75 TSpark Misfire

My 75 has been standing for a few months awaiting it's appointment with
a restoration company.

I started it up yesterday as I needed to move it to get my bike out of
the garage.

However, it's running quite roughly - sounds as though it's OK at idle,
but if you rev. the engine, it stutters and misfires quite badly.

If you're gentle with the throttle, you can get it to rev. and it clears
itself above around 3-4k rpm.

Once it's warmed up, everything appears to be fine.

I've had a look at the distributor - the 'posts' inside the cap are
quite badly erroded.

Is this likely to be the primary cause of the issue? - I'll get a cap
this week and swap it over, but I do wonder if there's anything else I
should grab at the same time?

Cheers,

--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

SteveH wrote:
> My 75 has been standing for a few months awaiting it's appointment with
> a restoration company.
>
> I started it up yesterday as I needed to move it to get my bike out of
> the garage.
>
> However, it's running quite roughly - sounds as though it's OK at idle,
> but if you rev. the engine, it stutters and misfires quite badly.
>
> If you're gentle with the throttle, you can get it to rev. and it clears
> itself above around 3-4k rpm.
>
> Once it's warmed up, everything appears to be fine.
>
> I've had a look at the distributor - the 'posts' inside the cap are
> quite badly erroded.

Certainly isn't going to help

> Is this likely to be the primary cause of the issue? - I'll get a cap
> this week and swap it over, but I do wonder if there's anything else I
> should grab at the same time?

I'd grab some more HTs as well, depending on when they were last replaced.

Problem is it good really be anything. Have you got some of those light
up spark plug testers?

Also, you should try (using *INSULATED* pliers, DAMHIKIJFDOK) removing
the HT lead from each plug in turn while idling. Each *should* have an
effect, if one of them doesn't then that's your problem.

Personally I reckon it's fuelling. How long has that fuel been in there?



--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

catman > wrote:

> > I've had a look at the distributor - the 'posts' inside the cap are
> > quite badly erroded.
>
> Certainly isn't going to help
>
> > Is this likely to be the primary cause of the issue? - I'll get a cap
> > this week and swap it over, but I do wonder if there's anything else I
> > should grab at the same time?
>
> I'd grab some more HTs as well, depending on when they were last replaced.

Dunno. Not since I've had it anyway.

Have you looked at the price of a set of leads for a TSpark lump?

> Problem is it good really be anything. Have you got some of those light
> up spark plug testers?

No. I could do with one.

ISTR the plugs in a 75 are all identical? - just later 16v cars had
different sized plugs.

> Also, you should try (using *INSULATED* pliers, DAMHIKIJFDOK) removing
> the HT lead from each plug in turn while idling. Each *should* have an
> effect, if one of them doesn't then that's your problem.

Yes, I just can't really be arsed with all that fiddling ;-)

> Personally I reckon it's fuelling. How long has that fuel been in there?

Hmmmm. About 3 months - it was in daily use until I got the company car.
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

SteveH wrote:
> catman > wrote:
>
>>> I've had a look at the distributor - the 'posts' inside the cap are
>>> quite badly erroded.
>> Certainly isn't going to help
>>
>>> Is this likely to be the primary cause of the issue? - I'll get a cap
>>> this week and swap it over, but I do wonder if there's anything else I
>>> should grab at the same time?
>> I'd grab some more HTs as well, depending on when they were last replaced.
>
> Dunno. Not since I've had it anyway.
>
> Have you looked at the price of a set of leads for a TSpark lump?

Ahh, yes might be rather more than the old 116 was. Then again, you
should try the V6 leads for really eye watering prices.

>> Problem is it good really be anything. Have you got some of those light
>> up spark plug testers?
>
> No. I could do with one.

You could borrow mine if you didn't live in another country


> ISTR the plugs in a 75 are all identical? - just later 16v cars had
> different sized plugs.

