Won't Tickover

[starmist]

Since I've had the engine rebuilt at TVR Power with the Taraka cam, on cold start, it is reluctant to tick over. Today, instead of blipping the throttle to keep it running, it stalled. It took me 20 mins to restart it, with a strong petrol smell from the exhausts. Then, for the next 10 miles it would not tick over at all, and was missing badly under about 2000rpm.

All I have noticed is that the advance mechanism on the distributor is loose. I've tightened it up best I can, but they are very small torx screws and the left hand one is a bugger to get at.

Is it possible that when the ignition timing was set up (dynamically, I presume) that the advance wasn't working, so in effect it's too advanced at low revs.

Does anyonw know at what revs the ignition starts to advance, anyway?

[K4TRV]

I presume you are in contact with TVR Power - I would never advise anyone to start "messin" with something that's just gone thro' an expensive re-build - even tightening advance/retard can be problematical. With the cam change, what else did they change? The ECU or re-set it?? New Dizzy or changed the module?? All manner of things which can have a direct impact upon idle, especially when still "running-in" ??

The reason, I guess, it doesn't idle is that you fouled some/most of the plugs having "flooded" it initially. It's just rebuilt and I would not think you want to "give-it-whelly" which would probly, in normal cirumstances, clear the plugs.

As to why it didn't idle after the re-build, really that TVR Powers problem, "maybe they didn't tighten the dizzy adv/retard properly...!!" But you'll get all sorts of "info" from us PHers - not necessarily of much use !!!

Trev McM

[shpub]

I agree. If it ain't right - take it to TVR Power to look at.

[starmist]

Thanks for the advice (and caution) guys. It has been fine since (been out in it today) and it's having an ACT triple plenum and MA chip installed on Friday, so if it's ECU related, it should be overcome then. I'll get the dixxy tightened then anyway, and poss ignition timing rechecked.