Timimg marks

[BrwnRecluse]

Dumb question #34. Where are the timing marks?

[76was124]

Cams or for adjusting distributor to crank timing mark?

Also, Depending on your model year, this thread should help.

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... ng#p147189

[BrwnRecluse]

Okay, second try at a reply. One of those days where the irritaion factor begins to overpower the joy of new ownership.
Car is a 1978 model I've had for 9 days. No knowledge of the PO's experience with the car. I've already recieved valuable advice from this forum. I knew 'barely runs' was a sorry description of the problems we're having with the car. I've been on Mazdatruckin way to long to have tried that!
Car will run fine for half hour or 20 miles or so, then start a slight miss. Then gets harder to take off without finessing the throttle, then eventually starts bucking and chugging as we limp home. Tweak something, damn near anything, and the cycle starts anew.
I've changed the oil, and fuel filter. Cleaned the K&N air filter. Changed plug wires and plugs. Opened and cleaned carb. No emissions are on the car, and it has been converted to single point ignition. After looking at the thread I was pointed to, tore the front of the engine down to check all the cam timing marks. Cams are dead on. Aux shaft- two holes lining up between the idler pulley and the other bolt, as per the picture. No marks near the crankshaft at all, but the crank mark is at the 2 o'clock position.
When running, if the timing light shows the crank at the first mark on the cover, no acceleration without hard stumbling. If distributor rotated ccw, timing mark backs two inches away from the cover mark and car runs fine- for a while.
I know it's a novel length post, but I've wanted one of these cars for thirty years. I like it too much to use it for target practise-yet. Help me quit cussin' it and start praising it again!

[divace73]

if your car runs that fine for that period of time, I doubt it's a timing issue.
Could be that something is failing when it heats up??
try and determine when it is happening if it is fuel or spark....

[mgbgtn]

Sounds like it could be the ign coil failing when it gets hot. It could also be caused by fuel pump heating up if it is'nt getting enough amperage to it caused by a dirty connection giving too much resistance. I had this problem in an old hotrod were the wire running to the fuel pump was too small of a guage for the electrical draw.

[maytag]

from his other thread and the symptoms described, I suggested to him that he needs to get that timing correct first, and then see if it is changing when the problem occurs. that's an easy check, and will help eliminate some possibilities.
The biggest reason I suggested it is because he was looking at adding back in his 2nd set of points, and none of us know the history on his single-points conversion.

Get the easy stuff right, eliminate them as possibilities. nothing worse than trying to trouble shoot multiple issues that present as a single problem.

[BrwnRecluse]

.Got everything back together. All cam and crank marks seem to be correct. since this problem usually manifests (big words!) after several miles of driving, several people have suggested it may be the coil. Are internal and external resistor coils interchangable? Thanks again

[Ggirl]

Could also be the ICU Solenoid in the carb. Sounds alot like the problem I had.

http://forum.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtop ... 9&p=154751

[76was124]

Could it also be seizing that you are feeling when it limps home vs timing or fuel, spark issues?

Maybe overheating or low oil level/pressure?

Are you sure temp guage is working? If not, maybe air in the coolant lines,and it needs a burp or water pump service?

Does coolant look really clean from previous owner maybe having just changed it before selling, or real dirty from maybe a blown head gasket or poor maintenance causing clogging in head?