HELP! Engine problems...

[newonda1]

Hey guys, I'm having some difficulties with my Rosy (1973 R4 845cc 800-01). We have completely rebuilt the engine and she sounds great. She starts up immediately and idles fantastically. However, we are having two problems.

1) The engine is getting too hot (around 80-85 degrees celsius) after just a little driving (less tham a kilometer). We have a completely new radiator complete with cooliant. We thought there might not be enough air being sucked in so we have installed an electric fan on the front to suck in more air. The air is being sucked in, but the water temp is still rising to much.

2) Though the engine is running great, power is being lost somewhere. Top speed right now is about 40 km/hr. She is really dragging on hills. We have tried adjusting the timing but to no avail.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what we can do or try?

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Steve Hennessey]

This might sound a silly question, but do you have a heater fitted? If so, did you bleed the air from the cooling system with the heater tap turned onto 'hot'?

Secondly, I assume that you used all new gaskets including the head gasket.

As for loss of power, did you time the crankshaft / camshaft correctly by aligning the marks?

Have you checked that the distributor is working correctly - is the vacumn unit ok? are the mechanical advance bob weights and springs working ok?

Have you thoroughly cleaned and overhauled the carburettor and is the butterfly opening to it's fullest extent with the accelerator pedal on the floor? Is the choke flap working ok? and not being pulled shut when you rev the engine.

Please let us know how you get on.

Steve

 

[malcolm]

85 degrees C doesn't seem all that hot. A pressurised system should be able to cope with 110C. The electric fan switch on the GTL radiator doesn't turn the fan on until 90 degrees, and that is at the outlet of the radiator. As long as the thermostat is working and water is circulating through the radiator the system should work (bleeding air out is important as Steve says. How are you measuring the temperature?

Good suggestion about cam timing Steve. The only time I've had a power loss in an 850cc car was when the distributor advance weights fell off. But that didn't reduce power that much. Your other points are well worth a check too.