Bad timing

[Great War truck]

As you may know the changeover from leaded to unleaded has been bad for the FWD. It starts ok, and runs fine for a little while, but then becomes utterly gutless and sounds like a milk churn full of spanners rolling down a flight of stairs. However, a change back to leaded solves the problem instantly.

 

So we have tried:

mixing unleaded with paraffin

Fitting an external fuel pipe in case the petrol was getting too hot

Changing the jet on the carb.

 

None of this has worked. The next suggestion is to adjust the timing. Now as the thing runs fine with leaded, is it feasible that the timing would need to be changed for unleaded? Chapter 8 ("Troubles and remedies") of the manual for the Motor Supply Train (pub 1918) would suggest that this is a good remedy for the symptoms we are suffering. What are the thoughts of this most knowledgable band of brothers?

 

Tim (too)

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Hi Catweazel,

 

what problems did Lord B have with his ferret?

 

I added the fuel catalyst to my Ferret at the weekend, but have not started her up just yet. I'll be interested to see if it makes any difference

 

Mick

The main problem was i believe vaporisation of the fuel,also condensation due to standing around a lot.We added the morrisis and another one cant remember the name,this holds the water in suspension,reset the ignition back to standard and so far all ok i believe.

[Old Bill]

Well, on Sunday morning, we had another go. I made up an external fuel pipe which runs outside the engine box and just comes inside next to the carburettor. We cranked the engine up and it fired easily and ran, a bit rough to start but soon settled down. We didn't have time to go out apart from which it was pretty wet out so we just let it idle in the garage until it was properly warm and then switched off. After some few minutes to let the heat get through, I had another swing and it started again with little trouble. Fingers are now crossed that we have nailed that problem and we can go out on the road again, thank goodness.

 

Incidentally, Tim has been looking through the old post cards and has found that nearly every one shows the lorries running without the engine covers. Also, our own lorry arrived with the top halves of the covers cut off so there may be a clue there that the overheating problem was a common one!

 

This exercise has proven to be quite an education!

 

Steve

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Thats good news lets hope you have trouble free season.If things didnt go wrong we would never learn anything.Plus we wouldnt have anything to moan about.:-D

[Degsy]

.If things didnt go wrong we would never learn anything.Plus we wouldnt have anything to moan about.:-D

 

You wanna bet?:-D

 

To be serious good to hear its running better and hope you have now effected a permanent cure.