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RE: "Sputtering" after prolonged low speeds

To: "Winnie Olmer" <who@sover.net>
Subject: RE: "Sputtering" after prolonged low speeds
From: Atwell Haines <carbuff@nac.net>
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1999 18:19:35 -0400
At 12:15 PM 10/03/99 -0400, Winnie Olmer wrote:
>But part of the symptoms were that I'd get the same effect when at prolonged
>low RPM on paved roads. i.e. long traffic light or waiting in a Dunkin
>Donuts line. Probably a sign to not eat donuts each workday morning :').

Maybe your car is being affeced by that sugar.   Sure. Right.   :)


>
>Fred Thomas suggested vapor lock due to the float bowl heating from the
>tubular exhaust header. I have found an 8"x8" metal/asbestos plate attached
>to the EGR pipe which goes from the engine compartment down under the
>passenger side. I thought it was attached there by the previous owner to
>protect the body. More likely it has slipped down and should be shielding
>the carb from the header. I plan to move it up and see what happens.

That's a good thing to do. I'm assuming you have the single Stromberg carb?

Anybody think that too high a float level (or a bad choke/enrichment) could
cause this? Gas floods the intake which causes sputtering because its not
properly atomized.

Seems as if it would be easy to remove the air cleaner and peek past the
air piston to see what's going on at idle.

Or, pull a sparkplug. It should be light brown, not white (lean) or sooty
(rich). Inspect them 1) after the car has been sputtering and 2) after the
car has just been running well. While you have the plugs out, gap them to
.025" (stock) or to .035" for an aftermarket electronic ignition.

Good Luck,

Atwell Haines
"Mr. Spit"   '79 Spitfire
Succasunna, NJ  (with all the roads and half the state paved over)


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