SO what did you you do with your Stag today?

[Greengiant]

Pulled off the cover, put some air in the tyres, looked at what else I had to do, decided it was too cold in the garage, put back the cover, locked the garage and went back in the warm.
I really have to get it going for this year!

Martin

[RobinLegin]

«*Sorry to here that Richard, (mole 42) appreciate you keeping us informed of your progress. The more you do the less places there is for the problem to hide and on the plus side you now have some good spares.
Always keen to follow electrical problem threads as this area is not my strongest point.

Look forward to you posting a problem solved message hopefully soon.*»

Mole - 42 I had an intermittent misfirelast summer. Tried plugs, HT leads, distributor etc. When I got back to UK the problem was put down to supermarket fuel. I now run on 97 Octane from the traditional big oil companies. Problem resolved.
But next week the engine is being stopped over.

[PhilB]

Too cold, inside a garage in Kent?

[Ritchie6]

When I got back to UK the problem was put down to supermarket fuel. I now run on 97 Octane from the traditional big oil companies. Problem resolved.

I always wondered if the "don't use supermarket fuel" was a bit of a myth but it appears it may not be in your case. I've heard people say it all comes out of the same tanks in the refinery. When I first bought my Stag I was pondering about topping up with higher octane fuel periodically but then again the only place I've seen this is our local Tesco. We don't really have much choice in our nearest town-Tesco or Morrisons. Anybody got any thought about supermarket petrol??

Richard

[Goldstar]

I understand it does all come
From the same tank but the end retailer puts different additives into their own fuel.

I’m on another forum where a number will swear by the Tesco super (is it called momentum?) 99. I guess any fuel retailer can have a bad batch but I do wonder if the Stag is sensitive enough to notice?

[Kithmo]

Tested compressions, 125 to 160 so not too bad. Fitted new plugs, distributor cap, rotor arm.

Misfire still present. Have to try plug leads next, then Lumenition parts.

Sometimes I hate my Stag

I once bought a brand new set of Bosch plug leads from Halfords that had a duff one. I bought Bosch in preference to Halfords own brand as I though they should be better but when I took them back I replaced them for the Halfords ones no problem.

[thebadleys]

I use Costco petrol in my Stag, it's usually 5-6p per litre cheaper than some of the main branded fuel and Premium unleaded a similar price to to standard unleaded.

I was originally told by the one of the employees that it was Texaco, later he told me it had changed to Shell.

Nigel

[Lingen]

I tried running mine on supermarket diesel once, and it just got me back home-about five miles, but I have certainly never had problems with any standard supermarket petrol in 25 years of ownership. The engine is clearly very tolerant when it comes to octane levels. Perhaps this may be partly due to my rebuilding it ten years ago with low compression pistons. That was my reasoning at the time, and it still has almost all it's horses.
Mike.

[mole42]

I always wondered if the "don't use supermarket fuel" was a bit of a myth but it appears it may not be in your case. I've heard people say it all comes out of the same tanks in the refinery. When I first bought my Stag I was pondering about topping up with higher octane fuel periodically but then again the only place I've seen this is our local Tesco. We don't really have much choice in our nearest town-Tesco or Morrisons. Anybody got any thought about supermarket petrol??

I do over 10,000 miles a year in my Stag and always fill the tank from wherever is close when I need it. Supermarket, Costco or major brand doesn't seem to make any difference. I've filled with fuel in France, Germany and the Netherlands, no discernible difference. Unleaded or Super doesn't make any noticeable difference. Usually the car just goes along quite happily doing 30mpg on a run with plenty of grunt when I floor it.

Richard

[bonnietiler750]

I had a misfire on my stag recently I replaced the distributor cap for nos lucas likewise the rotor arm..still no better I fitted new HT leads silicone race correct colour reduced from £89.99 to 19.99 very nice.
No difference then took some white spirit and cleaned the leccy ignition sender in the distributor....runs like a Ferrari...ho him.. the HT leads are very nice though

[mole42]

Sorted!

I braved the zero-degrees in the garage this evening, cleaned the ignition opto-sensor, tried my replacement Lumenition module, no improvement.
Pulled each plug lead in turn, nothing changed except that the engine sounded even rougher.

Decided to re-check the valve clearances and found I couldn't even get a 1.5thou feeler in between the cam and the bucket of No4 exhaust valve. Took the camshaft off again, changed the shim to get 15 thou clearance, put it back together and now it runs nicer! I'll have to set the carburetters again but that's not too much of a task.

Note to self: - remember to check the valve clearances at least twice after changing the shims. And remember to follow my instinct and go for the problem I think it is, rather than fannying about with lots of easier things. Wastes time.

Anyone going to Stoneleigh on Sunday?

[milothedog]

Sorted!

I braved the zero-degrees in the garage this evening, cleaned the ignition opto-sensor, tried my replacement Lumenition module, no improvement.
Pulled each plug lead in turn, nothing changed except that the engine sounded even rougher.

Decided to re-check the valve clearances and found I couldn't even get a 1.5thou feeler in between the cam and the bucket of No4 exhaust valve. Took the camshaft off again, changed the shim to get 15 thou clearance, put it back together and now it runs nicer! I'll have to set the carburetters again but that's not too much of a task.

Note to self: - remember to check the valve clearances at least twice after changing the shims. And remember to follow my instinct and go for the problem I think it is, rather than fannying about with lots of easier things. Wastes time.

Anyone going to Stoneleigh on Sunday?

I would be concerned as to why that valve clearance has suddenly reduced ?

[new to this]

I would be concerned as to why that valve clearance has suddenly reduced ?

I thought that,they shouldn't go out of adjustment

[Tdm]

Last time I had the heads off back in 2005, I remember I had quite a job getting the valve clearances right, having brought out from the U.K. a complete mixture of shims (and buckets) of different sizes from Paddocks. Took me some time, but I must have got them right in the end, including re-fitting the heads, as the engine is still running well nearly 13 years later.

I did notice though during fitting quite a variance in sizes of some of the shims and buckets that were supposed to be the same size, but weren't, and ended up checking each new bucket & shim with a micrometer.

Like the 2 previous posters, I would be wondering why it had gone out of adjustment, unless you didn't tighten the one in question up properly when you previously adjusted it.

Glad that it's sorted now though.

Terry

[Ctwidle]

My local Triumph specialist (Greg Tunstall in Brisbane) rented me a kit of shims. Many were second hand (part of the deal is to return your old ones) and had indentations where the valve stem fits. This can have + and - effects. If you turn them over you get an original thickness shim, if you don’t, you need to make sure your micrometer anvil is fully seated in the indentation or use the ball bearing that comes with some micrometers for such purposes. I wonder if a false reading could account for Mole42’s problem?
chris