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MG TD TF 1500 - flummoxed

What happened to flummoxed? Did you get the car started?
Ron Coates

Long story, Ron, and thank you for your concern.

The TD is located at my wife's home, 300 miles away (warm safe garage!), so I only get to work on it once a month for several hours.

Leading up to the 'problem' it began to fire intermittently. Right now it will fire occasionally, say four or six decent pops, but still will not run, or even fire again.

To date I have checked the floats and one float was flooded, so they were both replaced, made sure the jets were clear and cleaned out the float bowls. Both of the fuel pumps work and there is fuel in the carbs. Checked the timing, points and gap, the HT leads, new plugs and checked the spark plug gap. There is a spark but it could be 'weak'.

My main focus has been on fuel, however I now suspect (as almost the last hope) the coil for the weak spark, so my next job is to check the resistances of the two coil circuits and plan for a coil transplant on the next visit.

All thoughts and reflections on experience are still most welcome.

IanB
Ian Bowers

I assume you are using fresh fuel?

Matthew.
Matthew Magilton

Ian,

You made no mention of having checked the condenser, this may be the cause of you weak spark.
The best way to test it is by subsitutation. You don't need to unsolder the existing one, just remove the strap from the low tension wire and the condensor, attach two crocodile clips to a new one and clip it between the low tension wire on the outside of the distributor and ground.

John
J Scragg

Put in a new red rotor...there are a bunch of bad rotors out there....the one in my TC shorted out
Terry
Terry Sanders

As Lew Palmer is wont to say " 90 percent of all fuel problems in a T car are electrical in nature." I to was haveing some(fuel)problems and it turned out to be timing and coil troubles.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

Thank you all for your advice.

I will drain the fuel tank (the mower seems to run on anything!)

I had understood that the condenser was there to reduce the spark erosion on the points, and of itself was not a vital component. I have a 'spare' so that is next.

A red rotor has been there for some time, so hopefully this is not the cause of the problem, but I will do a swap to see if there is any benefit; all things fail in time, some just take longer!

As you can see my focus has been on the spark, (checking the coil is next on the list) but after that failed to solve the problem, I turned to the fuel and at least found the flooded float.

I will report back after the next visit.

Many thanks for your guidance

IanB
Ian Bowers

and as an aside 'flummoxed' is a word from a lost UK dialect, still used in a few UK areas, including parts of East Cheshire where I and my wifes families came from, so we both thought it was in general use.

Meaning: frustrated, utterly puzzled and confused

IanB
Ian Bowers

Ian,

That "f" word is still used here or at least I grew up knowing and using it on the east coast. Maybe it's my English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish roots.

Regards,
Jim (occasionally flummoxed by my TD)
James Neel TD28423

Ian,
I decided to name my car Mobius for its never ending need of attention. Flummoxed was my second choice.
Mort
Mort TD 1851

This thread was discussed between 22/06/2011 and 24/06/2011

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