Vapour lock?

[M.Ouvinen]

Hey guys.

Spring is here, I'm back to summer tyres and my Midas is beginning to feel like a car again. There's grip, and the tyres don't scrape to the bodywork in the bumps no more. And it's no longer freezing cold.

It was the first warm day of the spring today. Inlands we hit about 22 Celsius, so it's good.

My mate from work has an Alfa from 1975 as a daily driver, and since it had developed some murmurs during the weekend, we had to take the Midas to do a photoshoot 250km away. So I'm back from a 12 hour workday and 600 kilometres in the Midas. (My engine is nearing end by the way, it used something like 4 litres of oil today...)


Problems: The first hint of the problem was last weekend. I had been standing on idle for a while, talking to a friend outside. A minute after I'd taken of, I had a series of engine hickups, it would not rev, cutting out... Today I had them again, after standing around in traffic, after spending two hours on the motorway. Then, it stalled and would not start. The car had been standing by the side of the road, in the sun, engine hot etc. Then, off I went, and it just hickuped and stalled, wouldn't start. We took off the hose from he carb, and there was no fuel coming to the carburettor, so... Vapour lock?

We made sure it wasn't just running out of fuel, so we got a canister of go go juice from a petrol station nearby. After getting two "sips" of petrol straight to the carburettor it fired up again, and worked okay for the rest of the way home, although hickuping again after a small break and topping up on motor oil...


Anyway. Vapour lock, is it? Any cure? The fuel pump is in a quite hot place, so maybe fitting an electric fuel pump somewhere else might be wise?

(I've just bought a Rover Metro from Southhampton, I'll be driving it home with a mate of mine next month, on our trip to Beaulieu Autojumble. That should supply me with a decent replacement engine, since the Metro has done only 30 000 miles.)

[Rich]

It does sound like it's vapourising it's fuel, though if you've used 4 litres of oil in 250km I'd imagine you are happy it's running at all.

I'd suggest either some heat shielding and/or the addition of a 12v fan to circulate some cool air between the block and manifold.

Rich

[Hans Efde]

On the Gold extra louvres were placed above the carburettor to cure vapour lock, but the Bronze lacks these. But usually vapour lock is not a problem with these cars, so I would say you have another problem. Perhaps a bad fuel pump. Maybe the timing is not correct, or you are using a MG airfilter without having changed the carb needle etc. which all cause the engine to run too hot. Also perhaps a cooler waterthermostat. There are many types, from 72 to 86 degrees, and maybe more)
If you want you could install a large hose and feed air from the front bumper to the carb. I have done so with my turbo and the cooling effect is astonishing. I have a Renault 5 turbo cooling fan on the shelf. When I have replaced the hydragas units by Watson springs, there is room for this unit. But it only makes sense with a turbo.


Excessive oil consumption may be due to worn out (or missing!) valve seals. These caps are cheap and easily installed by a specialist. My engine was equally thirsty, but cylinder compression was good so no worn piston rings. The valve seals installed were hardened and some broken. I can't tell yet if it helped. I just tested the car this weekend. So check the cylinder compression (with and without squirting a bit of oil through the spark plug hole) and if they are okay (and within 10% of each other) go for the valve seals and you probably will have cured the oil consumption. If you intend to take the head off, it's a good time to have the valve guides checked as well.
Cheers, Hans

[M.Ouvinen]

My car's a Mk2 Bronze Coupe, so... I'll have to look at putting a fresh air thing for the fuel pump.
There was also a loud "pfhiff" from the fuel cap when it was opened, so there might have been quite a vacuum in the tank. I will have to look at the tank cap, see if the breather hole is blocked.

Water temperature is more than ok, if the meter can be trusted. But

The oil consumption seems to go dramatically up when speeds exceed 100km/h and revs get higher. Cruising at 80km/h it isn't that bad. So it could be valve seals?

Anyway, as I said, I'll be getting me a new engine. I'm going to Beualieu autojumble with a friend of mine. We booked only one way flight tickets. On saturday we won a bid on ebay for a -90 Metro Automatic (1,3) that will take us home and serve as a donor car for my new engine. FSH, MOT'd, done 30 000 miles. For 290 quid.

[Rich]

Anyway, as I said, I'll be getting me a new engine. I'm going to Beualieu autojumble with a friend of mine. We booked only one way flight tickets. On saturday we won a bid on ebay for a -90 Metro Automatic (1,3) that will take us home and serve as a donor car for my new engine. FSH, MOT'd, done 30 000 miles. For 290 quid.

I was under the impression the Auto had a engine different block to the manual, is your Midas an Auto or have I got it completely wrong?

Rich

[M.Ouvinen]

My Midas is not automatic, but it would not actually be that bad with an automatic transmission. I drive mostly around town anyway.

I don't know if the block is different, we'll have to see. At least the Metro will be a cheap way to get back home.

[Rich]

My Midas is not automatic, but it would not actually be that bad with an automatic transmission. I drive mostly around town anyway.

I don't know if the block is different, we'll have to see. At least the Metro will be a cheap way to get back home.

Give me a sec, I'll have a look in my Vizard book.

Rich


Edit.. Nope, can't see any mention in there about differing blocks, perhaps I dreamt it.

[M.Ouvinen]

Cool.

Here's a few photos. Our magazine did a six page feature on the Midas, the mag is just out.

http://idolphin.fi/mouvinen/examples/midasmobla/

[Rich]

Cool.

Here's a few photos. Our magazine did a six page feature on the Midas, the mag is just out.

http://idolphin.fi/mouvinen/examples/midasmobla/

Looking good!

Can't see a blue smoke trail though!

[Hans Efde]

Impressive, nice interior lighting. Actually a pretty car viewed from the top.
p.s. left city light is unserviceable.