CUTTING OUT WHEN HOT

TOM DUFFY

New Member
I have a 1971 2000TC Mk2 which up til this hot weather has been running perfectly. I have had the car out twice this week and both times the car runs perfectly for about 6-10 miles then cuts out. If I leave the car for 5-10 minutes it starts and runs perfectly again. The temperature gauge is in the green just left of vertical.
The engine has been overhauled to the extent of rebuilding the carbs and fuel pump, the engine side plates have been removed and all sludge cleaned out, all new hoses, radiator flushed, water pump removed and cleaned.. Also the fuel tank has been removed, cleaned and coated with Eastwood tank sealant and a new sender unit fitted. The reserve fuel line has been replaced. I have read the post from Relistan who had a similar problem but I have no bubbles in the fuel pump bowl.
If it is fuel starvation caused by the heat why after leaving it for just a few minutes does it start and run ok because the engine and underbonnet are still hot?
Any ideas/comments will be welcome, thanks.
 
Have a feel of the coil when it cuts out. If it feels too hot it may be failing on you.
Also, if you are still running points the condenser may be dying. Modern ones have a high failure rate.
 
I wonder if the tank venting has been compromised and it building up a vacuum in the 10 miles , but slowly releases when stopped so car can start again. When it stops does it splutter & stop or just cut out?
 
I had this in a 1959 Mini a few years ago. It turned out to be a fault in the rotor arm, allowing HT currrent to track to earth when the rotor arm was hot. There was a spate of rotor arm failures in recent times, mostly attributed to the fact that commonly available, poor-quality reproductions used a rivet to hold the brass contact in place. The current tracked from the bottom of the rivet through the plastic to the distributor shaft. Once it had happened, the pathway then existed for it happen again easily. The red rotor arms from the Distributor Doctor have the contact moulded in like the Lucas originals, and don't have the problem.
 
Have a feel of the coil when it cuts out. If it feels too hot it may be failing on you.
Also, if you are still running points the condenser may be dying. Modern ones have a high failure rate.
Thanks for the reply.
The coil was new and has only done about 500 miles, I am still running points and condenser so that may be worth looking at. Do you know of a good electronic system that works with the RVC tacho?
 
I had this in a 1959 Mini a few years ago. It turned out to be a fault in the rotor arm, allowing HT currrent to track to earth when the rotor arm was hot. There was a spate of rotor arm failures in recent times, mostly attributed to the fact that commonly available, poor-quality reproductions used a rivet to hold the brass contact in place. The current tracked from the bottom of the rivet through the plastic to the distributor shaft. Once it had happened, the pathway then existed for it happen again easily. The red rotor arms from the Distributor Doctor have the contact moulded in like the Lucas originals, and don't have the problem.
Thanks for the reply, the rotor arm is a red one with moulded contact.
 
I wonder if the tank venting has been compromised and it building up a vacuum in the 10 miles , but slowly releases when stopped so car can start again. When it stops does it splutter & stop or just cut out?
Thanks for the reply, the car splutters for a few seconds then stops. When I cleaned the fuel tank all the vents were clear with good tubing.
 
Thanks for the reply.
The coil was new and has only done about 500 miles, I am still running points and condenser so that may be worth looking at. Do you know of a good electronic system that works with the RVC tacho?
I think most modern modules work fine with RVC tachos (RVI's have an issue). I've got an Magnetronic fitted to my 2000TC and it works fine with the tacho (not to mention its been reliable. I prefer the Magnetronic unit as the housing is aluminium so is better at heat dissipation (the cause of early death on a lot of electronic modules).
 
Drive it for the 5-6 miles on a quiet road until it cuts out and coast to the side and turn off the ignition. Take the lid off a float chamber and see if there is any fuel in it.
 
I think most modern modules work fine with RVC tachos (RVI's have an issue). I've got an Magnetronic fitted to my 2000TC and it works fine with the tacho (not to mention its been reliable. I prefer the Magnetronic unit as the housing is aluminium so is better at heat dissipation (the cause of early death on a lot of electronic modules).
Sorry, brain fog!! Mine is a RVI tacho.
 
I just read that you cleaned the fuel tank. Perhaps have a look and see if the fuel pump is full of rubbish, and if the tank filter is clear.
 
Mine has started running lumpy this week during hot weather and last night would not restart after a short run .
I'm thinking it could be the supermarket fuel I put in last week, I usually use shell v power from our local station but while out of town stopped and filled up . Since then its miss firing a little but got worse in the warm weather . Think I will drain it and put usual in
 

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Russbus, you might well be right. My V8 only wants to run nicely on V-Power. It abhors supermarket petrol, runs poorly and doesn't like to restart after a short stop on a hot summers day if I put anything other than the expensive stuff in. If I top up the cheap stuff approx. 50/50 with the better grade, it improves. I run the tank to near the end of reserve, fill it at the Shell station, and it behaves itself much better. Expensive hobby innit!?
 
Mine has started running lumpy this week during hot weather and last night would not restart after a short run .
I'm thinking it could be the supermarket fuel I put in last week, I usually use shell v power from our local station but while out of town stopped and filled up . Since then its miss firing a little but got worse in the warm weather . Think I will drain it and put usual in
I always run on Shell V power with valvemaster plus octane booster and lead replacement additive and never had a problem til this last week. Will wait til the weather cools a bit then try again.
 
Your car presumably has a ballast resistor within the coil feed, identified by a white-and-pink wire to the coil +, so it needs a low-resistance coil unless you have taken a 12V supply from somewhere else to feed a replacement 12V, approx 3ohm, coil. It's worth checking that you have the right coil.

In my 1972, but 1971-built, 2000 TC I have kept the original coil and ballast resistor, but am running with Aldon Ignitor (aka Pertronix) electronic ignition fed by a separate feed from the ignition switch to give the electronic module the full 12V. The original RVI tacho works perfectly with this arrangement.

Good luck

John
 
Your car presumably has a ballast resistor within the coil feed, identified by a white-and-pink wire to the coil +, so it needs a low-resistance coil unless you have taken a 12V supply from somewhere else to feed a replacement 12V, approx 3ohm, coil. It's worth checking that you have the right coil.

In my 1972, but 1971-built, 2000 TC I have kept the original coil and ballast resistor, but am running with Aldon Ignitor (aka Pertronix) electronic ignition fed by a separate feed from the ignition switch to give the electronic module the full 12V. The original RVI tacho works perfectly with this arrangement.

Good luck

John
Hi John, my car is running on a 12v coil, it was when I bought it, from looking at the wiring diagram I thought it should have a ballast resistor but someone must have changed it in the past
 
I believe I am right in thinking these cars had a resistance wire built into the loom, so you wont find a ballast resistor by looking near the coil.
You could however test the coil voltage supply and see what you have. You could also test the coil ohms to see if you have the right coil for the right supply.

Blurb here....... Ballast Resistors, Resistance and Coils

Edit

If you have a 12v coil and there is still a ballasted supply to it then a poor spark will result.
 
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I always run on Shell V power with valvemaster plus octane booster and lead replacement additive and never had a problem til this last week. Will wait til the weather cools a bit then try again.
I just drained the tank leaving a little bit in to get me to the shell station, put £30 of v power in went on a short run and is back running as normal so v power is what I will use in future even though its 30p a litre more at the moment, as you say it can be an expensive hobby
 
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