Rallye Issue

[Rupes 0]

Seems that other people have posted similar issues; but not exactly the same, so...

 

My UK Rallye was fine Friday morning going to work but on the way home I was 15 miles into the 20 and the midrange power disappeared. What I mean is: at idle and small movements on the gas the car was fine; however, when I pulled away from a roundabout for example, I used a bit more right foot and the car died; as a natural reaction I stomped my foot down and the car hesitated and then leapt forward on full throttle.

 

My thoughts on it were that there was a blocked jet in the carb (solex twin choke jobbie); but having cleaned it twice there was no difference. Then I went down the ignition line; changed the plugs (old ones were 100 years old) and air filter (which had gone black and was the wrong one for the car - Jessy James car servicing - grrrr!!!) and another carb clean. The first chance I've had to test it was this morning and all seemed fine until I got 15 miles into the 20 mile journey, then the same thing again except worse, the car wouldn't power past 2000 revs (although it did a couple of times); and as a result the silly be-atch behind me drove into my arse at the roundabout outside work (no real damage - silly cow). My mate is going to give me some Redex in an attempt to clean the carb further, but do you reckon it could be the ignition module; HT leads, vacuum hose; something else?

 

Got to get this sorted tonight/tomorrow morning, the other car's going in for a service so I need this one to get to work!

 

Thanks...

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

it might be worth checking the cam belt hasnt slipped a tooth as that had similar symptoms on mine when it had. just stick a dowel in the hole in the cam pulley and line it up with the little hole in the head to lock that off then see if you can fit another dowel through the timing hole in the block into the fly wheel, if you cant get it in then its probably slipped (or was on wrong to start with?) only takes a few seconds to check, the worst bit it finding the hole in the block because its usualy covered in smeg and dirt!

Edited May 26, 2009 by johnnyboy666

[Rupes 0]

Yeah, definately seems that the timing is out. Haven't checked it yet but the more I think about it the more it seems likely! I guess the puking head gasket has spewed oil onto the belt and it's slipped a tooth or two. I suppose I should change the gasket and the belt and the water pump then... wasn't going to bother because I've got a 1.9 engine in the garage, just haven't had time to fit it yet!

 

Incidentally the redex worked a treat, put half a bottle in the tank and it ran me home really well, other than there was no oooomph.

 

Thanks for the info johnnyboy666.

Edited May 27, 2009 by Rupes

[Rupes 0]

Yup, you're right johnnyboy666; the worst bit was finding the hole in the block to lock the fly wheel; I couldn't find it at all - heeeeeelp!!!!!!!!!!

 

The Haynes manual seems to show that the hole is in the middle somewhere underneath the thermostat housing (the picture has a cable coming from the exhaust downpipe that looks like a lamda sensor, but there seems to be an engine ID number plate, which mine hasn't got - or a lamda sensor); but where their 6mm bolt goes in I've got what looks like a crank position sensor that seems to go to a connector with nothing connected to it, which I'm sure the MOT people used to check the revs when they did the emissions test - so that makes sense. Is it a probable/possible hole that might be there if the crank, if that's what it is, position sensor is removed?

 

Just so we're not talking in circles here, my car in a '93 1360 Rallye, or at least that's what it say's on the reg document, and it's got all the Rallye stickers all over it too, so it probably is.

 

When I've got a few mins at lunch time today I'll see if I can take a picture with my (rubbish by the way) phone, to see if I can illustrate what I'm on about. It'd be good if someone just knows though.

[Rupes 0]

 

Cr4p picture but you can just about make out the thing I'm on about.

[swordfish210 20]

Bear with me because it's difficult to explain. It's slightly above the engine ID plate and it's fairly tight to the wall of the block. If you have a poke around there with a M6x25mm bolt you'll find it

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

yeh, best way is to have a finger around (oo er) preferably when the engines cold tho as you might burn your hand on the manifold like i did

o and if your headgasket gone then that would also explain the lack of oomph!

[Rupes 0]

Thanks guys, found it; it's really close to the block wall ain't it! Timing is fine, so is the ignition timing which I checked afterwards, which probably means, after several years, the head gasket is leaking power as well as oil - bugger, guess I'll have to change it! Anyone know where I can get the head skimmed around the Slough, Wycombe or Maidenhead areas?

[pugdamo 111 2 Cars]

Thanks guys, found it; it's really close to the block wall ain't it! Timing is fine, so is the ignition timing which I checked afterwards, which probably means, after several years, the head gasket is leaking power as well as oil - bugger, guess I'll have to change it! Anyone know where I can get the head skimmed around the Slough, Wycombe or Maidenhead areas?

 

I expect your head gasket is leaking oil out of the front left corner of the block just above the alternator,it is very common and it wont be causing a lack of power,the oil leaks from a rubber seal in the head gasket,they start off with a weep which does start to look very serious after a while but i bet if you give it a clean it will stay clean for a long while,id only reccomend replacing the head gasket if your topping up the oil regularly,you will only get power issues with the head gasket if its blowing between 2 cylinders or you have water leaking into the cylinders,there are several ways which a head gasket can fail,and if yours is an oil weep then it isnt a serious one.

I would guess you have a carb problem,maybe a split diaphram or as i have had before one of the plastic floats had a crack in it and it would fill the float with fuel and obviously not cut off the fuel supply as the chamber filled and flood itself making it missfire,if you drove it hard for a long time it was better once the misfire cleared or possibly the leads breaking down or as you have already said it could be ignition module related.

 

Sorry for the essay,hope it helps you

[Rupes 0]

You know what, I'm not so sure it's the head gasket either, it is exactly as you say Pugdamo, an oil leak above the alternator (keeps everything from rusting; the aux drive belt splashes it all over the engine bay). The redex in the fuel made a hell of a difference implying a carb fault. I'll defo check the carb next week (when I'm not working) and the HT leads. Do other TU engined cars have the same ignition components in case I need a new/second hand ignition module?

[trogboy 17]

I'm 99% sure that your problem is that your primary jet is partially blocked. Try cleaning it out wih a strand of copper from some old stylee multi strand electricity cable. Whilst the top of the carb is off use a bit of compressed air to blow through the other fuel runs in the carb castings. Should slove your problem.

 

Be carefull taking the jet out as you need it to make a decent seal with the jet holder whn it goes back in or the joint will dribble extra fuel when you poke the throttle.

 

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[decoc182 0]

Did you get it sorted btw mate? Im sure if its a UK rallye 93, then it will have the 75 bhp bosch motronic injection system. I have a spare engine for that if so which Im pulling out from my 205. I have a spare ignition system and SPI carb you can have for delivery only as I will end up binning it probably. Lemme know

[Rupes 0]

Hey. It's been a long time since I've had time to have a look at the forum and I've just realised that I never came back on what the problem was. It was the manual choke cable! It had pulled from the bracket on the carb and the choke was always on despite the knob being pushed in! Stupid and easy to fix in the end.

 

decoc182; my Rallye has a TU3 engine with a twin solex carb; thanks for the offer though.