18 Oct
2025
18 Oct
'25
7:42 a.m.
Shotgum is the mode of desperation, replace the PS, fiddle with the
wireing, poke it with the wet end of a cigar.
On Sat, Oct 18, 2025 at 4:38 AM Tony Duell via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
On Sat, Oct 18, 2025 at 12:02 PM David Wade via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
Never worked on it, although I have read the 'real' manual for it, the
one that covers dismantling and rebuilding the metering distributor.
It should work properly. There is an 'overfuel' lever on the metering
distributor which pulls back the shuttle stop and gives a rich mixture
for cold starting -- was all that all set up and working correctly?
Was the fuel pump drawing the right current (bad connections causing
voltage drop?). Fuel pressure correct at the input to the metering
distributor? And before touching the fuel injection system, you should
check the ignition, valve clearances, compression, etc.
BUT.. several times I've been told that $system is
unreliable/difficult to service/never works properly/... Three
examples I can instantly think of are : Citroen hydropneumatic
suspension; The Prestor Reflex shutter in the Pentina camera (which I
will admit has quality-control issues); Philips V2000 video recorders.
Without exception I've had no problems with them. The problems seem to
stem from the fact that they are all very different from their
competitors. If you attack any of them based on a knowledge of so-say
similar systems (spring/damper car suspension; Compur camera shutter;
VHS video recorders) you will have no end of problems. If you sit down
with the service manuals, really understand how they work, and then
repair them 'properly' you wll have no problems at all.
One of my father's secrets to not having breakdowns in his cars was to
NEVER allow a mechanic within 50 feet of the vehicle! We both
regard(ed) such people as being one level below computer Field
Service. And from conversations with current-day ones, alas my views
have not changed. I've yet to meet one who can logically diagnose a
fault -- you know, measuring things before changing anything.
-tony
But I do
not regard Lucas as significantly less reliable than other
manufacturers.
Their (mechanical) fuel injection systems as fitted to the UK Triumph
TR5 and TR6 were really bad.
When I first came to work in Manchester I lived in a shared house. The
owner had a TR6 with Lucas fuel injection.
He was always having it serviced, but it still seemed to take ages to
get it running on a morning.