sounds like a bag of spanners

[andrea_mcguinn]

Thanks for all your replies and help, will have to suggest them to our mechanic.

 

Still got our fingers crossed it's something simple, like someone said in a previous comment. "Have we left a bag of spanners in there."

[Chalky]

When did you last put fuel in the tank and where did you get it from? When we were testing Range Rover 2 (P38A 1992) we drove to the test site (about 2 hours from Solihull in a brand new metro K series that ran like a bag of nails. We asked one of the engine team to have a look and his first comment was "supermarket petrol?" He recommended to refill with a branded fuel (esso/shell/bp etc). The change was sudden and remarkable - the car ran like a sewing machine. If the fuel is old then get some new good quality fuel.

 

Also it's worth getting the mechanic to check the compression - poor running could be a sign of a damaged valve or other internal problems. A compression test is quick and easy to do but will give some indication of any internal faults.

Edited July 10, 2013 by Chalky

[luctor et emergo]

Might be bearings?

[RLWP]

Also it's worth getting the mechanic to check the compression - poor running could be a sign of a damaged valve or other internal problems. A compression test is quick and easy to do but will give some indication of any internal faults.

 

See post 1 - 125psi

Might be bearings?

 

Not usually reported as 'a bag of spanners'. Deep rumbling is bearings

 

Richard

[Tony Brooks]

The "bag of spanners" description could relate to so many faults. We need to know if the engine is jumping about a lot, especially on or near idle.

 

Most of us have gone for a misfire of some sort but I am wondering if the thing is detonating (pinking) under power.

 

Then there is the cracking tin alternator pulley thing or the alternator or starter falling off - come to that what about a cracked engine foot. The list just goes on and on and I doubt we can be much help without a more detailed description of what is going on.

[andrea_mcguinn]

Right, well when we start her with the choke out the rattle and vibration is immense.

Once heated and the chokes in she settles down, still noisy but you don't have to shout over the sound. Then straight away as u put her under pressure as in any form of revs once in gear the noise and vibration start again.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Many thanks

Andrea

[ditchcrawler]

Right, well when we start her with the choke out the rattle and vibration is immense.

Once heated and the chokes in she settles down, still noisy but you don't have to shout over the sound. Then straight away as u put her under pressure as in any form of revs once in gear the noise and vibration start again.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Many thanks

Andrea

Could In Gear be the clue?

[RLWP]

Could In Gear be the clue?

 

What, like - collapsed driveplate?

 

Richard

[Dalslandia]

How does the spark plug look like when out?

 

Jan

[Dalslandia]

And how does the mechanic look in color when he is out?

tan is good, sot is ok if just idled, oily not good, white and he run to hot, is his gap to large?

 

Jan

Edited July 11, 2013 by Dalslandia

[steamraiser2]

Check the distributor cap. They have a habit of tracking between terminals.

[Schipper]

While engine is running,remove ht lead of 1st cylinder and check if noise disappears.

If not,put ht lead back on and do same again on 2nd and 3rd, etc.

[Kieron G]

Hi, just because you've fitted a new condensor don't assume it's ok. Twice i've had running problems created by new out of the packet condensors after servicing and not immediately. It could be worth trying a different one.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Fitter kieron

[jake_crew]

While engine is running,remove ht lead of 1st cylinder and check if noise disappears.

If not,put ht lead back on and do same again on 2nd and 3rd, etc.

This is an excellent way to i/d a problem cylinder.

 

Don't forget the rubber gloves, tho I find 25kV often gets through rubber. It only a tickle.

[bizzard]

If condenser trouble is showing itself the engine will missfire erratically probably accompanied by backfires until it won't run al all. The contact breaker points will have overheated and will be burnt blue instead of a pale grey.

[bizzard]

Just checked and apparently the Seawolf is the crossflow engine as fitted to Mk2 Cortina's and onwards. Your engine is very likely to be fitted with but not necessarily the Ford Formoco carburetter which has a cross bridge over its air intake to which the air cleaner is screwed, Well years ago I've had a couple of those cars come in with a terrible rattling noise only to discover that the bridge securing pin or the air cleaners fixing bolt had sheared and the bits had fallen through into the combustion chamber. Luckily both with no serious damage just some small indentations on the piston crowns once the head was taken off.

