dealers I was no near the answer until one day whilst stationary I heard electrical interference on the radio which came and went when I switched from pos 1 to pos 2 on the ignition key. I ended stripping the whole dash and heater out where I discovered the wires to the reversing light switch was squeezed between the back of the heater on the bulkhead and so every time the heater got hot enough it melted just a tad more insulation off the wires therefore blowing the fuse.....
Re: Black one being a pain again.
Have you read the information in the technical section
Wiring diagram and circuit description?
Another story
I had a spitfire MK3. My Brother took it over and he recently had a problem.
Engine would start and tick over but would not run normally it would not pull it would misfire. He replaced every component, ignition system, associated electrics.
When I, or anyone else asked “have you tried?”
He had.
He had the head off,
Had it skimmed thinking he had a warped head or leaking gasket.
Again checked everything.
He gave up.
Threatened to send the car to the crusher.
He found a man who would take a look at it. (He obviously had an idea what it was)
Half an hour and he found the problem.
It was sucking air at the fuel pump.
The pipe that was fitted to the inlet of the pump was not sealing properly because of its age and the damage the ethanol in the fuel creates these days. It hadn’t gone hard as my brother had checked it as part his checks but the inner surface was not sealing. It didn’t leak; the pressure created by the head of petrol wasn’t enough to make it leak. There wasn’t that much damage but when the pump started to suck it sucked air, just enough to aerate the petrol and cause a very weak mixture, no acceleration but normal tick over. New rubber pipes and it is as sweet as a nut, perfik.
Now I have messed about with cars for over 40 years and have never heard of that one before.
I did have the misfortune of the carb needle in a HIF44 dropping out of its housing once. That caused a bit of head scratching.
It dropped because it hadn’t been crimped properly during manufacture. I always give the needle a good inspection before I fit them now.
Wiring diagram and circuit description?
Another story
I had a spitfire MK3. My Brother took it over and he recently had a problem.
Engine would start and tick over but would not run normally it would not pull it would misfire. He replaced every component, ignition system, associated electrics.
When I, or anyone else asked “have you tried?”
He had.
He had the head off,
Had it skimmed thinking he had a warped head or leaking gasket.
Again checked everything.
He gave up.
Threatened to send the car to the crusher.
He found a man who would take a look at it. (He obviously had an idea what it was)
Half an hour and he found the problem.
It was sucking air at the fuel pump.
The pipe that was fitted to the inlet of the pump was not sealing properly because of its age and the damage the ethanol in the fuel creates these days. It hadn’t gone hard as my brother had checked it as part his checks but the inner surface was not sealing. It didn’t leak; the pressure created by the head of petrol wasn’t enough to make it leak. There wasn’t that much damage but when the pump started to suck it sucked air, just enough to aerate the petrol and cause a very weak mixture, no acceleration but normal tick over. New rubber pipes and it is as sweet as a nut, perfik.
Now I have messed about with cars for over 40 years and have never heard of that one before.
I did have the misfortune of the carb needle in a HIF44 dropping out of its housing once. That caused a bit of head scratching.
It dropped because it hadn’t been crimped properly during manufacture. I always give the needle a good inspection before I fit them now.
Re: Black one being a pain again.
I had a similar problem last week after changing my servo & master cylinder and it turned out to be the carb vent valve.
I blocked off the pipe where it goes into the steel pipe on the bell housing and all was well.
You could check the pipe between the carb and the vent valve for splits too.
Symptoms were the same apart from the oil pressure light.
I would have suggested the fuel pump relay in case its not fully earthing / connecting. Even though you heard it click it could have dirty contacts and may have made the pump run slower than it should, but if you have connected the pump directly to the battery it cant be that.
If i think of anything else i'll let you know.
I blocked off the pipe where it goes into the steel pipe on the bell housing and all was well.
You could check the pipe between the carb and the vent valve for splits too.
Symptoms were the same apart from the oil pressure light.
I would have suggested the fuel pump relay in case its not fully earthing / connecting. Even though you heard it click it could have dirty contacts and may have made the pump run slower than it should, but if you have connected the pump directly to the battery it cant be that.
If i think of anything else i'll let you know.
Re: Black one being a pain again.
If it's any help re the reversing lights.
I have had cars ( not ERA's ) where the wire has rubbed through on the metal linkage and shorted to earth, at the tie wrap on the gear linkage, just before the switch.
I have had cars ( not ERA's ) where the wire has rubbed through on the metal linkage and shorted to earth, at the tie wrap on the gear linkage, just before the switch.
Re: Black one being a pain again.
five mins fix, fuse number 1-2 looked fine even when popped out and looked at to sun, but was breaking down inside, pulled it apart dead easy and fitted a new fuse... normal service resumed... well normal no power low down then scalded cat from 2750 rpm upwards, will check and tinker with timing and see if carb is ok.
Paul
Paul