Engine Sudden Stalls

[Tim]

I had a similar problem with my plus 2. It would start perfectly put after a couple of miles it would just stop. After checking everything it all seemed fine then after a while it would start again. The problem turned out to be a faulty fuel pump. I had the orginal AC Delco mechanical fuel pump which has 2 small non one way valves in it, which are a push fit into the pump housing. One of them was perished and it meant the pump wouldn?t pull any fuel from the tank. But when the car was left to stand fuel flowed slowly passed the faulty valve and up into the carbs under gravity (because the fuel tank is higher than the carb float chamber it siphons). Once the car had been standing for 30 to 40 mins there was enough fuel in the float chamber to start again, but the engine drained it down quicker than it could fill under gravity, so after 2 miles...stopped again. Honestly this problem stumped 2 mechanics and it took me over a year to work it out - and only a couple of quid for a new valve....Check the float chambers as soon as it cuts out. If they are empty there?s your problem. If not I haven?t a clue.

Tim
1973 +2S 130/5

[Harvey]

Tim's issue is exactly the problem I had with my float bowls but for a different reason. You can have a full fuel flow to the carbs but if it can't get through the jet into the float bowl you'll get fuel starvation at some point. Tim's last sentence is key to identifying this problem.

Lee

[Argo]

To update you on Kenneth's +2 stalling problem. I had a look at it today and found two possible problems.

The rotor arm is an aftermarket/non-original type. Instead of the brass contact being moulded into the body, it has a metal rivet to hold it in place. This rivet protrudes far enough into the body to allow the high voltage pulse to short to the retaining spring. Apparently this tracking problem is exacerbated as the temperature rises and eventually the track becomes completely carbonised and everything dies.

The second problem was the gap between the magnet carrying rotor and the sensor. It was way too wide. Since there is no way to adjust it, we had to fit a couple of washers to raise the sensor closer to the rotor. Not an ideal solution because the sensor is now only held in place by a couple of threads of the retaining screw. Maybe in a future life we will remove the distributor and sort it out properly. Or else fit a 123Ignition like I did to the rest of my Lotuses and set everything from a smartphone via Bluetooth instead of fiddling under the carbs.

Engine now runs perfectly and the tachometer needle is rock solid. Hope that will be of some help to others.

[Andy8421]

When I started messing with cars in the early 70s, the only time I replaced a rotor arm is if I trod on it.

In the late 90s when I was actively racing, a rotor arm would last a race (If I was lucky), I must have got through 10 or more of the damn things. All of the the usual suspects seemed to be sourcing their stock from the same manufacturer, and they were all equally useless.

Now I buy all of my ignition components from the 'Distributor Doctor' who I would highly recommend. In addition to supplying high quality parts for Elan era cars, I was able to rebuild a 1930's distributor with parts he supplied.

I have no relationship with the Doctor, just a satisfied customer.