[TR] Dieseling

[terryrs at comcast.net]

Hoo boy.B  I've been reading archives until my eyes crossed trying to find a
consistent answer about how to stop an engine from running on.B 

I've actually run this car for three full seasons without dieseling.B  At
inspection I asked my (extremely good) mechanic who's owned many of these to
adjust the carbs.B  Apparently I had been running rich by about two full
flats.B  My mpg has improved from nearly 22 mpg to a bit over 25 mpg.B  But
now the engine diesels.B 

One suggestion was carbon deposits.B  This could be, though I run at 3800
RPM's for 30 minutes every day.

Another suggestion was plugs fouling, usually related to carbon deposits, I
guess.B  Mine are tan.

Another suggestion was to use higher octane fuel.B  I will if I have to, but
I'd prefer a mechanical solution first.B  Besides, ISTR that consensus on the
List was that these cars were meant to run on regular?

Yet another suggestion had to do with timing.B  I haven't checked that for a
while. When I did, I set it to factory specs by measuring the diameter of the
pulley, did the math of degrees-to-inches,B then put a dot of white-out where
the advance timing should be.B  ISTR it was 4 degrees.

And yet another suggestion was that the butterflies weren't closing
completely.B  This one has me wondering because of two things:B  a) the engine
flutters momentarily when accelerating out of idle, and b) the engine doesn't
hit idle immediately, albeit it's much better since installing a third spring
to the linkage.B  On the other hand, I've tested the cylinders and they lift
and drop smoothly with a distinct clunk.

Whoops.B  Looks like my keyboard is dieseling on.B  I'll stop now and solicit
any thoughts that might put this thing to rest?

Terry Smith, '59 TR3A

New Hampshire