TBH I have no idea


>> Also, you should try (using *INSULATED* pliers, DAMHIKIJFDOK) removing
>> the HT lead from each plug in turn while idling. Each *should* have an
>> effect, if one of them doesn't then that's your problem.
>
> Yes, I just can't really be arsed with all that fiddling ;-)

Get a man in then


>> Personally I reckon it's fuelling. How long has that fuel been in there?
>
> Hmmmm. About 3 months - it was in daily use until I got the company car.

Could be it, possibly

OTOH the Sprint and 116 have been laid up for over a year now, and they
still fire up fine.
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

catman > wrote:

> >> I'd grab some more HTs as well, depending on when they were last replaced.
> >
> > Dunno. Not since I've had it anyway.
> >
> > Have you looked at the price of a set of leads for a TSpark lump?
>
> Ahh, yes might be rather more than the old 116 was. Then again, you
> should try the V6 leads for really eye watering prices.

It's not so much the cost of the leads, it's the fact that you need 8 of
them.

> >> Problem is it good really be anything. Have you got some of those light
> >> up spark plug testers?
> >
> > No. I could do with one.
>
> You could borrow mine if you didn't live in another country

I'm sure they're cheap enough to buy.

> > ISTR the plugs in a 75 are all identical? - just later 16v cars had
> > different sized plugs.
>
> TBH I have no idea

I'm sure they are. However, they're not *that* old - just over 2 years,
but not a huge amount of mileage. Still worth looking at, though.

> >> Also, you should try (using *INSULATED* pliers, DAMHIKIJFDOK) removing
> >> the HT lead from each plug in turn while idling. Each *should* have an
> >> effect, if one of them doesn't then that's your problem.
> >
> > Yes, I just can't really be arsed with all that fiddling ;-)
>
> Get a man in then

Nah, I want to get it running properly before the man comes to take it
away to do the bodywork.

> >> Personally I reckon it's fuelling. How long has that fuel been in there?
> >
> > Hmmmm. About 3 months - it was in daily use until I got the company car.
>
> Could be it, possibly
>
> OTOH the Sprint and 116 have been laid up for over a year now, and they
> still fire up fine.

Yup - it's not likely to be petrol, IME. I'll start with the dizzy cap
and rotor arm and take it from there. The leads don't actually *appear*
to be ****ed.
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

SteveH wrote:
> catman > wrote:
>
>>>> I'd grab some more HTs as well, depending on when they were last replaced.
>>> Dunno. Not since I've had it anyway.
>>>
>>> Have you looked at the price of a set of leads for a TSpark lump?
>> Ahh, yes might be rather more than the old 116 was. Then again, you
>> should try the V6 leads for really eye watering prices.
>
> It's not so much the cost of the leads, it's the fact that you need 8 of
> them.

Well that would make it £26 IIRC

>>>> Problem is it good really be anything. Have you got some of those light
>>>> up spark plug testers?
>>> No. I could do with one.
>> You could borrow mine if you didn't live in another country
>
> I'm sure they're cheap enough to buy.

Indeed so


>>> ISTR the plugs in a 75 are all identical? - just later 16v cars had
>>> different sized plugs.
>> TBH I have no idea
>
> I'm sure they are. However, they're not *that* old - just over 2 years,
> but not a huge amount of mileage. Still worth looking at, though.
>
>>>> Also, you should try (using *INSULATED* pliers, DAMHIKIJFDOK) removing
>>>> the HT lead from each plug in turn while idling. Each *should* have an
>>>> effect, if one of them doesn't then that's your problem.
>>> Yes, I just can't really be arsed with all that fiddling ;-)
>> Get a man in then
>
> Nah, I want to get it running properly before the man comes to take it
> away to do the bodywork.

Pah, you want it all ways, innit?

>>>> Personally I reckon it's fuelling. How long has that fuel been in there?
>>> Hmmmm. About 3 months - it was in daily use until I got the company car.
>> Could be it, possibly
>>
>> OTOH the Sprint and 116 have been laid up for over a year now, and they
>> still fire up fine.
>
> Yup - it's not likely to be petrol, IME. I'll start with the dizzy cap
> and rotor arm and take it from there. The leads don't actually *appear*
> to be ****ed.

They never do, until you strip them off and look at the new ones....
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk