So in the battle to get him running SMOOOTH.

[Osoi]

I had trouble staring Karl this morning. I've been spending the last week cleaning the carb, in every way possible as you've seen in previous posts. But here's a puzzle for ya. Tried to start him up this morning. He'd crank fine, but there was no turning over, with the choke cable pulled or otherwise. So I lifted the air filter poured a little gas in the carb (there was plenty of gas in the float bowl, and he turned over, albeit he died seconds later. Tried a few more times cranking him and he starts up. However, low idle, he wants to die. So I sit there keeping him at idle for a bit, jump out of the truck adjust the idle on the carb. About 10 min later I can adjust it back down and everything is fine. 

 

Thoughts? And go......

 

 

[datzenmike]

The choke in the on position should engage the fast idle cam. The choke forces a rich mixture condition. It will need more air so the fast idle cam provides this. The engine should now rev around 1,800 and be much easier to drive until warmed up.

 

 

Fast idle cam in metal or plastic. Note the steps on right side...

 

 

When choke is on the cam drops down and the idle speed screw stops on one of the steps that holds it open for faster idle.

 

[Osoi]

Hmmmm... in looking at the back of the carb, I fail to see such a part. I'll snap a couple photos later for viewing. Thanks Mike!

[Osoi]

Well, I got my choke cable adjusted well enough... But after last weekend helping a friend, I have performance issues. He'll idle fine, but when I try to accelerate he bogs down and get to the point where he almost dies. However, he will run albeit shitty at speed... So if I have a little downhill he seems to be ok.

 

Thoughts?

[datzenmike]

Is 'Karl' fully warmed up???

[Osoi]

Yea, as far as I can tell. We're talking a bog down that almost kills him. That's of course after about 10-15 min of solid idle.

[Osoi]

Here's a question, I don't have a way to check compression (yet), but would low compression, or a blown head gasket cause bogging during acceleration.

[datzenmike]

Yes blown head gasket, but it would affect the idle to the point of not running.

 

So the temp gauge it up near the middle?

 

Choke of fully off when warmed?

[Osoi]

That's why I maybe think it's just a slight gasket leak.

 

Temp gauge in middle. Check

 

Choke is fully off when warmed. Check.

[Draker]

Are you losing coolant, burning oil, oil in coolant, coolant in oil, over pressurizing coolant system, or can you audibly hear it leak?

[datzenmike]

Alright nest...

 

Valve lash checked and set. If loose, setting will quiet them down too.

 

Timing checked and set.

[Osoi]

Neither. And beyond my scope of abilities. I have set the gap points, but I don't have a timing light, and the rear main seal is leaking anyways. 

 

The tax man givith, and he's going to the Spa. 

 

However, there will before and after shots, as I'm not going at this cheap. While that little bitch is picked out of that body. MAJOR shit will be done.

 

Thanks again Mike, and the rest of Ratsun.net. I'll keep you posted on every thing that gets done.

 

-Jeremy and Karl.

[DanielC]

You can set the ignition timing without a timing light, on a points distributor.

    The completely tool less way, take the high voltage lead from the coil out of the distributor cap.  Set it on the inner fender, or somewhere where it cannot shock you.  Take the distributor cap off.  Turn the engine slowly, by hand clockwise, and stop at 10 degrees before top dead center.  If you did not hear the coil fire, loosen the distributor bolt, and rotate the distributor body clockwise, until the coil fires.  Tighten the distributor bolt.  Now, by turning the distributor rotor, by hand, back and forth, the coil should fire.

    If you have a test light, (not a timing light) just a simple 12 volt "check if the wire is hot" test light, ground the lead on the test light, and put the probe on the negative coil connection, to the distributor.  When the points are closed, the light is off.  When the points open, the light comes on.  Take the high voltage coil lead from the coil to the distributor off the engine, and slowly rotate the engine clockwise by hand.  The test light should come on as the engine passes 10 degrees before top dead center.

 

These techniques will get the engine timing close enough to run pretty well.  If you have a quiet exhaust, and know what engine knock sounds like, when the engine is warm, you can then advance the timing until the engine knocks, and then back off the timing about 2 degrees.

[datzenmike]

Agree with this! It's what I love about old Datsuns, you can do things like this on the side of the road and get them running. Worst case.... you at least can know what's wrong with it even if you can't get it moving. Try this with today's cars.

[Osoi]

I'm bookmarking this as "I need to learn this, just not right now". 

 

Thanks again guys. My motorcycle mechanic is coming today to get the Aprilia running hot so I'm good until Karl comes back from the Spa.