cap & rotor...

Subject:

Comments:
: The shop was right; although MSD is the ultimate ststem, if you're only replacing the cap & rotor, the mallory is fine. I have a Mallory cap on mine with factory "Duraspark-II" electronic ignition ('74-'77). The pretty red color makes 5-extra horsepower (scary!)... : : Thanks for the how to on the EGR. The car (and I!) are both old enough to evade emissions invasion. I installed a new dist cap and rotor (Mallory, the shop reccomended it over Msd for price/performance ratio)I have a new point, but there was not enough light to work by. : : It is no longer belching back into the breather, but still backfiring. I'm going to try capping the vacuum into the EGR today, and if this doesn't help I'll hock my guitar and take a trip to the mechanic. Maybe I can get him to check the timing for a reasonable price. : : BTW Stephan, if you read this, EGR would mak a great FAQ topic. : : : Make sure there are no leaks FIRST, then use a vacuum source (manifold vacuum works fine) and watch the "rod" that goes from the diaphram into the "spacer", it should 'pull out' when vacumm is applied, and the idle will "stumble". It will "push" back in when the vacuum is removed and the idle should "smooth" out. This verifies that it "operates" only, if the passages inside it are clogged and dirty it must be removed and cleaned. DISCLAIMER "Tampering with or removal of Pollution Control Equipment is unlawful", that said, T. L. is correct (of course!) that it does 'reduce' the performance of your engine. Removing it and replacing it with a similar height spacer will eliminate the problem of EGR malfunctions...find out if "Big Brother" even cares if it's there... : : : : After reading this it dawned on me that when I cleaned it(all original) I may have dissolved some residual matter that may have been sealing a leak. I'll check this area. : : : : Now I reveal my ignorance. What is an EGR valve, how do I check it, or is it something that should just be replaced? : : : : : Hey "Sparks"...as I've just finished reviewing old stuff (to find out what year your Mav is) another possibility came to mind. If yours is a '73, it "should" (IF it's still stock) have an aluminum 'spacer' under the carb (for the EGR valve). This spacer can/will/does corrode to the point of 'leaking' raw air into the manifold, obviously the gaskets associated with it could be leaking too . Another related suggestion is your EGR valve itself, could be sticking/stuck causing the lousy idle/running. Just some more ideas... : : : : : : : : : : : Last weekend I pulled a plug to take a look. They were all black, but looked good. The shop that installed them must have used the "out of the box" gapping method. they were all .025". : : : : : : So, I cleaned them up and reset the gap (except for the one on the passenger's side I couldn't reach- 3rd back from the front, passenger side) : : : : : : Lo and behold she ran fantastic. : : : : : : This weekend I go after the last plug, and had to put in a new one. (it was very old, and insulator broke upon removal). : : : : : : I used a can of carb cleaner on the carb (factory 2bbl)It was so black it didn't even look metal, replaced some cracked vacuum hoses, replaced the breather, air and fuel filters. : : : : : : It resisted starting, and had some backfiring. So I replaced the wires. I did'nt have the buckos for the good ones right now, so I bought : : : : : : what the shop had. This made a litte difference, but not much. : : : : : : The most noticable problem is upon acceleration between 25 and 45MPH. It surges and backfires. : : : : : : I cannot swing the price of a carb right now, or even the price of shop help. : : : : : : This Mav is used daily - I got it to keep me out of the elements. (normally ride a Mcycle) : : : : : : I should be getting a Chilton Manual this week- I was high bidder at ebay. : : : : : : In the meantime, I could use a litte advice. : : : : : : one more thing, on the side of the carb is a round black device my mechanic referred to as a preheater : : : : : : when I had the water pump replaced. It is set as rich as it will go. I tried moving it from as lean as it will go and back, and different points in between, : : : : : : with no difference in performance.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: