Crypty Enduro Up-date for Russ

[Tinster]

Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

<span style="color: #990000">Russ, you suggested-</span>If I were you (And I`m not), I would`nt go on this adventure your about to encounter until something else "Really" breaks down inside your garage or even closer to home!
You did say you have a bad "Ticker" or something; Correct?
Russ.

<span style="color: #660000">Heart's just fine; bad lungs have I.

I'm taking yer advice Russ and making many test drives until
something major once again breaks down. I've also got a professional
check list of items to sort out before we try
the cross island Enduro.

Today I took a 3 hour test drive that covered just over
100 miles driven. That now makes 900+ miles driven since
last major breakdown. The car was running sweet at 60 mph
when a cloud burst looked about to break. I put up the top,
that doesn't leak all THAT badly, and pressed onward.

The sky belched water, I slowed to about 25 mph but after
maybe five minutes of this deluge, the engine began to sputter
and kick badly. I knew if it died, I was looking at a 50 mile
flatbed ride home.

Blasting water from the sky, no visibility, wonderful TR6
wipers doing nothing; so I am feathering the gas pedal,
feathering the clutch and going between 1st and 2nd to keep the engine alive.

My buddy Tony always tells me "Drive thru it!"
So I did. 4-ways blinking, I pulled a U-turn on the expressway
and started creeping home, in the shoulder, at about 15 mph,
still in the deluge.

45 minutes of shoulder creeping later, I can see blue sky
head. The rain stops but the engine continues to stumble badly, unless I fuss with the pedals.

Ever so slowly the engine evens out and regains it's usual
rhythum until I'm back doing 60 mph.

So I ALMOST broke down but didn't. Anyone able to
explain rain driving in a TR6. This was my first real experience.

thanks,

dale</span>

 

[TR6oldtimer]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

More then likely, your plug caps, plug wires, or distributor cap was getting water on them, not enough to shut you down, but enough to cause your symptom.

 

[Brosky]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Dale,

You can look at the inside of the cap and see if you have any residue from moisture.

I received an email from my website today. There is a young man in PR that is buying a TR6 from another location and having it shipped in. You will now be the official "Senior Advisor/Technician" on the island.

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Today I took a 3 hour test drive that covered just over
100 miles driven.

First of all, Dale, that was <span style="font-weight: bold">NOT</span> a test drive!! That was a <span style="font-weight: bold">DRIVE</span>, plain & simple....<span style="font-weight: bold">STOP CALLING THEM "TEST DRIVES"!</span>

My buddy Tony always tells me "Drive thru it!"
So I did. 4-ways blinking, I pulled a U-turn on the expressway
and started creeping home, in the shoulder, at about 15 mph,
still in the deluge.

"Driving through it" means slamming the gas pedal to the floor & making the damned thing straighten out or break! Then you can determine what caused the problem!

More then likely, your plug caps, plug wires, or distributor cap was getting water on them, not enough to shut you down, but enough to cause your symptom.

Yep, I agree with Ray....have you put that new distributor cap on Crypty? If so, then the only thing left in that system that you've not changed since Banjo, Mickey or I were down there are the plug wires! Even if you have changed them, you've pulled on them enough that you may have cracked/broken/damaged one....time to look at them closely.

Remember: Crypty needs to know that you trust him...tell him you're going on a "drive" not a "test drive"! Do you want me to come down there & make the 'cross island Enduro' for you? You'll never forgive yourself if I do it!

 

[Brosky]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

"Kick the tires and light the fires"......

Great line from Harry Connick, Jr. to Will Smith and the flight crew in Independence Day.

 

[Tinster]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Dale,


I received an email from my website today. There is a young man in PR that is buying a TR6 from another location and having it shipped in. You will now be the official "Senior Advisor/Technician" on the island.

<span style="color: #660000">Paul,

Let us hope DPO Pedro's drinking pals don't get to the lad first.

Anything I can do to help, you know I will.

d </span>

 

[jlaird]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Had to be water on spark plug cables or inside dizzy. Must have been a heck of a rain.

 

[poolboy]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Dale, did you find that the poor running to be coincidental with turning on the lights and using the wipers ? Did it start running better as soon as you reduced the electrical load ?

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Dale, did you find that the poor running to be coincidental with turning on the lights and using the wipers ? Did it start running better as soon as you reduced the electrical load ?

