First I want to thank everyone for their inputs/suggestions.
Getting back into it this weekend I still pursued the "fuel" strategy before going on to electrics.
Before taking it out I checked the dashpots for oil and found them drier then ever. I refilled and took on road test and for first 2 miles it ran flawlessly while the time before it was terrible. I pushed the test a bit further and it started to act up, not as bad but starting to do the same thing so I headed home. I Checked the dashpots and found them empty again. I filled them and watched as the oil level slipped away!I've never seen this in 23 years with the car.
Anyone know what is going on? Is the remedy major carb issues or is there some simple item that has gone and will keep the oil in longer?
xkmeister
Submitted by mcload@ev1.net on Thu, 07/22/2004 - 11:53
Well, I'll put in my 2 cents. Look at your fuel tank cap to see if it has a tiny vent hole at the top. Often times, this hole can become obstructed or plugged by wax or polishing compond. This creates a vacuum that the pump cannot work against after a few miles. When your car starts acting up, loosen or remove the gas cap. Does the problem go away?
Second, are you using the right oil in your dashpots, and are you possibly over-filling them? The correct procedure (at least for an SU HD-8 carb) is to fill the dashpots just to the point where there is resistance (from the oil) just before the dampers engage in the threads. Filling the dashpots and pushing down on the dampers to screw them down will result in over-flow. If they still drain with the proper level of oil, then remove the dashpot and try to determe from where the oil is leaking out. Offhand, I don't know from where they could be leaking as it's been awhile since removing my carbs.
Patrick McLoad
1966 E-Type, Right-hand Drive Roadster
#1E1445, 2002 C5 National Champ