Pre '79ers...I've discovered something!

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wubie317
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:54 pm
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat Spider
Location: Sonoma, CA

Pre '79ers...I've discovered something!

Post by wubie317 »

Perhaps y'all knew this, but if you did, you forgot to tell me.

Been struggling with rough idle and stumbles on acceleration from stop. Messing with timing, idle screw, dizzy, carb...everything I could think of...did nothing. Today, on a hunch, I removed the distributor cap and rotor, and took a peek at the mechanical advance. All looked fine except one of the springs looked a little stretched.

I unhooked one side, twisted the loop clockwise with needle nose pliers and rehooked it, making it slightly less stretched.

Had to retime it, but wow.

My poor little '77 hasn't run this well in a year or more. :D
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Pre '79ers...I've discovered something!

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

You're right Wubie, I did forget to tell you! :D But thanks!

Another symptom of this is when the timing marks bounce around at idle when you measure with a timing light. The timing should be fairly stable until 1200 or 1500 rpm or so.

-Bryan
bobplyler
Patron 2022
Patron 2022
Posts: 823
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:58 pm
Your car is a: 1979 spider 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: Pre '79ers...I've discovered something!

Post by bobplyler »

79 and later also have the advance spring. Just no points.
1979 Fiat Spider (since new)
2005 Lincoln LS (the wife's car)
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (daily driver)
1999 Honda Shadow VLX 600
1972 Grumman Traveller 5895L (long gone).
bobplyler
Patron 2022
Patron 2022
Posts: 823
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:58 pm
Your car is a: 1979 spider 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: Pre '79ers...I've discovered something!

Post by bobplyler »

double post
1979 Fiat Spider (since new)
2005 Lincoln LS (the wife's car)
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (daily driver)
1999 Honda Shadow VLX 600
1972 Grumman Traveller 5895L (long gone).
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