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Post by andrewa on May 10, 2016 5:30:31 GMT
Yes they are quick - but not you're typical Chummy! ![]() My favourite of the day was this   ![]() The chap appears to do everything with it, which is great to see - sprints, hill climbs, Hot Rod runs and so on - never restored and un modified and runs a two speed auto! |
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Post by dave1800 on May 10, 2016 12:42:40 GMT
Do you make a note of the temperature and maybe humidity for your various outings compared with the day it was set up on the rolling road? Does the temperature gauge give you any clues or isn't there any time to watch it  Thanks for the report and photos regards David Despite all the faff with distributors over the winter I was no quicker than last year - my gut feeling is it's still too lean at the top end but enough's enough. As usual the car was well received by all and raised many smiles. Next stop Crystal Palace... |
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Post by andrewa on May 11, 2016 4:54:52 GMT
Car temp guage nothing unusual - weather foggy/cold when set up - scorching on Saturday!
It'll happily rev out in the lower gears just not in fourth - get's to 5,500 revs eventually but takes its time.
All the other A/B series engined cars at Goodwood seem to run extremely rich at idle btw.
Shouldn't be a problem at Crystal Palace as it's 2nd/3rd gear there for me - but Goodwood very fast 4th gear most of time so shows it up more.
Don't notice it on road as it's a 90 mph + phenomenon.
Cheers
Andrew
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Post by dave1800 on May 11, 2016 10:55:35 GMT
On the one hand it does sound like insufficient fuel in top gear at high rpm and load, I assume the fuel pump flow and pressure are sufficient - no clogged filter? However, some of the early standard engines were short of puff in hot weather as someone had stencilled the air intake positions incorrectly and pointed them to the exhaust manifold in the summer position so the engines were running too rich 9but also taking in too little oxygen.
The only way is to strap it on the rolling road with an exhaust gas analyser. As your next outing will be in lower gears now is probably not the time. The fact that the temperature gauge was normal may suggest it is probably not running weak in top gear at high speed or maybe it just isn't sensitive enough to register short term changes.
One reason other A/B series engines were rich at idle could be down to the fact that they hadn't got a programmable ignition to compensate for the cam profiles at the low end. Certainly peak torgue is obtained a little on the rich side of the 14.7:1 ideal mixture for economy and emissions.
Good luck for Crystal Palace.
Regards
David
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Post by andrewa on May 11, 2016 18:35:52 GMT
Had a word with Mr Burgess - he pointed out it was exactly as per the earlier graph - need a more powerful engine basically!
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Post by andrewa on May 27, 2016 10:07:52 GMT
Just a quick thought - cam timing!
I've convinced myself the cam timing is out which may be why it's not making as much power as I remember.
The only thing I do which I can think of which might have done something is as follows.
When the car is left for a while (weeks) sometimes it won't go into gear with the clutch down and engine running - so I turn it off, put it in 4th and then start it up and it free's off.
I have it down to a fine art now but used to use 1st or 2nd or reverse - might I have affected cam timing somehow?
It's on verniers btw.
Presume it's reasonably easy to check once rad and fan etc out the way?
Or am I going mad?
Cheers
Andrew
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Post by dave1800 on May 27, 2016 14:16:50 GMT
It sounds as though the clutch is binding when not used - not much you can do as far as I know other than to keep the car dry and not leave it too long. The only reasons I can think of why cam timing could change are: the vernier cam sprocket wasn't tightened the chain has stretched (there have been reports of poor chains) but if it is a duplex -as originally fitted the chances are much less; the tensioner has failed Taking the timing cover off should reveal the above but if you can find the original settings for your camshaft then you could check all these by measuring the valve opening and closing in relation to tdc using a 360 degree protractor, cam degree timing wheel etc. The w/s manual describes how to do this for the standard cam by opening the valve clearances to 20 or 21 thou I recall and seeing when the pushrod just starts to operate / release the valve. Unfortunately there are many variations on the way cam manufacturers quote the timing, eg some use 50 thou valve lift which is why I suggest you ask the person (?Peter B?) who last set it up who should have a record of the vernier adjustment to add or deduct from the figures. I don't think that freeing the clutch as you have been can have affected the camshaft timing unless the vernier was loose. Interesting. If you have details of your ignition timing then you could check whether this has changed as the distributor is driven from the camshaft via the timing chain, if it is unchanged and steady under the timing light, check acceleration and deceleration then that would suggest no cam timing change. You may find a small change if the car was set up with a brand new timing chain; with the standard engine 2-3 degrees doesn't make much difference but your hotter cam may make it more susceptible. Here is a link to a page in Peter's B's book to setting the cam timing bookTommy is our expert on cam timing. regards David Just a quick thought - cam timing! I've convinced myself the cam timing is out which may be why it's not making as much power as I remember. The only thing I do which I can think of which might have done something is as follows. When the car is left for a while (weeks) sometimes it won't go into gear with the clutch down and engine running - so I turn it off, put it in 4th and then start it up and it free's off. I have it down to a fine art now but used to use 1st or 2nd or reverse - might I have affected cam timing somehow? It's on verniers btw. Presume it's reasonably easy to check once rad and fan etc out the way? Or am I going mad? Cheers Andrew |
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Post by andrewa on May 27, 2016 15:49:26 GMT
Thanks for that - all makes sense - have bought the book by the way and am now working my way through it.
Should have invested in it before the engine rebuild!
Off to Crystal Palace on Sunday - my time for signing on and scrutineering is between 7.15 and 7.45 so be leaving around 4.15 a.m. which means getting up at 3.30 a.m. - why do I bother?
Left it too late to get nearby hotel/B&B.
Cheers
Andrew
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Post by andrewa on May 30, 2016 5:16:30 GMT
Well it was a fun day and the car ran well - attracted a lot of interest/questions/requests to sit in car (!) etc from the public who were wandering around the paddock. It's in a different league to most of the stuff that's there but I was pleased I was within a whisker of the V12 e-type, slightly faster then the Alfa and in touch with the MGA.    Next outing is Brooklands on the 19th June. Cheers Andrew |
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Post by andrewa on Jun 15, 2016 5:56:34 GMT
Better picture of car in action for those that are interested!  |
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Post by Nick RS on Jun 15, 2016 17:17:13 GMT
Really cool picture Andrew, it makes me want to dust off by old SLR camera and lenses.
Nick
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Post by dave1800 on Jun 16, 2016 0:54:34 GMT
When, where was this taken? I see the tax disk shows 2015 (great camera!) regards David Better picture of car in action for those that are interested! |
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Post by andrewa on Jun 16, 2016 10:03:17 GMT
Yes - slightly slower shutter speed might have helped confirm that the car was actually moving quite quickly!
It was at Crystal Palace a few weeks ago now-just left the old tax disc in to fill up the space!
Cheers
Andrew
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Post by Nick RS on Jun 30, 2016 18:26:02 GMT
Well done on making it into print in this week's Classic Car Weekly !
Nick
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Post by andrewa on Jul 2, 2016 23:25:21 GMT
Thanks for spotting it- I'd missed it - god-children chuffed!
It was fun weekend but concours not quite so light hearted and I was pipped by an XR4i in the autotest - no great shame in that though.
Cheers
Andrew
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