Electrics, fuel system, under bonnet temp.

[why]

I have been at the DIY British Car antics for over forty years. No formal training but actually enjoy the challenge of staring at the thing and with the little knowledge I have trying to figure it out and using a logical sequential plan isolating the true reason for the symptom. Having owned the '65 Healey 3000 for thirty years, I was well aware when I bought it that the bottom surface of the gas tank was full of warts made of some type of "weld-putty", including surrounding the drain bolt head.
A few months ago about 1 mile down hill from home it would start to cut out, by pumping on the throttle I was able to drive uphill and home. The thought was the steep down hill allowed the grunge in the gas tank to clog the intake. So $200 later I had installed a new gas tank, it seemed to run well for a week or so then same thing. Hmm, the old saying that in UK cars was you think is a fuel delivery issue is probably really electrics. Well what the H a coil is less than a gas tank, so on it went and no help. I then realized that the cutting out only started after a few minutes of driving. So under the bonnet heat may be the culprit. I recalled from many years ago such a thing on this forum when I was going through the same cutting out that it was a bad condenser. sure enough a new condenser and all is well. My rev counter was always a thousand or so too high once the engine warmed up, remembered on forum this being a possibly weak coil. Sure enough when I started to pay attention to rpm it was now correct, presumably from the new coil.
so in fact there is at times a reason for old sayings, in this case what you think is fuel delivery usually ends up electrics. Also replace not the most expensive thing first, but the cheapest.
Jay '65 3000

 

[BJ8Healeys]

Jay, you have a private message.

 

[roscoe]

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth". Sherlock was not wrong when he uttered this. The problem is that with these dang vehicles there is so much possible to be investigated that by the time you get to the improbable truth, all you can do is slap your forehead and wonder why you didn't go there first. My method is, like your lost keys always being in the last place you look, just look there first. The electrical being more likley than fuel is just because there are more points of gremlin entry than in the fuel system. Although gremlins first became known to aviators in the 1920s, they hit their peak during WW II. When the European theater calmed down after VE day there were more gremlins than there was opportunity to cause mayhem. Their guild was resourceful and soon made note of the growing British sports car popularity. The cars kept them so busy many of the young gremlins never touched an aircraft. Among the reclusive creatures the most popular given name is Lucas.

 

[John Turney]

Also replace not the most expensive thing first, but the cheapest.
Jay '65 3000

Wise words.

Replacing items until you replace the defective one is sometimes called "Easter Egging."