Very weird running problem

[Steve Carroll]

So, do you remember those cartoons where somebody does something idiotic, and a donkey's head is superimposed over the idiot's? Well, Hee Haw, gentlemen. It looks like I have my answer.

I checked the timing today and it was off by a mile. Suffice to say that my sloppy installation of the new points was complicit. Basics, basics, basics. I do think the old condenser may have started this whole ordeal, so replacing it was probably inevitable. The engine now runs quite well, despite my best efforts to foul things up. I still have more tweaking to do, but I think I'm over the hump. Now, if I can just get this donkey head off.

My thanks to all those that offered help.

[Mike Wilson]

Congrats!

Mike

[Wes Bender]

Congratulations on fixing it. Now, unless you own a diesel that might need it, throw that can of starting fluid away. It should never be used on these engines.

[David Pettengell]

So, I am the original poster and thanks to Cliff I am back to give you an update.

So my car went to PRS and they got it running much better but never perfect. I asked Cliff for some more advice last year and they focused mainly on electrics and none of those improved things.

The car went back to PRS in November 2018 as it was popping or backfiring and our thoughts were an exhaust leak. Sadly I bought the new funky Stoddard system ($1000 by the time you get it to the UK) for them to fit. They fitted it and the popping and backfiring got much worse.

Paul at PRS tried lots of things and in the end found out one of their original Porsche exhausts they used for running up new engine build. They fitted it and the popping problem is gone.

I drive the car home from PRS and it didn't backfire or pop once but throughout this I have always had a very strange "miss" where the revs drop just for a second then recover. I spoke to Paul about it and he will take another look in the spring.

I am getting to the point where I am going to fly Cliff over and feed him until he finds what's wrong as it ran perfectly in the US after he built the engine.

My thoughts which could be completely wrong are: electrical (but I don't know where), carb butterfly sticking every now and again or my car just hates me.

Finally, my plan in the end it to outlaw my car and when I do that I am going to put fuel injection on it (I know some of you will scream). The reason for this is that I have a 1967 VW square back that I did exactly this to a few years ago and has become much more pleasurable to drive because a computer is working out the spark and fuel, not me LOL

Happy to hear any new ideas as I think Cliff is too busy to get on a plane with his wrenches.

[David Pettengell]

Cliff, this reminded me we considered finding a pair and zeniths and trying those. Just found some on this classified by a guy in CB, Canada. Let me know your thoughts big man