Xflow woes - FINALLY sorted

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

Hello all

Some of you will be well-acquainted with my car and a persistent misfire. 

Has had new plugs, HT leads, distributor (Aldon), fuel pump and recently the carbs (twin weber 40s) have been taken off and refurbed by a weber chap (and now refitted). Timing has also been set wth a strobe.

Car starts and runs and will tick over but runs very roughly and coughs and spits through the Webers (used to cough a bit but no where near as much as it does now).  

Guy who same to set the timing and valve clearances was scratching his head and reckons the Webers need setting up properly but won't touch them. Car is on a SORN and I need it sorted before I can get it to an MOT station.

Literally pulling my hair out with this now - can anyone recommend a MOBILE weber carb specialist who can come and set the carbs up and/or diagnose the problem - I am near Godalming in Surrey (Guildford) Happy to pay a decent amount just to get this car on the road now, I have tried/replaced just about everything and am rapidly losing the will to live !!!!!

 

Thanks !

 

HWS

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

Come on guys SOMEONE must know..... 

[Peter Blundell]

Hi - I have just had the same problem and could not sort it until I took it to a rolling road tuneing guy who rejetted the carbs.

Must be one local to you you could blag that you were on the way to the MOT. Or the guy who did mine is in Slough - book an MOT there and visit him.

 

Hope this helps.

Peter

[Budjuggler]

There is a x flow engine man somewhere in Kings Road, Fleet.  Sorry, don't know name but might be able to assist. Works from home. Can give you number (of house) if you need It. Don't know whether he can do carbs as well

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

Thanks both - anyone else know of anyone ? Ideally a mobile carbs guy as the car is sorn'd so need it fixed in situ (my garage) really :-/

 

[Duckpit]

I would say definitely jets or emulsion tubes, but it could be that your carbs are not fitted properly. Did you put on new flexible gaskets and nuts and had the right gap between the washers. Doing this on my 45's stopped all missing on start up.

What are your jets, emulsion tubes, etc, then someone can tell you what they are running on their xflow but they are also on an older thread

 

Nick

[virden]

 I think Nick may have identified it, it is possible that your  flexible gaskets are too loose, and therfore sucking in air at higher revs.  Try the water can test:    hold the  accelerator to keep revs at say 2500 then get someone to use a watercan to pour water over your flexible O rings, if the revs drop you are leaking so tighten up the nuts. Good luck

[Duckpit]

be careful as overtightening the nuts stops the flexibility and makes the fuel foam. My understanding is that the washers should have a gap the size of a 5 penny piece.

I personally would replace gaskets and washers if you have a problem

Nick

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

Cheers - flexible gaskets are fine and correctly set, just misfires like a pig....

[Mcalvert]

Appreciate your car is SORN'd, but surely the best approach is to arrange to trailer it to a rolling road and to get it looked at professionally (fellow Xflow owner speaking here!)  Happy to loan you my trailer if it helps?  Based near Maidenhead, so not that close, but backup if there isn't anyone nearer?

Good luck!

 

 

 

[simon metcalfe]

Hi,

just a thought but have you also replaced the coil?  

Regards Simon

 

 

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

Hi Simon - yes twice and tried with one I know works too

Hi Michael - suspect you're right but the car is so sick I'd like to have it running to some degree before I take it to someone ( or at least understand what the core issue is before they stick it on a RR)

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

So far the car has had:

New plugs and leads

new coil and lead

new distributor ( Aldon ignitor)

new fuel pump

Completely refurbished carbs ( Weber specialist) with fuel enrichment blanked off

tappets done and timing checked

new fuel tank (vapour lock eliminated)

No crud in tank or pick up

...it's spits and bangs, chugs like a tractor and spits back (occasional flame from the inlet trumpets when the air filters are removed). It idles around 1000 but sounds absolutely awful and stinks of fuel

[Jonathan Kay]

If you don't get a solution that works at home and you can't find a mobile expert there is a provision for driving vehicles without current MoT certificates to repairers.

But I've never been able to find details of the precautions and restrictions, whether SORNed or not. A minimum might be:

• Booked into the repairers.
• Booked into the MoT inspection.
• Otherwise roadworthy.

Jonathan

[Golf Juliet Tango]

I can only recommend Rob Morley at Ratrace who works wonders with my Crossflow. After his laying-on-of-hands, mine is about to go the Rolling Road at Wilshers Garages in Wimpole. 

I'm sorry I don't know of mechanics who come to you.

[Mort]

Sorry, only just picked up on this, as I'm not spending much time on the forum these days.

Try James Whiting.  He kept my Supersprint running like a sewing machine, and balanced my 45 Webers by ear.  Got to be worth a phone call.

[Golf Juliet Tango]

Good call Nick. James is a lot closer for HWS and certainly knows about Sevens from many years back.

[Steve Sheldon]

Hi

I had this problem some years ago and it was the shaft in the distributor worn and causing misfire. Took a long time to find...replaced Disi and all was well.

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

Cheers all - will give James a call !

Steve - dizzie is brand new so don't think it's that but thanks for posting.

[andy couchman]

Another thought - do you use rubber fuel pipe? Modern petrol doesn't like it and it could explain some of the problems...

Good luck sorting it - sooooo frustrating!

Andy

(non-Hendrix sunburst Strat)

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

Hi Andy

Yes I do but all replaced and checked so don't think it's that. I have just dropped James a note...

'tis indeed frustrating, soul-destroying actually as I hear yet another " Why don't you just get rid of  it dear and buy one that works" from Mrs HWS and, the knuckles on my hand whiten as I grip the spanner ...... the grim determination as I stride toward the garage for another weekend of utter desolation.....

(Love a nice sunburst me) ;-)

 

[Wrightpayne]

Has it ever run well? Is the problem a recent phenomenon? 

Have you checked the engine earth?

have you tried pulling a plug cap off, one at a time, and running the car - is it better or worse? I used to pull the HT leads with the engine running with rubber gloves on but would advise against this!

compression test?

regards

Ian

[andy couchman]

It WILL get sorted HWS, just a question of doing a Sherlock: “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

Good luck and you'll soon be kissing the sky!

Andy

[HendrixsWhiteStratReturns]

LOL thanks Andy

Thank you to all who have posted. I have canceled all commits for the weekend and am spending the time going back through everything on the car  to check/recheck plus some other helpful suggestions made (alternator wiring and earthing) and hopefully I will trace the problem and if not then I've done everything I can with it and it will be trailered off to a Xflow specialist for attention.

Will let you know what happens - at least after all this pretty much everything will have been replaced that needs replacing !! There's a damn good Xflow underthere struggling to get out 

 

:-)

[MADMALC]

Hi H,

I sympathies with you over this and offer my suggestion. It sounds like the spark is igniting fuel but not at the right point in the engines cycle. Treble check that all the plug leads are in the right order and then check that at the point of fire (when the rotor arm is opposite the lead) that that piston is in the correct point of it's cycle to accept the spark.

Another suggestion is to slowly rotate the distributor to see if things change.

Good luck.