[ditchcrawler]

Just checked and apparently the Seawolf is the crossflow engine as fitted to Mk2 Cortina's and onwards. Your engine is very likely to be fitted with but not necessarily the Ford Formoco carburetter which has a cross bridge over its air intake to which the air cleaner is screwed, Well years ago I've had a couple of those cars come in with a terrible rattling noise only to discover that the bridge securing pin or the air cleaners fixing bolt had sheared and the bits had fallen through into the combustion chamber. Luckily both with no serious damage just some small indentations on the piston crowns once the head was taken off.

Did that model suffer with soft cam lobes that wore down like the old cortinas did?

[bizzard]

No that was some of the early L head 997cc 105e and 1200 engines. A bit of the cast cam follower tappets foot would break off, swivel round and the rough broken foot would machine the cam down almost perfectly like a lathe had done it. It only seemed to happen to inlet valve followers for some strange reason. The 1340 engine developed for the Ford Classic suffered badly with main bearing wear due to having only a 3 bearing crank. Later Classics including the original Capri's were fitted with the old L head 1500cc engines with 5 main bearings which in my opinion were the best engines of the lot including all the T head crossflow engines.

[Pete & Helen]

No that was some of the early L head 997cc 105e and 1200 engines. A bit of the cast cam follower tappets foot would break off, swivel round and the rough broken foot would machine the cam down almost perfectly like a lathe had done it. It only seemed to happen to inlet valve followers for some strange reason. The 1340 engine developed for the Ford Classic suffered badly with main bearing wear due to having only a 3 bearing crank. Later Classics including the original Capri's were fitted with the old L head 1500cc engines with 5 main bearings which in my opinion were the best engines of the lot including all the T head crossflow engines.

 

All this talk about 105E and Capri's is taking me back to my youth. In those days you could (and I did ) change an engine with just a couple of spanners and a screwdriver.

 

Just to add my bit to this topic. It keeps getting mentioned what does "a bag of spanners" sounds like and I think we are all interpreting it in a different way. I cant disagree with any of the logic and suggestions already mentioned, but I think a way of determining if its mechanical or other, what I would do is take the plugs out and then spin the engine on the starter. if it sounds nice and smooth then that points to fuel or electrics. if it sounds like a bag of spanners then, then you know its mechanical.

 

On the fuel side the only thing that hasn't been mentioned is flooding in the carb.

 

I would expect that your mechanic, if qualified, should be able to sort it, if he isn't then there are lots of subtle (lots already mentioned) that can cause "rough running"

 

I assume that it worked before all this happened. What did you do when it first started?

 

Make a list of each suggestion and tick them off, that way you will know what's been done and wont go round in circles.

 

Good Luck

[MtB]

As there is so much scope for misunderstanding about the noise, I suggest you a video and post it on Youtube, like the chap on here with the Kelvin J3 that also runs like a bag of spanners did a couple of days ago.

 

MtB

[andrea_mcguinn]

The video idea is great. We are going down the marina at the weekend and will do a checklist of what to try and what we have done already.

Will keep you informed of it what it was, if we find out ! If not expect an upload of a video.

 

Thank you all for the advice

 

Andrea

[Dalslandia]

I am sure we have covered what's wrong, just have to find out what it is, would be interesting to hear what it was. Hard to guess for us not in the visinity of your boat, but should have been easy for the first technican?

[andrea_mcguinn]

Hi all,

 

The problem seems to be the points !

The screw that holds the points in place is just spinning. So keeping no tension to hold them in place. What do you all think the best course of action to solve this ? We know we could replace with a bigger screw but is that the best option ?

 

Regards

Andrea

[RLWP]

Tricky. What I would would be to find a similar distributor on Ebay and swap the parts over. But I'm a dirty-nailed engineer

 

Richard

[bizzard]

Being the Seawolf It should be the Autolite- Motocraft distributor. Quite a common thing to happen, someone doesn't know their own strength. If its just the screws thread that has stripped (which I doubt) renew the screw. The plate that they are screwed into is not very thick. I've fixed this in an emergency in the past with a self tapping screw which lasted long term and usually saw the car out., but use a short one that doesn't foul the bits and bobs underneath and grease it as you screw it in to help stop any swarf from falling through. Don't forget . You could of course drill and tap oversize for the next size up screw as there should be plenty of room for an oversize screw to pass through the contact breakers adjusting base slot. Gap should be set at 25thou and a smear of grease applied to the centre spindles 4 cam lobes.