Ooooh - good catch!!

 

[Tinster]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Dale, did you find that the poor running to be coincidental with turning on the lights and using the wipers ? Did it start running better as soon as you reduced the electrical load ?

<span style="color: #990000">Nope and Nope.

It really was a micro-squall with drenching rain and the road flooded
maybe 2 inch depth. Wipers and lights had been on quite a bit before
the problem suddenly happened.

I was still using wipers and had lights on when the problem slowly went
away. In my dim way, I guessed water got splashed up into the engine
compartment and was buggering up the ignition, somehow. Then maybe the
engine heat dried the water and the ignition went back to normal.

To be on the safe side- while doing about 50 mph, I put the car in neutral
and shut down the engine. Still in neutral, the engine cranked right up.

Is there perhaps some splash guard my car might be missing?

thanks all,

d</span>

 

[poolboy]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

It might be a good idea to take along a can of Water Displacing Forty (WD-40) in case you encounter another monsoon and the engine completely dies.

 

[hilsideser]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

(spray the wires?)

 

[Tomster]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Can you spray the underside and inside the cap w/o issue?
We will assume dusting of spray only.

 

[poolboy]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

I never cared much for spraying anything inside the cap. Usually if moisture is an issue there, it condenses onto the dome of the cap. I have blotted the inside dry with a rag or paper towel.

 

[swift6]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

WD40 works a treat for this though.

 

[poolboy]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Reminds me of the time I cleaned the inside of a dizzy with starting fluid, because I wanted it to dry fast.
I don't guess I waited long enough. First time I ever heard a distributor explode.

 

[weewillie]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Dale wait until dark and you are at home then open the hood and spray the wires cap and plugs with water from a spray bottle and if there is a problem with them you should see them sparking. just my 2 cents worth (1.5 canadian)

 

[Tinster]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Dale wait until dark and you are at home then open the hood and spray the wires cap and plugs with water from a spray bottle and if there is a problem with them you should see them sparking. just my 2 cents worth (1.5 canadian)

<span style="color: #000099">NOW you tell me this!!

Yes, Tony the blue Moss plug wires were 13 months of age.
Yes, Tony the dizzy cap is brand new as you recommended.

Tony!! Thanks for the heads-up on the plug wires. Never
would have crossed my mind they might be worn out.
I purchased a new, heavy duty, set of plug wires this morning.


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I gutted the entire ignition system today except for the
plugs and dizzy itself. I am in the middle of installing
all new parts. Hopefully any part(s) damaged by the rain
are being be replaced and will meet the challenge of the
cross island Enduro, in the event of rain in the rain forest
portion of the run..

Odd though, the car fired right up this morning, warmed up
correctly and drove very strong until I shut it down.
I saw no water stains inside the dizzy cap, but I'll install
a new one to be safe.

regards,

dale
</span>

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Hopefully any part(s) damaged by the rain [/QUOTE]
Rain didn't damage anything, Dale!

Why do you always 'gut the entire system' & 'install all new parts'? You'll never figure out what your problem is that way!

Most probably, 1 thing got wet & caused your problem & you'll never know what it was until it does it again (on the other side of the island)...we're all pointing towards the most obvious things & you need to check each of them - <span style="font-weight: bold">not arbitrarily replace them</span> - before moving on to the odd issues.

Heck, it could've been somewhere else altogether that some water got into the wiring harness - nowhere near anything you've worked on today!

I've got an idea: let's just jack it up & run a new car under it! (Yes, I'm being sarcastic on purpose & Dale understands why!)

 

[Tinster]

Re: Crypty Enduro Update for Russ

Hey, Hey, Hey Tony!!!

I have not a clue how to diagnose individual pieces
in the ignition system. And there ain't no Triumph
mechanics within 1,300 miles of me.

What choice do I really have, other than replace the
entire kit & kaboodle?

You know how many times I've been broken down and you
know how much I detest riding home on a flatbed tow truck.
You also know my auto mechanical skills are about zero.

How else should a non-mechanic approach breakdowns?

Yesterday scared me half to death. A failing engine;
in a blinding rain squall; 50 miles from home and a
no signal cell phone area as well.

Including the new battery- less than $300 for peace of mind.
I really have no other option.

What would you do under similar circumstances?
I'm more than open for suggestions.

as always,

d