Today didn't go as planned....

[BaileyMex]

Had today off work to hopefully get most of the car put back together

 

The engine is now back in but would it start and run properly? would it fook

 

Was only running on two and spitting loads of fuel back out of the carbs, a couple of hours later and loads of fiddling we managed to get it running on four..............BADLY!!!

 

It's running like a sack of shite and wont idle and sounds pig awful,

 

OK we thought, so it just needs a damn good tune up

 

Now the head fook,

 

We fitted in the new Dished 8,000rpm clocks and they look great, but the rev counter is now bouncing all over the place, on idle (with the aid of your foot a little on the gas) it is reading around 3,000rpm, and when you accelerate a little the rev counter goes off the clock when it's obviously nowhere near the red line

 

Glen and I spent ALL day trying to figure this out and I must say it has hacked me off a bit as I got nothing else done

 

Can anyone give any advise why the rev counter on these new clocks might be acting this way

 

PLUS............the battery gauge on the clocks rises up to the RED checked the battery and it seems to be charging ok

 

Checked the main earth at the on the bulkhead and that seems fine

 

Neither Glen or I are experts in electrics and were both stumped

 

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[JP.]

As for you rev counter and engine problems Id say its ignition related.

Had to fight similar issues last year which took me two months and drove me insane. Bouncing rev counter & very bad running engine on tripple 40's.

After swapping the dizzy for another one ( Aldon Bosch replaced my Motorcraft ) all issues disapeared at once.

[BaileyMex]

Thanks bud,

 

We had a look at the ignition wires, it's all the same as before we took the engine out and it ran fine,

 

Is there a way of testing a dizzy to see if it is doing what it is supposed to be doing?

[samurai]

Thanks bud,

 

We had a look at the ignition wires, it's all the same as before we took the engine out and it ran fine,

 

Is there a way of testing a dizzy to see if it is doing what it is supposed to be doing?

 

Tried another coil?

[BaileyMex]

No I have a H&H plug system like the below

 

 

H&H are on holiday until after the BH weekend too

[BaileyMex]

quick question

 

when an ignition coil is bolted to the inner wing, does that act as an earth?

 

Inner wings have fresh paint and not sure if they do earth out of the contact is good enough

[banarama]

thata a brillant piece of kit.i bought the same set up for my mk2 rs2000,it gives out some spark. NO JUST BOLT IT TO THE BODY NO OTHER EARTH REQUIED.

[Savvi]

There must be a earthing wire or the coil needs earth somewhere for it all to work ?

 

I'd look at that 1st as it would give you poor running.

 

How much was that complete kit ? After going to fast ford i need to change my Mk2 to make it run better in traffic.

[BaileyMex]

Hi mate, thats what I meant, wasnt sure if a coil earthed itself thru the inner wing, or even if it was earthed

[BaileyMex]

There must be a earthing wire or the coil needs earth somewhere for it all to work ?

 

I'd look at that 1st as it would give you poor running.

 

How much was that complete kit ? After going to fast ford i need to change my Mk2 to make it run better in traffic.

 

OK, so it should create it's own earth when bolted to the inner wing, will check that first

 

Would a poor earth at the coil not only cause the rev counter to go bonkers, but the battery gauge on the dash to rise up to the red?

 

 

 

As for how much, to be honest it was bought back in Aug 06 and I cant really remember, I seem to think it was about £130 or £160 cant remember sorry

[Savvi]

It will need earthing, some are done in the wiring loom (normally a ring connection) or sometimes it earths via the fixing bolts.

 

I would clean off the fixing bolt holes then smear with some grease, copper grease or similar to prevent rusting later, just to rule it out.

[BaileyMex]

I would clean off the fixing bolt holes then smear with some grease, copper grease or similar to prevent rusting later, just to rule it out.

 

Cheers mate, will try that tomorrow

[Savvi]

If the guage is going up or you have other problems i would clean off all of the earthing points, sounds like it could be the brown wire that normally goes to the radiator / slam panel as that's the main loom earth.

 

If you have painted the whole engine bay then clean all off to be sure but apply something to prevent problems later

[BaileyMex]

If the guage is going up or you have other problems i would clean off all of the earthing points, sounds like it could be the brown wire that normally goes to the radiator / slam panel as that's the main loom earth.

 

If you have painted the whole engine bay then clean all off to be sure but apply something to prevent problems later

 

thanks mate, will check ALL the earths, hopefully it is something as simple as a dodgy earth

[john_3.0s]

try putting an eath in even just a lash up to see if it makes a difference on the coil as a bad earth will have some weird effects on your ing. the wireing on a tacho for a mk1 is a loop through inductive pickup so it shouldnt affect the ignition, suggest you have anothet problem with the gauges probably the voltage regulator on tyhe back of the clocks, try changing it over for the one off your old one and see if it sorts it, itrs a small metal oblong shaped thing with one wire coming out of it. HTH

[BaileyMex]

Hi all,

 

just a quick update on this issue, was able to get up to the workshop for an hour after work and had a tinker

 

Checked the earth on the coil and made it better

 

Fitted new dizzy and rotor arm to be on the safe side

 

Starts well enough now

 

Still needs a damn good tune tho

 

However the rev counter still bouncing all over the place

 

I tried my old clocks and the rev counter was working normally

 

So I don't think it is a problem with my ignition or wiring thank god,

 

But why would these new clocks do that and the original ones work fine

 

The new ones are below

 

 

I think they were from the Twin Cam, would a Twin Cam have a different electrical set up to a X-flo?

[tim]

with out comparing wiring diagrams id of said it the new cluster at fault.

an avo member just had there cluster repaired by JDO Instrument Engineers and one of the prices ive seen was £55+vat

[BaileyMex]

Cheers Tim

[Savvi]

Well done mate, reckon it was the bad earth.

 

I'm 99% sure the basic wiring is the same for early and late clocks, live, earth and then the sense wire which comes off the main ignition feed to the coil.

 

You may be able to swap the internals over from the old to the new ?

 

But for the money the peeps Tim has mentioned sounds a good option.

[BaileyMex]

I think as were up against the clock for the Crawley show I'll have to put the old clocks back in in the short term,

[w p e]

No I have a H&H plug system like the below

 

 

H&H are on holiday until after the BH weekend too

surely the running problems ABOVE. a pinto dizzy in a x/flow don't go sorry

[BaileyMex]

surely the running problems ABOVE. a pinto dizzy in a x/flow don't go sorry

 

It ran ok for about 4-5 years before on there tho