Fuel starvation (403)

[UHT405]

Could well be fuel starvation as others have suggesrted (I've had that happen too) but don't forget the condenser - a weak condenser can give exactly similar effects, the engine will start (sometimes) but the condenser breaks down when the engine is under load, shorting out the LT electrics. It's an easy one to check out, just in case.....

Good luck - these things can be very frustrating to get to the bottom of....!

[Bellerophon]

Peter, Check your distributor points to make sure they have not closed up, this is likely to be the most likely fault.

My regards,
Bellerophon

[peterg]

To clarify a little, I was at the bottom of the hill (not very steep) in traffic traveling, slowly at low revs.

Had the car tuned yesterday. Southern Carbs said there was little wrong. There was a slight ovality of the (butterfly?) spindles which allowed a little air past at low revs which causes a little hunting. 3 & 4 pots are burning oil which they thought was causing the mis fires and the clutch is dragging.

A new MG B clutch has been fitted. It doesn't bite until the end of travel which I am not very keen on, but I am told that is the way of modern clutches. When disengaged engine revs drop by some 300 revs.

The engine was reassembled with new rings and the clutch fitted coming on for a 1,000 miles ago. It has been carefully run in with occasional squirts upto 3,000 and then 4,000 revs latterly.

Regards, Peter

[GREG]

Start with replacing the cheap bits that can cause this sort of problem. Condenser, fuel filter, points and electrical connections and move onto the other suggestions until all is well.

Normally the last thing you try that fixes it :-)

[Janne]

I would first check the spark plugs, to see how the engine runs. Too rich fuel/air mixture?