V8 running problems.......

[skiprat]

hi all,

i finally got round to fitting a few bits to the bobtail today, and fired her up. she started on the button, but seems to be a few cylinders short of a symphony...  

i pulled all the plugs and they seem fine, im 95% certain the leads are where they should be  ( note to self, dont use plyers from the boot sale to hold ht leads...    ). as she ticks over ok i can only assume fuel is not the problem. although she doesnt seem to keen to rev up. there is no back fire or real misfire  ???  :?:

im pretty sure the manifolds (exhaust )are leaking as i could hear air escaping on tickover, but this shouldnt affect the running should it?

any way im sure you lot know a damn site more about these engines than me, so i will await some help from this vast fountain of knowledge.  

i look forward to any help/advise you can give

kris

forgot to mention its a 1981 3.5 V8 on carbs.. :roll:

[mark.yellow.series.3]

if its a rythmical miss fire, then it could be distributer and/or ht  fault, worth checking the tappit clearnce and ignition timing.

if its misses randomly then it could be fuel. like faulty carb.

[Littledan]

nice straight pannels on there  

[drmike]

As others will say the leads need to be in good condition and clean. I'd clean the leads, the exterior of the plugs, around the plug holes, the distributor cap inside and out and check the posts inside there to make sure they are clean and sound. I use carb cleaner for this.

I bought some of those HT caps that you put on a plug and see a spark in the cap so you can watch and see which cylinder is missing. For 6 quid very handy.

Have you changed the oil as this will have a big impact on the engine as it has hydraulic tappets? Get a 20/50 oil is my advice but not everyone agrees (but they're wrong  :) ).

It's worth checking the dahspots of the carbs for oil 3 in 1 type oil and changing or removing the fuel filter.

My money is on changing the engine oil making the difference!

Mike

[skiprat]

i have just popped the dizzy cap of and it looks like somebody has been in there with a mini welder...

this is all new to me so any help recieved is greatly apprieciated.. :shock:

kris

[drmike]

Well I know what everyone would say - replace the cap with a genuine one and be careful to get a good one not some rubbish that barely fits BTDT. It's only a few quid.

Also it's worth double checking the firing order, I actually numbered the cap connections at one stage as I was always having to take them off!

A V8 will run with the timing miles out so it's well worth checking that too. I could vary mine hugely and it still ran after a fashion.

There's a good american Range Rover/V8 web site whose name I can't recall but very helpful and then there's the oily page. I think Google V8 oily page and you'll get to some Belgium web site in English that covers all you'd want to know about the V8 and oil.

Mike

[Range Rover Blues]

Al;so worth a visit to RPI website, but leave your wallet in another room