Re: 74 Spider -- runs great 'til it's HOT and then KAPUT ! ! !

["Paul Irvine" <pi@domain.elided>]

 Tim

I haven't been following this thread so you may have already gotten the
answer. I had this exact same problem with my '72 Spider many years ago. It
would start and run fine until it got warm and then it would start to buck
and sputter and eventually quit. After spending a couple of Franklins on
parts (points, plugs, rotor, condenser, cap, wires, fuel filters and a new
fuel pump) I still had the same problem.

So one day I drove it around the block until it started to act up then
nursed it back into the garage. I first wanted to make sure that fuel was
getting delivered to the SPICA unit so I turned on the ignition and let the
fuel pump run. It was then that I noticed this gurgling noise coming from
the fuel tank.

To make a long story short: the problem was a two dollar piece of fuel line
from the tank to the fuel pump inlet. It was split and cracked and although
it never leaked fuel out (that I could notice) it caused air to get sucked
into the fuel lines after the line got warmed up by the exhaust pipe. At
least that's my theory. I replaced that line plus all of the other rubber
fuel line segments in the system and never had the problem again.

Paul Irvine - Antioch CA
Project Alfa - http://home.pcmagic.net/pi


> the car starts fine, runs great, and everything's hunky-dory until the red
> beast gist to around 175 deg and then it's "all downhill from there".  It
> starts chugging and hesitating and generally begins hatin' life until it
> stalls completely and says "screw this crap, I'm done"   - - -  it's at
> that > point I glide the Alfa-turned-glider into its parking spot.
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided