TR6 TR6 Sputter and Gas

[teeslounge]

My 75 usually purrs like a cat - however yesterday, whilst skipping work in 70 degrees, I downshifted and the engine started making a sputtering noise as though she wanted to backfire (she didn't) and then I smelled gas. I also noticed the pitch of the engine changed....she just sounded wrong. Any ideas for me to consider? I'm new here, and not much of a mechanic - but I have a good one up the road a piece. T.

 

[Guest]

Hello Tee and welcome to the forum.

Need more info. What condition is your TR6 in? Is she stock? How long since any components were overhauled?
Specifically start looking at things like sticking floats in the carbs. Sounds like a fuel problem, are there any gasoline leaks, especially under or around the bottom of either carb, assuming that they are Strombergs?
Does she idle well and/or is she difficult to start when cold, does she run on when shut down? Again, sounds fuelish to me.

Do some simple diagnostics and evaluate if your car is in top running order. Of course, if you have a good mechanic that you can trust, make a pass to see what he says. Good LBC mechanics that are not "parts changers" are invaluable for mechanically challenged owners.

Keep us posted.


Bill

 

[TR4nut]

Yep, very much sounds like a float or carb problem as Bill says. I had same on my TR4 2 weeks ago, lower pitch/no power was sign of flooding, strong gas smell. For me it was more obvious because I also had gas gushing out of the rear carb which had the bad float/stuck open valve. Disassembly of the lower bowl revealed that the float had come lose - the pivot pin was installed incorrectly by the previous owner evidently and had backed off the pivot post.

Unlikely to be your specific problem (unless you had the same previous owner!), but I'd look at your carbs first.

Randy

 

[BobSands]

I'll be the "contrarian"...check the points and rotor. After chasing carb problems, more years than I like to admit, I've decided,...when in doubt, it's easier to check the electrical stuff first.
Let us know what the final resolution is...
Take care Bob

 

[AltaKnight]

Check all the hoses are in place, there's a small one underneath the rear carb that falls off easily, make sure you have oil in the carb dashpots (thats the 2 black screw things on the top of the ZS carbs)
A 1975 TR6 has more emissions plumbing that can come loose or go wrong, so check all those hoses first.
Good luck and let us know how you made out.

 

[hondo402000]

If something changes on an instant, then I think Graham is on the right track, something has come loose. Open the hood and just take a look, follow hoses, fuel lines, vacumme lines, its got to be obivous, Dont start changing things, and dont mess with the carbs if at all possible, that always got me in trouble. I dont think its the oil in the dash pots mine ran ok with out oil just runs richer. Is your fuel filter clogged? trash in the carbs?

 

[LastDeadLast]

I had nearly the exact same thing happen to me... just like Bill said, it turned out to be a stuck float.

 

[RomanH]

Same here with the stuck float last Sunday. Ended up with a puddle of gas on the floor of my garage under the rear carb.
Replaced needle valve and seat, reset the float level and everything is back to normal. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[teeslounge]

here's the latest. My "trusted" mechanic suspects cap and rotor and sees evidence of fouled plugs. Says carbs are perfect (stombergs, original). i did look at the cap and the rotors, and admit, they look pretty used up. gapping was off and some of the points are chewed to the nub. Thanks all for your generous advice, I will ask about the floats, but he does insist ignition is to blame. Other than that, my buggy is one of the best I've seen. She aint perfect, but she's darn close.