Sandy the landy is dying

[sandythelandy]

After spending an entire week (12+ hours a day) working on my land rover getting ready for moving, all of a sudden she starts to die when idling. When I started the week, she ran pretty well but I still thought I should change the spark plugs since I didn’t know when the last time they were changed. I changed the spark plugs and gapped them per the green bible at the start of the week. Just before I lose power, the engine runs really well, much better then before I changed them out, but it still dies.

On a side, possibly related note, it doesn’t start first time and often not the second time despite a brand new starter

Any ideas?

Thanks

[mongoswede]

fuel pump?

[artpeck]

Sounds fuel starved. Filter? Low gas so gunk sucked up? Fuel pump? Could be a float issue also but try the easier stuff first.

[Ncrover725]

I had a like problem when I was not maintaining signal from the coil to the distributor. I had a bad solder joint in the low tension lead. I thought it was a fuel problem for two days. After taking apart the majority of the fuel system along I95 I was helped out by Tim Smith in Ct who found it very quickly and got me back on the road.

[sandythelandy]

fuel pump?

Could this still be true if she runs fine while I'm driving? I would say it's a bit more sluggish then when I first got it, but only is really a problem when I'm at a stop light or at an intersection.

[sandythelandy]

I had a like problem when I was not maintaining signal from the coil to the distributor. I had a bad solder joint in the low tension lead. I thought it was a fuel problem for two days. After taking apart the majority of the fuel system along I95 I was helped out by Tim Smith in Ct who found it very quickly and got me back on the road.

it's got a pretty new distributor cap, would the low tension lead be replaced if the distributor cap was? I'll try to figure out which lead it is.

Thanks

[Apis Mellifera]

How's the coil? I've had MGs (that use the same coil) do that when coil heats up. Typically the plugs will show incomplete combustion with a weak coil.

However given your description, could it be heat soak. If the fuel vaporizes in the carb, you could get poor running and difficulty starting. That would also be more prone at low/no speed when there isn't enough air flow through the engine compartment.

[sandythelandy]

How's the coil? I've had MGs (that use the same coil) do that when coil heats up. Typically the plugs will show incomplete combustion with a weak coil.

However given your description, could it be heat soak. If the fuel vaporizes in the carb, you could get poor running and difficulty starting. That would also be more prone at low/no speed when there isn't enough air flow through the engine compartment.

You'll have to excuse my ignorance, but I'm brand new to anything dealing with cars! I assume you're talking about the ignition coil, correct? Is there a way of checking the coil or to see if I have "heat soak? I know it's had a new carb in the recent past. I know the easiest thing would be to take it to a land rover shop but I really got my landy rover so I could learn and so I might not have to pay someone $100 an hour!

[Apis Mellifera]

Yes, ignition coil. This will be a worthwhile read:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5595891_bad-ignition-coil-symptoms.html

By heat soak, I mean the engine heating up components beyond their working capacity. This could be an overheated coil or a carb that is hot enough to cause the fuel inside to boil aka vapor lock.

Those are just guesses, by the way. There are many little things that can cause rough running. They are easy to test and fix. However, if you're just starting these are "unknown unknowns". Don't worry, if you and the truck survive, eventually you'll be able to diagnose faults by sound and will have the fix in mind automatically.

[Ncrover725]

I have attached a photo of what electrical problem has caused me to believe I had a fuel problem. The photo is of my 25D distributor with the cap off. I have inserted a red line box into the photo so you should be able to identify the wire I am talking about. Tim Smith from Ct showed me this after hours and hours of working on my suspected fuel problem. Once he applied some more solder it has worked great.

[sandythelandy]

I have attached a photo of what electrical problem has caused me to believe I had a fuel problem. The photo is of my 25D distributor with the cap off. I have inserted a red line box into the photo so you should be able to identify the wire I am talking about. Tim Smith from Ct showed me this after hours and hours of working on my suspected fuel problem. Once he applied some more solder it has worked great.

Thanks for the help. I got a little worried as I needed my land rover (it's my only car) to move back to Asheville from Charlotte. I didn't actually do anything but make sure all the spark plug wires were tight and I found that wire you were talking about and wiggled it around a bit to make sure it was tight. I put everything back together and now it's running the best it has in the 4 months I've owned it. Now driving up 26 with it full of furniture and what not is another story. It was struggling in 3rd to get up the mountain!

Thanks again for everyone’s help