If it wasn't 180 degrees off before, maybe it now is. Anyway, I must be
getting pretty experienced at finding my way around the engine bay, since I
was able to remove the dizzy in the dark. Spark was weak at the plugs, so
perhaps something else failed coincidentally with the carb tune-up.
As for the issue about doing a compression test, I will probably be buying a
tester in the next day or so. Compression wasn't tested since I bought the
car last year, but in the last month, I've hardly put 50 miles on it because
of the rain. There was no unusual engine noise. The timing apparently had
not changed much, if at all (judging by the position of the vacuum unit)
when I removed the dizzy tonight. As for the plug wires, I didn't check the
firing order, but I'm quite sure that no one switched them while I wasn't
paying attention.
One other possibility... I did disconnect the throttle shafts from each
other. Perhaps they are not as reconnected as I thought.
Now... as for the dizzy. It doesn't seem to wobble while spinning, and the
points gap is even at .016 on each of the four lobes. However, I did notice
that the spindle has some play vertically, i.e. along its axis. Is it
supposed to be like that? If not, it seems likely to be a cause of poor
contact with the distributor cap poles.
That's all for tonight.
One the positive side, I just got a new radiator and hose set for the
Sprite, which I will be installing this weekend. I'm a bit apprehensive
though, since it seems to be a product of Magnetti Marelli. How does that
company's quality compare to Lucas? 8-) Should be interesting to deal
with the radiator cowl... The previous owner apparently thought it was
easier to bend the metal flap upwards, as opposed to removing it. Gives the
car a sort of crumpled look under the bonnet.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Regards,
Charles
'74 Midget
'68 Sprite
Bloomfield, NJ
cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com
"How about we duck inside for a Hen?"
----- Original Message -----
From <DLancer7676 at cs.com>
To: <cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com>; <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 10:53 PM
Subject: Re: Rough running update
> In a message dated 8/15/2000 9:24:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com writes:
>
> << I'm still getting backfiring, sputtering, and hardly any power. >>
>
> Charles:
>
> Distributor isn't 180 out is it? Mine was and those were the symptoms.
>
> --David C.
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