Car died while driving now won’t start

[Nut124]

Sharp looking car. Very nice!

Looks like the carb accel pump diaphragm may be leaking.

You have had some bad luck. These cars are pretty reliable in my experience once in working order.

[Pescado]

Sharp looking car. Very nice!

Looks like the carb accel pump diaphragm may be leaking.

You have had some bad luck. These cars are pretty reliable in my experience once in working order.

Thanks Nut….had a good look at it tonight with a light and rag to clean things up and sure looks like it leaking from the diaphragm. Would this leak cause the car to act like this though?

[Nut124]

With that leaking, it should idle and cruise fine. It could stumble and fail to accelerate when given throttle.

The brief description sounds more like bad ignition timing.

When you replaced the dizzy pickup, did you remove the distributor from the engine?

The ignition pickup module bolts onto a platform that can rotate around the shaft to alter timing, controlled by a link from the vac module. Check to see if the platform is still connected to the link. Cover off, you should not be able to rotate the pickup around the shaft as it should be connected to the vac link.

[Pescado]

With that leaking, it should idle and cruise fine. It could stumble and fail to accelerate when given throttle.

The brief description sounds more like bad ignition timing.

When you replaced the dizzy pickup, did you remove the distributor from the engine?

The ignition pickup module bolts onto a platform that can rotate around the shaft to alter timing, controlled by a link from the vac module. Check to see if the platform is still connected to the link. Cover off, you should not be able to rotate the pickup around the shaft as it should be connected to the vac link.

Dizzy never got removed but I suppose the platform that holds the magnet may have shifted during the install of the ignition coil...i'll have a close today and see if i can compare to some pictures I took before the install.

[Pescado]

ok so vacuum looks good...platform moves towards the vacuum and then springs back. I've ordered an accel diaphragm seeing as that needs to be changed no matter what and maybe that will resolve the issue all together. Any tips on the replacement of the diaphragm

[Nut124]

If the platform seems to be attached to the vac link and not wandering around free, then this is not the cause of your described problem. I thought perhaps the vac link broke off when the pickup screws were tightened and the pickup was rotating around loose.

Did you determine the vac diaphragm was broken? If not, no use replacing it. To replace, it is the easiest with the dizzy off the car, but that requires re-setting ignition timing. If you were to do this, first, idle as is, and make record of timing marks as is currently so at least you can get timing back to where it is now. To do this, I'd disconnect the vac from the dizzy and record a baseline timing w/o vac.

[Pescado]

If the platform seems to be attached to the vac link and not wandering around free, then this is not the cause of your described problem. I thought perhaps the vac link broke off when the pickup screws were tightened and the pickup was rotating around loose.

Did you determine the vac diaphragm was broken? If not, no use replacing it. To replace, it is the easiest with the dizzy off the car, but that requires re-setting ignition timing. If you were to do this, first, idle as is, and make record of timing marks as is currently so at least you can get timing back to where it is now. To do this, I'd disconnect the vac from the dizzy and record a baseline timing w/o vac.

Hey Nut thanks for helping out...

So just to make sure were on the same page...the diaphragm I ordered is the accelerator diaphragm on the carb. As mentioned earlier it is certainly leaking fuel so replacement is necessary just hoping that this may also remedy the bogging/choking issue. In regards to the vac diaphragm it appears to be connected but I haven't really tested it...I guess with the car off I could put a vacuum ( my lips) on it and see if it opens and closes...is there any other tests I can do on it to proves it is operating properly?

[Nut124]

Got it.

Replacing the accel diaphg should be pretty easy if you have access to it with carb in car. There is a tiny spring there that you do not want to loose. I believe it is under the diaphg, between it and the carb body.

Vac diapgh; yes, see if you can suck and maintain any vacuum on it. It may not move as it takes quite a bit. But if it is broken, it will not build nor hold any vac. It's not a big deal if broken. When working properly, it will improve torque at low engine speeds a bit. No effect on top end power.

[Pescado]

Got it.

Replacing the accel diaphg should be pretty easy if you have access to it with carb in car. There is a tiny spring there that you do not want to loose. I believe it is under the diaphg, between it and the carb body.

Vac diapgh; yes, see if you can suck and maintain any vacuum on it. It may not move as it takes quite a bit. But if it is broken, it will not build nor hold any vac. It's not a big deal if broken. When working properly, it will improve torque at low engine speeds a bit. No effect on top end power.

Well Nut you have always been helpful but this time I think you have put the jinx on me....of course while removing the diaphragm the spring made a quick get away and is now on the move, I've looked for hours now with no luck even put a bounty on it so the kids would look for it...its still on the run.

[Nut124]

Sorry.

You might be able to find a suitable replacement at a local well equipped HW store. It would likely take some cutting, modification.

I have a carb I can take apart and get a picture, dimensions.

Length: ~27mm
OD: ~15mm, to fit arounf the brass center of the diaphg.
Wire gauge: ~0.8mm
Coil number: ~7-8
Compressed length: 6.4mm or less. This is a critical dimension. Must compress down to 6.4mm or less.


Failrly soft spring. Easy to fully compress betw pinkie and thumb. Exact spec not critical as long as it fits around the brass center and is strong enough to push out the diaphg when it is not compressed.

[Pescado]

Sorry.

You might be able to find a suitable replacement at a local well equipped HW store. It would likely take some cutting, modification.

I have a carb I can take apart and get a picture, dimensions.

Length: ~27mm
OD: ~15mm, to fit arounf the brass center of the diaphg.
Wire gauge: ~0.8mm
Coil number: ~7-8
Compressed length: 6.4mm or less. This is a critical dimension. Must compress down to 6.4mm or less.


Failrly soft spring. Easy to fully compress betw pinkie and thumb. Exact spec not critical as long as it fits around the brass center and is strong enough to push out the diaphg when it is not compressed.

Thanks for doing that...this is a big help as finding an exact replacement is proving to be difficult.

[Pescado]

Hey Nut...just to be sure, have a look at my picture does this look like the way it should go back together? just asking because you mention the spring going around the brass center.

[Pescado]

All good Nut... I confused myself by looking at the wrong diaphragm in this picture.

[Nut124]

In my carb, the "center" is actually in the carb aluminum housing. Check yours. The spring needs to fit around the center.

Your spring would look too small ID for my carb.

[Pescado]

Ok so got the new diaphragm in with homemade spring and solved the fuel leaking issue so that's good...but sadly something is still wrong. So just to recap,
-car died while driving
-car wouldn't start, pushed it home.
-replaced ignition module
-found a broken wire on magnetic pick up
-replaced magnetic pick up with new
-car starts just fine
-current problem...at around 2800rpm car sputters but doesn't stall, when I'm off the accelerator good idle