Well, after writing that letter last night around 9:00 (at the office), I
decided to go back home. And the spitfire wouldn't start! Even with full
choke, I'd get a sputter of run and then it would die out.
After much fiddeling, I removed the hoses going between (what the Haynes
manual refers to as) the "Secondary Venting" tubes on the HIF4's and my
carbon canister. Those hose was filled with gas! The car started right up
with the hoses removed.
But I'd screwed with the mixture, and I had to re-balance and tune the carbs
with my maglight between my teeth (The office parking lot lights don't come
on even after 9:00! What's the deal with that?)
I couldn't seem to get rear carb rich enough, but it was running and I was
freezing my butt off. (I had shorts and a T-shirt on and it was about 44
degrees out and of course I've dismantled the heater and taken the soft-top
off for repair...Brrrrr).
And of course, the car dies on the back road, in the middle of no where at
9:30 at night! To make this long story even longer, I decidedly turned-up
the pressure on the electric fuel pump (I estimate around 3 - 4 psi of
pressure right now) and with wrench in hand and maglight in teeth, I was
able to get the rear carb rich enough to get me home.
Another 15 minutes of fiddeling with the balance and the mixture this
morning and it ran like a top all the way into work today!
I was so proud of the newly found acceleration (and the bladda bladda of the
exhaust note), I handed my keys over to a co-worker to take it for a spin.
This is the same guy that always refers to it as the "sh-t fire" and even
once remarked that the "inca yellow" reminds him of baby-poop. He pulled up
20 minutes later with a giant grin on his face and said "Man! That's a nice
car you've got there!" His only complaint was the breaks required a lot of
effort to stop the car (He's used to power brakes) and suggested I need a
brake job.
Life is good,
Terry L. Thompson
'76 Spit 1500
Maryland
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