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Re: TR-4A: The car won't start

To: John Cowan <jfcowan@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: TR-4A: The car won't start
From: "Bob Westerdale" <Bob.Westerdale@ametek.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 13:45:14 -0400 |January 7, 2002) at 04/18/2002 01:45:35 PM, Serialize complete at 04/18/2002 01:45:35 PM
Cc: triumphs@autox.team.net
John-
        pull out a plug,  re-connect the plug's HV lead, lay the plug on 
the valve cover ( or make a ground connection to the plug's body  in other 
way),   and have someone crank the engine,   If you do not see a spark, 
it's probably your points....
Pop off the dizzy cap,  observe the points- rotate the engine til they're 
closed.  pull off the coil's HT lead,  stuff a short piece of wire ( any 
type will do)  into the HT socket,  and bend the wire so it comes to 
within about 1/4" from the side of the head or valve cover.   Using an 
insulated poker, flick the points "open" and observe the spark jumping 
from the temporary wire to the motor.  No Spark?  see if the coil has 
power  on the  + (Lo Voltage) side,   then see if there is the same 
voltage on the other side of the coil,  with the points still closed.  If 
it reads the same on both sides of the coil,  either your points are fried 
or the little flexi-wire that connects the points to the dizzy's feed thru 
is broken. 
If you have spark in all the right places, but still none at the plug's 
gap,  they may have broken down internally 
(Especially common in Chumpions)  and you'll need a new set of NGK's or 
Bosch plugs. 
Good luck!
Bob Westerdale
59 3A TS36967 
 


      My 1966 TR-4A won't start.  The car is in the midst of a rolling 
restoration and doesn't get much use.  (a couple of hundred miles in four 
years.)  Last month I started using it regularly and it developed a miss 
which got steadily worse.  The miss didn't happen in constant speed 
freeway 
driving, but became more and more evident on trips with a lot of starting 
and stopping - even with the engine fully warmed up. I'd come off the 
freeway and when I started up the hill toward home, it would cough and 
sputter furiously.  Now it won't start at all.
     I've checked the plugs, distributor cap and rotor, all of which are 
clean, but the points were filthy with what looked like dirty engine 
oil.  One spark plug wire seemed loose.  There is nothing noticeably wrong 

with the fuel system.  I tightened the spark plug wire and cleaned the 
points, but it still won't start.
     Any suggestions on how to approach this problem?
Thanks.
     John Cowan

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