Subject: [Healeys] Backfire

From: Richard Antal via Healeys <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2025 21:36:59 +0000 (UTC)

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Gents,=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0A few days ago I replaced the sparkplugs, ten yea=
rs old or more, with six NGK BP5ES plugs gapped to 35, and a Pertronix 3 oh=
m coil. I've not yet changed the wires, distributor cap or rotor. Today I d=
rove the BJ8 almost 200 miles without incident at speeds up to 60 mph. Whil=
e going 80 mph on the interstate, over a span of two or three seconds, the =
car bucked and backfired three times. I immediately dropped the speed to 50=
 and then gradually back up to 80 with no further backfiring. What could ha=
ve caused this discomfiting turn of events? Thanks for your thoughts.rich a=
ntal
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<html><head></head><body><div class="yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Gents,</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;A few days ago I replaced the sparkplugs, ten years old or more, with six NGK BP5ES plugs gapped to 35, and a Pertronix 3 ohm coil. I've not yet changed the wires, distributor cap or rotor. Today I drove the BJ8 almost 200 miles without incident at speeds up to 60 mph. While going 80 mph on the interstate, over a span of two or three seconds, the car bucked and backfired three times. I immediately dropped the speed to 50 and then gradually back up to 80 with no further backfiring. What could have caused this discomfiting turn of events? Thanks for your thoughts.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">rich antal</div></div></body></html>
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_______________________________________________

Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/healeys http://autox.team.net/archive/healeys

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From: Bob Spidell via Healeys <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:08:31 -0700

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Symptoms suggest fuel delivery (faulty pump, clogged filter, etc.).

What cap and wires are you running? If stranded wire secondaries they 
could be affecting the Pertronix from RFI (the guys on Roadkill Garage 
had that issue with an old Chevy dragster). The larger the plug gap the 
more voltage produced at the plug electrodes (IMO 0.035 is pushing it 
and not really necessary).

Bob

On 9/19/2025 2:36 PM, Richard Antal via Healeys wrote:
> Gents,
>      A few days ago I replaced the sparkplugs, ten years old or more, 
> with six NGK BP5ES plugs gapped to 35, and a Pertronix 3 ohm coil. 
> I've not yet changed the wires, distributor cap or rotor. Today I 
> drove the BJ8 almost 200 miles without incident at speeds up to 60 
> mph. While going 80 mph on the interstate, over a span of two or three 
> seconds, the car bucked and backfired three times. I immediately 
> dropped the speed to 50 and then gradually back up to 80 with no 
> further backfiring. What could have caused this discomfiting turn of 
> events? Thanks for your thoughts.
> rich antal

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    Symptoms suggest fuel delivery (faulty pump, clogged filter, etc.).<br>
    <br>
    What cap and wires are you running? If stranded wire secondaries
    they could be affecting the Pertronix from RFI (the guys on Roadkill
    Garage had that issue with an old Chevy dragster). The larger the
    plug gap the more voltage produced at the plug electrodes (IMO 0.035
    is pushing it and not really necessary).<br>
    <br>
    Bob <br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 9/19/2025 2:36 PM, Richard Antal via
      Healeys wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
      cite="mid:[email-masked]">
      <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
      <div class="yahoo-style-wrap"
style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">
        <div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Gents,</div>
        <div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">     A few days ago I
          replaced the sparkplugs, ten years old or more, with six NGK
          BP5ES plugs gapped to 35, and a Pertronix 3 ohm coil. I've not
          yet changed the wires, distributor cap or rotor. Today I drove
          the BJ8 almost 200 miles without incident at speeds up to 60
          mph. While going 80 mph on the interstate, over a span of two
          or three seconds, the car bucked and backfired three times. I
          immediately dropped the speed to 50 and then gradually back up
          to 80 with no further backfiring. What could have caused this
          discomfiting turn of events? Thanks for your thoughts.</div>
        <div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">rich antal</div>
      </div>
      <pre wrap="" class="moz-quote-pre">
</pre>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
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[email-masked]

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From: Bob Spidell via Healeys <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:08:55 -0700

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Bob

> events? Thanks for your thoughts.

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[email-masked]

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From: Robert Markovich via Healeys <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2025 02:08:07 +0000 (UTC)

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A voltage drop can do that. I had that happen on my BN7 and after much sear=
ching found that the wires to the ignition switch were loose. Tightening so=
lved the problem. I also prefer the=C2=A0Lucas sport coil to the Pertronix =
as their coils have been known to fail (mine did on an earlier Healey). And=
 yes, the .035 gap is too wide; go with the factory setting.=C2=A0

Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS

On Friday, September 19, 2025, 6:42 PM, Richard Antal via Healeys <healeys@=
autox.team.net> wrote:

ntal_______________________________________________

Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/healeys http://autox.team.net/archiv=
e/healeys

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if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>=
96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--></head><bo=
dy>
A voltage drop can do that. I had that happen on my BN7 and after much sear=
ching found that the wires to the ignition switch were loose. Tightening so=
lved the problem. I also prefer the&nbsp;Lucas sport coil to the Pertronix =
as their coils have been known to fail (mine did on an earlier Healey). And=
 yes, the .035 gap is too wide; go with the factory setting.&nbsp;<br><br><=
br><div class=3D"yahoo-signature"><a style=3D"font-size:12px" href=3D"https=
://aolapp.onelink.me/eG2g?pid=3DNativePlacement&amp;c=3DUS_Acquisition_YMkt=
g_320_EmailSignature_AttributionDL&amp;af_sub1=3DAcquisition&amp;af_sub2=3D=
US_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=3D&amp;af_sub4=3D100002473&amp;af_sub5=3DSentFromNewAO=
LApp__Interstitial_&amp;af_ios_store_cpp=3Dce85ce34-ad0f-4811-a92b-a172743b=
064e&amp;af_android_url=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fde=
tails%3Fid%3Dcom.aol.mobile.aolapp%26listing%3Demail_signature_attribution"=
>Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS</a><br></div><br><p class=3D"yahoo-q=
uoted-begin" style=3D"font-size: 15px; color: rgb(132, 115, 255); padding-t=
op: 15px; margin-top: 0px;">On Friday, September 19, 2025, 6:42 PM, Richard=
 Antal via Healeys &lt;[email-masked]&gt; wrote:</p><blockquote cla=
ss=3D"iosymail"><div id=3D"yiv5200666070"><div><div style=3D"font-family:He=
lvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;" class=3D"yiv520=
0666070yahoo-style-wrap"><div dir=3D"ltr">Gents,</div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbs=
p; &nbsp; &nbsp;A few days ago I replaced the sparkplugs, ten years old or =
more, with six NGK BP5ES plugs gapped to 35, and a Pertronix 3 ohm coil. I'=
ve not yet changed the wires, distributor cap or rotor. Today I drove the B=
J8 almost 200 miles without incident at speeds up to 60 mph. While going 80=
 mph on the interstate, over a span of two or three seconds, the car bucked=
 and backfired three times. I immediately dropped the speed to 50 and then =
gradually back up to 80 with no further backfiring. What could have caused =
this discomfiting turn of events? Thanks for your thoughts.</div><div dir=
=3D"ltr">rich antal</div></div></div></div>________________________________=
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