Talbot Horizon running on 3 cylinders!

[theorganist]

Hello,

 

Not been about much recently have had a lot going on but am getting back into messing around with old cars again. The Princess is alive and well apart from the odd electrical problem and an oil leak which has now developed.

 

The Horizon is still sitting on the drive sadly. I managed to get it running but it was running very roughly as though it is on 3 cylinders. It wouldn't even reverse up my drive it would just cut out. Anyway I changed the plugs, leads, distributor cap and rotor arm, to no avail. I guessed it may be the timing but that was only slightly out and has been corrected. It actually seems to run slightly better but still not right, before it would not idle with the choke in now it does but pretty badly. A friend came round with a compression tester this afternoon but unfortunately he has the wrong size fitting for my size of spark plug so it going to borrow a friend of his!

 

The situation is now is that when the engine is running when you remove number 1 plug lead it makes no difference, if you remove one of the other plug leads it causes the engine to cut out which obviously it should.

 

I am assuming it is probably a sticking valve or was wondering if it could be the head gasket? I was just wondering if anyone on here has such experience and has any alternative ideas?

 

The car has only covered 47,000 miles and starts well.

 

Any advice would be appreciated as I really want to get the Horizon on the road.

 

Thanks,

Peter

 

 

[vulgalour]

bubbles in the expansion bottle, loss of oil/water, contamination of oil/water would all point at OMGHGF which is what I'd expect in this instance.  Could also be a bit coked up if it's only been doing pootling duty.

 

Finally, it might be that the leads are in the wrong order.  Philibusmo's Princess had this issue where it would run on 3 with no power and occasionally backfire, it turned out that two leads were the wrong way around.

[theorganist]

bubbles in the expansion bottle, loss of oil/water, contamination of oil/water would all point at OMGHGF which is what I'd expect in this instance.  Could also be a bit coked up if it's only been doing pootling duty.

 

Finally, it might be that the leads are in the wrong order.  Philibusmo's Princess had this issue where it would run on 3 with no power and occasionally backfire, it turned out that two leads were the wrong way around.

Thanks for your reply.

 

When I got it there was little water in it, there was also little oil either! Can't see any bubbles and the dipstick is fine. There is some sign of possible condensation a white substance on the filler cap, my mate thought it looked more like condensation rather than mayonnaise! I did wonder if it could be coked up as it has hardly moved for the last seven to eight years and I think was owned by an elderly gent for most of its life. It's hard to do anything about that unless I book it in for an MOT and have an excuse to drive it!

 

I did try swapping numbers one and two leads round and it was the same. When I changed the leads I put them in the same order as they were when I had it, which obviously could be wrong. They look logically in the correct order!

[nigel bickle]

Swop the plugs around, see if it makes a diffence.

 

Follow the leads around the distributor cap. I'll wager they aren't in the right order. 1.3.4.2.

[red5]

If the engine slows/cuts out when you remove one of the other leads that should prove that the firing order/lead position is right. Does the engine speed drop by approx the same amount when you remove 'good' leads?

 

Whip no1 plug out and see if it's wet - oily or fuel.

[theorganist]

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

I am certain the leads are in in the correct order. The plug was slightly wet from fuel no oil, it is new plug so is pretty clean. On removing number 2, 3 or 4 lead the engine stutters badly and struggles to stay running, it seems to be the same on all leads. On removing no 1 lead there is no effect on the running of the engine. 

 

I will try swapping the plugs and see what happens.

[theorganist]

Nigel you are a genius!

 

I just tried removing the leads again after swapping the plugs around. Both one and two leads made no difference. Have swapped the leads around on one and two and guess what....it runs much better!

 

Yours with a big sigh of relieve and many thanks to you all....Peter

[nigel bickle]

Glad you're sorted.

 

Happy to help