07-01-2021, 01:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-01-2021, 01:34 PM by Hedd_Jones.)
Henry
When father rebuilt the engine for the RP here in the mid 1980's, he put a full set of new springs in it. An otherwise standard engine (HC head excepted). These springs come from Mick Kirkland, not that it matters.
It was 1990 by the time the rest of the car was ready to go, despite a rebore, the block was porus and an early breakdown was the result so the the block got sleeved etc and it was 1991 by the time the car got serious use.
Going to the 1991 Anglesey rally, my mother driving alone (father and I were already in Anglesey with dads Autojumble stall) and she suffered a serious missfire about 2/3 way there. She had the problem that we were closer in Anglesey than home was, no AA or RAC membership, and no mobile phones back then. Somehow she got a message to the hotel in which the grounds of the event was being held (via a payphone), which was basically car playing up, going to be late, if I am very late assume its broken and come looking. We got this about 5pm by this time dad was getting a bit worried having expected her mid afternoon.
So we went hunting her in the van, we got to the Ogwen Valley, and dad parked next to the lake, I believe to get his head together. Mum was supposed to be going via the A5, but there had been no sign of her and we had come a fair way, dad was second guessing himself, had she come via the coast? Anyway it was getting on for dark now (in early May). I scrambled up the scree opposite the lake (basically the base of Tryfan), got onto a bit of a flat bit quite high up. No soon as I got up there I could see these weedy lights in the distance, and sure enough it was mum in the Seven. She had seen dads van and parked up next to it by the time I had got down.
The car was running like a sack of shit, missfiring, no fiddling with the timing would cure it. The oil smelt of petrol, but otherwise was free of metal, and it was certainly not knocking anyway.
Mum didnt like driving the van and concluded the little Austin got her that far, so it would get her to Anglesey. So I got to ride with her for moral support and dad followed in the van.
Morning after dad took the head off, found nothing of note, he then took the valve chest cover and found a broken spring. He changed it for a spring he had in the Autojumble which seemed near enough, did an oil change and mum drove the car home running sweet as a nut.
2 months later on a day trip to Cerrig Y Drudion it did the same thing, we pulled into one of my school mates drive, dad took the valve cover off and found another broken spring. So he simply drove home with it missing.
I believe dad spoke to Mick about it, and seemingly there was a bad batch which Mick knew about and I believe offered dad another set FOC. By this time a set of used ones were in place and remain there to this day. The replacement set Mick supplied are in my Chummy.
The engine has since bust a crank and been 'rebuilt' again. There were no lasting problems.
I'd say you've got a bad batch, Change them all.
When father rebuilt the engine for the RP here in the mid 1980's, he put a full set of new springs in it. An otherwise standard engine (HC head excepted). These springs come from Mick Kirkland, not that it matters.
It was 1990 by the time the rest of the car was ready to go, despite a rebore, the block was porus and an early breakdown was the result so the the block got sleeved etc and it was 1991 by the time the car got serious use.
Going to the 1991 Anglesey rally, my mother driving alone (father and I were already in Anglesey with dads Autojumble stall) and she suffered a serious missfire about 2/3 way there. She had the problem that we were closer in Anglesey than home was, no AA or RAC membership, and no mobile phones back then. Somehow she got a message to the hotel in which the grounds of the event was being held (via a payphone), which was basically car playing up, going to be late, if I am very late assume its broken and come looking. We got this about 5pm by this time dad was getting a bit worried having expected her mid afternoon.
So we went hunting her in the van, we got to the Ogwen Valley, and dad parked next to the lake, I believe to get his head together. Mum was supposed to be going via the A5, but there had been no sign of her and we had come a fair way, dad was second guessing himself, had she come via the coast? Anyway it was getting on for dark now (in early May). I scrambled up the scree opposite the lake (basically the base of Tryfan), got onto a bit of a flat bit quite high up. No soon as I got up there I could see these weedy lights in the distance, and sure enough it was mum in the Seven. She had seen dads van and parked up next to it by the time I had got down.
The car was running like a sack of shit, missfiring, no fiddling with the timing would cure it. The oil smelt of petrol, but otherwise was free of metal, and it was certainly not knocking anyway.
Mum didnt like driving the van and concluded the little Austin got her that far, so it would get her to Anglesey. So I got to ride with her for moral support and dad followed in the van.
Morning after dad took the head off, found nothing of note, he then took the valve chest cover and found a broken spring. He changed it for a spring he had in the Autojumble which seemed near enough, did an oil change and mum drove the car home running sweet as a nut.
2 months later on a day trip to Cerrig Y Drudion it did the same thing, we pulled into one of my school mates drive, dad took the valve cover off and found another broken spring. So he simply drove home with it missing.
I believe dad spoke to Mick about it, and seemingly there was a bad batch which Mick knew about and I believe offered dad another set FOC. By this time a set of used ones were in place and remain there to this day. The replacement set Mick supplied are in my Chummy.
The engine has since bust a crank and been 'rebuilt' again. There were no lasting problems.
I'd say you've got a bad batch, Change them all.