elby on the rise

[AlanN]

Is the vacuum OK to the dizzy... give a quick stuck on the pipe with the cap off and make sure the actuator arm is moving!

[AlanN]

I forgot to say, is the timing OK, could be advancing itself out of range if too far advanced

[rover]

No dizzy Alan, it should be on coil packs....

One of them is breaking down under load

Buy one, if it dont cure it first time swap the other one with the one you just removed.

[AlanN]

Whoops, forgot it was a DOHC

[gravelrash2004]

Thanks for the help responses

I checked the coil pack out with a "spare" from a scrappy and it made no improvement. had a chat with my local trustworthy garage and his first thought was a possible partial blockage in the fuel lines. So i put a full botttle of injector cleaner in and took it for a 20mile gentle run in an attempt to clean the injector. alas no real improvement.

So i have very reluctantly dropped it off with said garage to stick it on the magic code reading machine and see what results come back.

I will post the results and what it took to fix it on here.

[rover]

In that case I'll take a guess at the MAF.

[gravelrash2004]

Dont you just love it.... the garage i took it to told me his code reader wouldnt read it properly all it came back with was "fuelling error".

I have now arranged to take it the the Transit Centre and see what they can tell me

The mystery deepens!

[rover]

I'm still with the MAF

[gravelrash2004]

I'm still with the MAF

Tried to find a MAF today in Wolverhampton, no joy.... so i disconnected the MAF and no difference to running....hmmmmmmm looks like you are on the nail with this one

i had a suggestion that it may be an idea to check the compression on the beast as well... tried to find any information on the pressure ranges of the engine in my van and no luck.

So here are my values (dry)

1 - 165
2 -180
3 -180
4 - 210

are these within range of the correct values? Will hammer the phone again tomorrow to find a MAF lots of fords in the scrappys but i dont know what alternative vehicle its on.... usuall get a "no transits mate" on the phone

[Altransit]

i dont know what alternative vehicle its on.... usuall get a "no transits mate" on the phone

The DOHC was fitted to a lot of the '90s Sierras and Granadas, and the frogeye Scorpio.
Those compressions do't look very good to me, I was always told that they should be within about 10% of each other on a good engine.

BTW, I would go with one of Rovers guesses any day

[Luke]

1 - 165
2 -180
3 -180
4 - 210

are these within range of the correct values?

did you do them 1-2-3-4 or 4-3-2-1 just sometimes the battery starts to go flatter as you do them giving a false reading oftern i do them then back to the 1st 1 as a comparison to see how the batterys holding up
and check you have it screwed it right on no.1 (with no leaks) - the 165 is a bit low
try it again with a couple of squirts of oil down the bores and see if it makes much difference to the readings

[rover]

Yeah you really need to do back to backs with a compression test.

I hate those screw in jobies, I've got a long stemmed push in one for DOHC and Zetec engines(and many others nowadays), the only prob is you need someone to turn the key for you It does seem to be a lot more reliable than either of my screw in ones though

[gravelrash2004]

Thankyou for the model information, i know have much more to go on in my search for a MAF.

I did do the test in the order 4-3-2-1. After reading you comments about the battery i have stuck it on charge overnight and will try again with the order 1-2-3-4 and see what i come up with.

I will have fun getting the oil in the plug-holes. What i dont like about the engine bay layout is the side where you want to get to most is the one where everything seems to sit A nuisance but all part of the fun i suppose

I am using a screw in compression device as thats all i have, I have a great set of tools for classic vespa and lambretta scooters. but not a lot for big stuff. Talking of scooters i got a mention in the latest issue of Classic Scooterist Scene after a scooter i spannered back together was featured

Will keep you posted with how things pan out. hopefully it is a case of low power to the battery and not worn rings or bore. Those arent jobs i am fancying at the moment!

Cheers all and will post an update saturday afternoon(ish)

[gravelrash2004]

I eventually got a MAF for an M reg 2.0 mondeo i think it was,may have been granada. anyway. i got the unit home and too my old one off..... visually they are similar and then i noticed the diameter of the collar that the air hose fastens onto was much smaller on the one i had picked up for £10.

After a few choice words. i came up with the idea to just change the black boxes on each casting over... bit of penetrating fluid and drilling one cap head off later the old one was off and the replacement ready to go.

We noticed that one of the two wires on the "black sensor unit" from mine had a broken wire! I also realised that the black box units wer different code numbers. but they looked as though they were the same dimensions, so i thought !in for a penny in for a pound!"

Connected the now "wheeler dealered" unit back together and after a few minutes whilst it sorted itself out i went for a drive The van was behaving much more like i expected, took it for a blast on the motorway and it made the speeds i expected it to do. Indicated 70+mph with some more left. Its not a rocket getting there but it never was!

I can now buy a new replacement MAF unit with confidence that this is a faulty. Many thanks Rover.

Todays job is to recheck the compression.

More updates as they happen

[gravelrash2004]

Retested the compression ratios and it was the same with or without oil.

am i looking at valves? and is it as well to do the rings as well at teh same time.

its done 114000 on petrol/gas