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hey friends, I have a 1973 Land Rover Series III and I could use some help diagnosing some current issues.
First, it’s nice to be back here. I have the most fond memories of having utterly no clue what I was doing and taking an early 2000s flip camp under my truck and rushing inside to post it in a fit of frustration to this forum - I learned more from this group (even when I wasn’t ready to learn) than I can ever repay.
Fast forward, I’m still inept, but I’m older and more curious 😂
My truck now lives with me in Montana and has been my summer daily driver and exploration rig for some time. It has its moments, but we have a great community here. As much as I miss ROVA, Montana Rovers is coming in strong!
But…
The motor issues a 2.5L gas (petrol) 4 cylinder block with a Webber 2 barrel carburetor and a distributor with points. Transmission is a 4 speed manual.
I’ve had a few issues lately. They could be related, or they could be totally separate. I’m fairly good at doing my own basic maintenance, but when things get complex, sometimes the root cause eludes me.
Here’s what’s going on:
* Overheating - started about 2 months ago out of the blue. Temp gauge normally runs in the 75-80% range, recently it started spiking to 100% after about 10 minutes and then it drops to normal. Intake and outlet feel normal to touch, like water is circulating. Fan is running fine. Doesn’t do it all the time. No obvious oil/water mixture in the radiator.
* Engine stalling at low idle - this seems to have passed. I think it was due to cheaping out and putting low octane (eg whatever % of ethanol my state allows) gas…. So far, with two fresh tanks of high octane ethanol-free gas, it seems to be better.
* Rich mix - the entire time I’m driving, everything smells like a gas station. This is soft top car with the soft top almost always rolled up (open). For the gas to be that prominent, it seems like engine has to be running REALLY rich.
* Performance - This thing is never going to win any races, but I can usually go up a hill and maintain speed in 4th. Lately, I’m losing speed and power on even minor hills.
* Misfiring - coming down hills, if I down shift to control speed, the engine sounds like its misfiring fairly regularly… lots of “put put” sounds.
What I’ve done:
* Replaced plugs - turns out the old ones looked fine, but can’t hurt, right?
* Timing - I’ve timed it a few times… sometimes by the manual with a gun, sometimes with a beer on the fender
* Carb - back in the spring, I rebuilt the carb with a rebuild kit. I‘d discovered a leak in the acceleration pump. So far, it seems to be fine. I don’t suspect the carb, but I never know about jets… the look clean and shiny and fine.
So… any tips or tricks? What should I check next? How should I test things? Do I need to get a compression test kit?
How can I test if a plug is firing WHILE it’s in the engine? I really suspect I have a cylinder that isn’t firing, that’d explain the gas smell and loss of power, right?
First, it’s nice to be back here. I have the most fond memories of having utterly no clue what I was doing and taking an early 2000s flip camp under my truck and rushing inside to post it in a fit of frustration to this forum - I learned more from this group (even when I wasn’t ready to learn) than I can ever repay.
Fast forward, I’m still inept, but I’m older and more curious 😂
My truck now lives with me in Montana and has been my summer daily driver and exploration rig for some time. It has its moments, but we have a great community here. As much as I miss ROVA, Montana Rovers is coming in strong!
But…
The motor issues a 2.5L gas (petrol) 4 cylinder block with a Webber 2 barrel carburetor and a distributor with points. Transmission is a 4 speed manual.
I’ve had a few issues lately. They could be related, or they could be totally separate. I’m fairly good at doing my own basic maintenance, but when things get complex, sometimes the root cause eludes me.
Here’s what’s going on:
* Overheating - started about 2 months ago out of the blue. Temp gauge normally runs in the 75-80% range, recently it started spiking to 100% after about 10 minutes and then it drops to normal. Intake and outlet feel normal to touch, like water is circulating. Fan is running fine. Doesn’t do it all the time. No obvious oil/water mixture in the radiator.
* Engine stalling at low idle - this seems to have passed. I think it was due to cheaping out and putting low octane (eg whatever % of ethanol my state allows) gas…. So far, with two fresh tanks of high octane ethanol-free gas, it seems to be better.
* Rich mix - the entire time I’m driving, everything smells like a gas station. This is soft top car with the soft top almost always rolled up (open). For the gas to be that prominent, it seems like engine has to be running REALLY rich.
* Performance - This thing is never going to win any races, but I can usually go up a hill and maintain speed in 4th. Lately, I’m losing speed and power on even minor hills.
* Misfiring - coming down hills, if I down shift to control speed, the engine sounds like its misfiring fairly regularly… lots of “put put” sounds.
What I’ve done:
* Replaced plugs - turns out the old ones looked fine, but can’t hurt, right?
* Timing - I’ve timed it a few times… sometimes by the manual with a gun, sometimes with a beer on the fender
* Carb - back in the spring, I rebuilt the carb with a rebuild kit. I‘d discovered a leak in the acceleration pump. So far, it seems to be fine. I don’t suspect the carb, but I never know about jets… the look clean and shiny and fine.
So… any tips or tricks? What should I check next? How should I test things? Do I need to get a compression test kit?
How can I test if a plug is firing WHILE it’s in the engine? I really suspect I have a cylinder that isn’t firing, that’d explain the gas smell and loss of power, right?
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