Series IIA Engine Woes

[tkneese]

There's some great post on this forum and youtube about setting the timing and troubleshooting common problems with rovers.

I replaced the condenser and points in mine with a pertronix ignition but with those you still have to set the timing correctly and vacuum advance has to be in working order. I hope i'm not talking down to you or mentioning something you've already done but you may want to loosen the clamp at the bottom of the distributor and rotate slightly clockwise. (Dont overtighten! Just firm enough to hold it in place. I had to replace my entire distributor because the previous owner tightened mine down too far and cracked the distributor housing). See if the engine runs faster/smoother. If the timing is too "retarded" it will pop and backfire when you give it gas.

It should idle fine with or without the vacuum advance working. Where the vac advance comes into play is when the engine revs up and advancing the timing is necessary for it to run properly. the higher the revs the more suction coming from the carb which rotates the inside of the distributor clockwise which advances the timing.

[fbnksrover]

No. I appreciate any and all advice. After looking at the two pictures with the distributors and comparing them to mine, it looks like I may need to rotate it a little bit. I've never done it before, so I'll play around with it tonight. I'm going to use the pictures in here as a reference to make sure mine lines up like them. This is my first Rover, and, while frustrating the hell out of me, is kind of fun to tinker with, although my wife does not appreciate that the garage is now an auto shop. I think that I did retard the timing. I started fiddling with the AR screw not really knowing what it was. Any suggestions on how to fiddle that back into place?

[SafeAirOne]

Is there any chance that you have a factory workshop manual? It'll tell you possible causes of just about any engine problem as well as how to repair everything that's wrong. It'll also contain the correct procedure for setting the timing on these engines. If you don't have the Workshop Manual (WSM), I would STRONGLY recommend that you download one of the ones available on the interweb (or purchase a paper copy from our hosts).

Your distributor doesn't necessarily need to look like the pictures, especially if it is (was) working just fine in its current position. I merely intended to point out that the position of your distributor is unusual and could be an indicator that something might be amiss in that department.

Once you get the engine to idle for more than 5 minutes, I would then be concerned about the vacuum line being all kinked up at the "B" nut where it enters the diaphragm chamber. If this is the case, this needs to be corrected or the engine won't run well at higher RPMs as was discussed before:

[Dietersrover]

AR screw has little marks on it. Check the Series II manual.
But I think with 89 or so octane you should be a the third or four line.

Check your Vacuum line, it does looked kinked.

[fbnksrover]

I have a Workshop Manual. It's awesome. Makes tinkering a lot easier. Bad news is, the vacuum line that attaches to the vacuum tube was hanging on by a thread under the screw on fitment. Anyone know where I can find that vacuum line that attaches to the carburetor and distributor at?

[SafeAirOne]

You've got plenty of vacuum line left over.

Now remember that I don't have any vacuum advance on my engine when I write: "If the joint uses a compression fitting, just get a tubing cutter, cut the messed-up end off and use an appropriately-sized compression ferrule to make a good seal. If it's a flared tube, just slide the nut onto the tube and flare the fresh end and throw it back together."

Incidentally, if there was a vacuum leak where the tube was broken, not only will your ignition timing be off an higher RPMs, but the mixture could be off and the engine could run poorly even at lower RPMs, depending on where and how the vacuum is sourced on the carb.

[stomper]

Just go to the local auto parts store and get a new vacuum hose. they have it by the roll. Bring in a piece of your old one so they have the correct diameter, and measure the length so you know how much you need. Mine are just push on barbs that the vacuum hose slides onto.

[SafeAirOne]

Ahh-- That'd make it easy then. I thought it was a copper line.

[Dietersrover]

I used this chap for my Vacuum Line.

https://www.britishvacuumunit.com/

[busboy]

Ahh-- That'd make it easy then. I thought it was a copper line.

Sure looked like copper.

[fbnksrover]

It's definitely copper, and not soft copper. I think that I am going to swithch to a rubber vacuum tubing fabrication.

[I Leak Oil]

It's definitely copper, and not soft copper. I think that I am going to swithch to a rubber vacuum tubing fabrication.

Just cut the copper off with about 3/4" sticking out and buy the rubber line as was suggested. It's cheap and can be had anywhere. I may need to be replaced now and then as it dries and cracks it's well worth it.

[busboy]

If it is a compression/olive fitting which I think it probably is you should be able to buy another olive at a parts store. Many automotive mechanical gauges like oil pressure or diesel fuel pressure use 1/8 inch pipe with an olive for the compression seal.

[fbnksrover]

Okay. So far, I have installed new ignition leads, new ignition coil, new spark plugs, new condenser, new points gap. All gaps have been set properly with a feeler gauge (checked, double checked, and triple checked, and maybe some more). And nothing. When I turn the key to start the ignition, all I get is the whir of the starter motor, so I think it must be electrical, or maybe the charge in the battery is too low. I'm going to charge the battery today. Any other suggestions on what else to look at?

[I Leak Oil]

The bendix on your starter may be stuck too. Remove starter, clean and reinstall.