I bought this car probably about a year ago with the intensions of pulling the engine out and sticking a yb in it but still haven't got round to it so going to just sell it as been offered a sunbeam which I'll cossy instead. Rite when I bought it the guy said he couldn't get it running and said he thought it was the fuel that had gone off but never even tried to get it going until the other day and it did seem like fuel so I pulled the pipe off the tank and it was stinking of what I can only describe as old duck oil and very yellow in colour, I drained it all out and changed the filter but it won't run I can get it to start and if I pump the throttle fast it runs and on first turn of the key it revs out then won't rev at all just splutters and pops with the throttle down. it looks like a new cap, rotor arm and recent plugs and leads that's on it. Just don't know where to go from here is it worth putting more petrol in it as just chucked a tenner in a can.
I woul appreciate any help if someone's had this before. Cheers.

 

Is it the funky fuel metering unit, these are usually a problem at some point on those 2.8 engines...same on some porsche 911's?

 

yeah its got a metering head on top of the airbox. dunno what to check with it to see what its supposed to be doing though.got the gearbox out tonight to do the crankshaft oil seal.
anyone know where i can get a second hand metering head to try? or anyone with any more ideas

 

sounds like the ignition timing is way out.

 

Checked ignition timing today and was spot on. Took the air filter top off and found out that if I push the air flap up at the metering head whilst throttling At the engine I can get it to rev and run sweet as a nut so iam now looking along the lines of it being the metering head.. How do these work off the throttle being mechanical injection do the work of vacuum or something? Also there's a breather pipe from the rocker cover to the plenium chamber which squashes flat when running don't think this should do this

 

I would change this pipe before you do anything else.

Steve

 

the air passing over the flap opens it. the more air the more the flap opens. if the breather is collapsing it indicates the engine is being starved of air. check the induction pipes but it sounds like the fuel distributor/metering head is faulty.