Stranded on Day 2

[navydevildoc]

Well, picked up my '65 IIA on Friday, and decided to go for a spin today just a few miles down the road to the auto supply store. Had fun going down the road, still getting used to a RHD truck.

On the way back, I started noting a very sharp loss of power when I pressed down on the accelerator pedal. She idles fine, but as soon as I try to give her gas, she bogs down or dies. Ended up getting stuck in a parking lot about half a mile from home, and a buddy of mine was nice enough to come over and tow me back home with his Dodge truck. Needless to say, there was lots of Land Rover jokes along the way.

I have a feeling it's a fuel delivery problem either to the carb or in the carb, but since I have never worked on a Series before, and don't yet have the Big Green Book to help me out, I am kind of mystified on how to check the fuel filter. I see the bowl on the fuel pump, and it looks like it's full of gas, but I am really not sure where to start.

I warned you all you would be faced with dumb questions! Any advice would be helpful. She has an original Solex carb.

[scott]

the old pick up tubes in the tank are notorious for cloging. was the sed bowl on the pump less than full?

[Cosmic88]

same here...

The exact same thing happened to me today. Thankfully I was able to sputter home to the workshop. Since I have a new fuel tank and carb gaskets on the way (from our host) I decided to to "It all" today. Removed the carb (mine is the Zenith 36)and completely cleaned it and checked jets for any blockage. Removed dist. cap and checked / cleaned points, pulled out old gas tank and flushed all fuel lines and sediment bowl.

Just another Saturday...

I'd start at the fuel tank then on to the pump / filter and if those are fine and working move onto the carb.

[navydevildoc]

Sed bowl looked totally full... but I can't see it by myself if I hit the gas to see what happens.

Since the history on this truck is hazy, I don't know when the last time any of this stuff was serviced. So I am not ruling anything out.

I am gonna go with Cosmic's advice and start at the tank and work downstream. Looks like I can pull up the plate on the drivers seat and get to the pick-up tube on the tank and check that out first.

The carb probably needs a good servicing anyway, I will have to order a rebuild kit from RN this week, gives me something for next weekend.

[jcasteel]

Mine will have those exact symptoms when one of the jets in the carb is clogged. I have the Solex carb. After the second time this happened I put an inline fuel filter on and it has been trouble free ever since.

Since you don't know all that much about your rover I'd start at the fuel tank too but just because you find a clogged pick up tube don't stop looking.

Amazing how much junk can make it all the way to the carb.

[LaneRover]

My brother had a similar thing happen. In the end for him it was the fact that the fuel pump was so full of crap that it wouldn't release enough to go through the pumping cycle.

[ktom300]

Mine did something similar and it was the points/condensor. Of course I started with a carb rebuild and check for fuel problems first.

[msggunny]

Doc, who were you with in your avatar pic?

Guess the MG didnt teach you how to properly carry a sabot round...

[navydevildoc]

Doc, who were you with in your avatar pic?

Guess the MG didnt teach you how to properly carry a sabot round...

That would be out in 29 with A Co, 4th Tanks... that was actually my one "glamour shot" before we went back to transferring rounds from the field ASP on range 500 to whatever tank happened to be right there headed out to do one of the tables.

PM sent about the MG.

[navydevildoc]

So, I pulled open the tank and looked at the pickup tube. The wire mesh screen around the bottom had pretty much been torn up and disintegrated to be of any use. So, rather than have more of it fall in to the tank, i just pulled it off and left the pickup tube bare.

Now on to my next dumb question... is there another fuel filter other than the pickup screen? I am looking at the fuel line that goes right into the sed bowl/fuel pump assembly, which doesn't seem to have a filter in it anywhere, and on to the carb, with no inline filter.

If there isn't anything besides the pickup screen, I think it's pretty safe to say the carb is gunked with something. If there is another filter somewhere, I just need to find it.

[scott]

original fuel filtering system was just that pick up tube screen and the sedimentation bowl. pretty primative heh. my screen is gone, i've a inline before the electric pump, not using the sed bowl and mechanical, then another filter just before the carb.

[Jeff Aronson]

The Solex carb has a small cylindrical filter. lying on its side, inside the feed line to the float chamber. The Weber carb has a similar filter but it stands upright, and it's accessed by removing the 3/4" brass nut at the bottom on the entry tube into the carb float chamber.

There is a screen at the top of the sediment bowl of the fuel pump, too.

However, it's advisable to install a conventional inline fuel filter - just cut the rubber fuel line and use the clamps provided with the filter.

Jeff

[Jeff Aronson]

The Solex carb has a small cylindrical filter. lying on its side, inside the feed line to the float chamber. The Weber carb has a similar filter but it stands upright, and it's accessed by removing the 3/4" brass nut at the bottom on the entry tube into the carb float chamber.

There is a screen at the top of the sediment bowl of the fuel pump, too.

However, it's advisable to install a conventional inline fuel filter - just cut the rubber fuel line and use the clamps provided with the filter.

Jeff

[navydevildoc]

Well, after spending all freaking day tearing the carb apart, cleaning it all up and making it look pretty, I go to put it back in and it turns out the fuel inlet on top of the bowl is stripped out.

I had some choice words right as I realized what happened. Looking at the threads, I wonder if there already wasn't a problem, and me putting it snug was the last straw.

So, now I have a completely spotless, completely useless solex.

I guess it's time to order the Weber, which I had been considering anyway.

(sigh)... welcome to series ownership.

[greenmeanie]

What thread is on the fuel fitting. I bet you could retap it with a standard NPT tap and hose barb available from any loca hardware store.