Gen1 Series3 in trouble need help

[Mervin]

hello I\'m a newbe in need of help with merv. been off the road for a year now and I\'d like to have some fun in him again:driving. here\'s the problem, before i took it off the road he would\'nt tick over unless you held the throttle at 2000rpm. when driving it was lumpy and would only drive semi normal if it was on full throttle nightmare in the wet cos he\'d splutter then stop but about 5 mins after would run again although with the same troubles. it had a rebuilt engine 4000 miles before i got it so i\'m guessing that its ok, i changed the coil packs for some other used but good ones and still the same, also changed the distributor, plugs, fuel filter, ht leads and ignitors but still the same. could the problem be the carb? if this is the case i\'ve been offered one for 70 quid but here\'s the problem, 70 quid, will it fix the problem? if so i\'ve spent the money getting it running champion but would that money be better spent uprating it? thanks for your help, phil.

[antnicuk]

i would do a compression test before you do anything else to check the engine.

[David Nock (RIP)]

I think that\'s right to Comp Test if you don\'t know the engine. Remember that a normal tester can break tip seals if it protrudes too far into the rotor chambers. There are proper rotary testing units, normally owned by specialists though.

You might want to navigate yourself into the 1st Generation Section on this Forum and read all the posts by A7RXY on the most recent 2 pages in there. He has done a lot of replacement of parts like you, as you will read.
 
He is now back to suspecting the carb and is getting a 2nd hand one to try out, since a rebuilt unit still seems to be causing a problem on his car.

Regards Dave.

[Mervin]

thanks guys I live just outside Durham not sure if theres any specialists local and as he\'s been off the road a year it probably won\'t be very cost effective to ship anywhere. always a catch twenty two these things keep chucking money on random things in the hope it\'ll fix it, spend more than the cars worth getting the job done properly at a specialist or leave it in your garage for so long you lose interest and the little jobs mount up to big jobs that won\'t get done and another one gets binned :reallymad.

[David Nock (RIP)]

OK then, if you\'re careful you can do a very rough comp test with your thumb on the spark plug holes.
Also the recent advice for the other owner was to try and source a 2nd hand carb from a known good running engine which it seems you\'re doing. Donavan (Guest on here) is breaking 2 1st Generation cars, a Series 3 and a Series 2. He is near you in Northumberland somewhere.
Also Hindle Autos in Hartlepool were breaking a Series 3 about a year ago.

I can find numbers for them if you need them.

By the way, I keep a register of 1st Gen cars and I wonder if you\'re on there already. I\'ve a Black Series 3 and a Yellow S3 in the Newcastle/Durham area plus a White Series 2 and a Metallic Blue S2 in the same areas. That\'s all I\'ve got as running/SORN cars in the North East.

[Mervin]

I\'ll give that a go cheers, can I do this turning the engine over manualy or would i have to have it running? i think it was donovan who i contacted via ebay user name basilbrusheshoose wanting 70 quid for the carb, i\'d be tempted with the whole engine but he\'s asking £250 for it, probably a bargain I dunno but xmass is looming so not a good time of year for me. my mazda "merv" is on a sorn and is silver and looks like this:
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt72/mrdangermouse/IMGP0961.jpg
 
photo taken at south shields

[David Nock (RIP)]

Hi Phil. The health and safety guys would have a fit, but If I really had to I\'d spin the engine on the starter with all plugs out and try to feel with my thumb for 3 regular \'poof-poof-poof\' from each rotor as the lobes turn past inside. That could give a very rough guide as to the engine if say one rotor is good and one is poor.
Obviously it can\'t start up with plugs out but DO make sure you keep loose clothing out of the way and replace the leads in the correct order afterwards or disaster will strike.

I know Mervin, he\'s an old friend. Last seen in West Yorkshire. He\'s gone to the seaside for his hols then. I thought I knew the seafront as well - friends in Burnopfield.

I\'ve re located Merv on my register so there\'s 3 Series 3\'s in Durham/Newcastle now.
Thanks for that mate.

[Mervin]

I know Mervin, he\'s an old friend. Last seen in West Yorkshire. He\'s gone to the seaside for his hols then. I thought I knew the seafront as well - friends in Burnopfield.
 
I\'ve re located Merv on my register so there\'s 3 Series 3\'s in Durham/Newcastle now.
Thanks for that mate.[/quote]
 
cool I\'m chuffed you know the car and he did come from your neck of the woods. the wife chose the name he was very nearly a vernon but she stuck with merv. she\'s asking if he was always called merv? oh aye she\'s a nutter alright lol. Burnopfield is just up the hill from me I live in nettlesworth 2 mile out of chester-le-street. i\'m trying to sweet talk the wife into letting me buy the complete engine to throw in but like I said tis nearly christmas, i\'ve got too many cars and an 8 week old baby girl so it won\'t be easy but i\'d like him back out on the road again :rolleyes:.

[David Nock (RIP)]

cool I\'m chuffed you know the car and he did come from your neck of the woods. the wife chose the name he was very nearly a vernon but she stuck with merv. she\'s asking if he was always called merv? oh aye she\'s a nutter alright lol. Burnopfield is just up the hill from me I live in nettlesworth 2 mile out of chester-le-street. i\'m trying to sweet talk the wife into letting me buy the complete engine to throw in but like I said tis nearly christmas, i\'ve got too many cars and an 8 week old baby girl so it won\'t be easy but i\'d like him back out on the road again :rolleyes:.

I don\'t think the previous owners knew his real name was Mervin. Your wife did just by undergoing mind-fluence with him. My wife knew our car was Gus as soon as she set eyes on him.

Mervin is a bit more Bad Ass than Vernon as well. The wheels I think?

Hmmm....Chester-le-Street eh? I had some petrol siphoned out of my Ford Consul on a dark night in 1965, in bloody No Place. My friends are sick of my still ranting about it as we pass No Place on the Stanley Road.:Talking1

[Mervin]

I don\'t think the previous owners knew his real name was Mervin. Your wife did just by undergoing mind-fluence with him. My wife knew our car was Gus as soon as she set eyes on him.
 
Mervin is a bit more Bad Ass than Vernon as well. The wheels I think?
 
Hmmm....Chester-le-Street eh? I had some petrol siphoned out of my Ford Consul on a dark night in 1965, in bloody No Place. My friends are sick of my still ranting about it as we pass No Place on the Stanley Road.:Talking1

 
you were lucky to be left your car up there, never known a more aptly named village sell good beer there but it\'s definately a local pub for local people.