[Healeys] update on shutdown issue

[m.g.sharp at sympatico.ca]

Tom,  someone suggested a blocked vent in the filler cap – have you checked that?  I had that issue with my TC.  Car ran fine then for no apparent reason shut down.  If I waited a while she’d re-start run for a while, then the problem would re-occur.  However, it only ever happened when the tank was fairly full, and I was driving reasonably quickly.  Driving around town I did not have the issue.  My filler cap vent was partially blocked  so at low speeds the vent was working well enough that there was no issue, but at high speeds the vent could not keep up and the engine starved of fuel.  It seemed that if the fuel tank was low, there was sufficient volume of air in the tank that the problem did not occur, although I suspect if I had gone any distance, it may have eventually.  I twigged onto this as when the engine stopped, if I immediately opened the filler cap, I could hear a “woosh” of air being sucked into the tank, as it had a partial vacuum in it.  I simply trimmed a bit off the seal on the filler cap so the vent was completely open, and the problem disappeared.

 

Good luck - Mirek  

 

From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Tom Felts via Healeys
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 10:46 AM
To: healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: [Healeys] update on shutdown issue

 

Since having the car towed home I have checked all connections in the ignition system, pulled the distributor base plate out and cleaned it--the the two pieces were very tight.  I have let her run in the garage for long periods of time and she has not shut down again so I haven't been able to check spark. 

 

When it did shut down, it wouldn't take long before she would start again then shut down.  Then start, then shut down.  

 

I know my trial and error method wasn't the best approach, but without being able to check spark it seemed appropriate to change out components.  

 

Tell me if my analysis is correct on this.  I thought it might be a fuel supply issue.  So---I pulled the float bowl covers and all was ok there--also pulled and cleaned the carbs.  If the float bowl jets were stuck in a closed position it would get no gas and eventually shut down---but---both would have to stick so each carb wouldn't get gas.  this seems like an unlikely condition.

 

If they were stock in the open position it would be dumping gas out of the overflow tubes---so, again, unlikely since it would still run.  I have already changed fuel filter and blew out the line.  The pump pumps normally and each time I pulled the float bowl caps, they have been full of gas.  So--I have basically ruled out fuel starvation as a cause.  

 

in the garage she sits and purrs forever with no shutdown------so, as I mentioned, I can't ch spark

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