Brumby getting tired and hot - no power

Subydoug · Post by **Subydoug** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 4:01 pm

If you have a vacuum gauge, check your idle pressure. Sounds a bit like you have a vacuum leak and the car is running lean because of it. Should run fine on direct manifold vac to the disty. I have mine directly to the manifold. I swapped it a while back from ported and my car has run better ever since. Deffinately check the base of the carb and manifold for vac leaks.

Regards

Doug

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:24 pm

I went to supercrap and autobarn today to get an oil filter, airfilter and a fan belt for an EA81 with AC. Needless to say I'm glad I pulled some belt part numbers from Sunnie the Brumby as the parts book had different numbers - I vaguely remember getting caught out with fan belts etc when I got them for Sunnie...

I didn't get an oil filter or an air filter - they ask WAY too much - $17 for an oil filter and $35 for an air filter! My local can get them at a much better price, on that I'm willing to wait until I'm down that way next to pick up those items.

Cheers

Bennie

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:17 pm

El_Freddo wrote: I didn't get an oil filter or an air filter - they ask WAY too much - $17 for an oil filter and $35 for an air filter! My local can get them at a much better price, on that I'm willing to wait until I'm down that way next to pick up those items.

Cheers

Bennie

I only got a spare air filter because they were half price, $17 for a Ryco one ain't bad

I was surprised they even had one on the shelf.
Doug I don't have a vac gauge, could still be a leak somewhere you're right and I wouldn't be surprised, it seems I can never drive an EA81 for very long without a vac leak appearing from somewhere

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:55 pm

better than a washer stuck somewhere

planning anything to do with cars over Easter ??

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:11 pm

steptoe wrote:better than a washer stuck somewhere

planning anything to do with cars over Easter ??

HA! not bloody likely last year I was swapping this engine into the ute, couple years before that well you know that story

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 1:18 pm

Ok so still trying to figure out this issue, I replaced all the vac lines and tidied them up a bit so there are absolutely no leaks in that area. I also sprayed some WD-40 around the carb and manifold and there are no leaks there either. I remember from rebuilding the carb that there is some play in the main throttle shaft, so there could be a minor leak there; sometimes trying to wiggle the throttle shaft changes the idle.

Back on the subject of vacuum advance and ignition timing, I am certain there must be something wrong with the vacuum supply to the dizzy. It is on ported only (connected only to the 2 vac ports on the front of the carby) and in both of my service manuals it says this is correct. At idle there is absolutely no vacuum. Revving the engine up to maybe 2500 there is absolutely no vacuum. So the advance mechanism is getting nothing at any time during driving and I might as well be running the dizzy with the vac line disconnected. An internal blockage perhaps? I have no idea where these 2 vac ports go inside the carby or if there should be vacuum there at idle or higher revs. Also can't determine if they are in some way related to the tiny vac diaphragm (not the secondary diaphragm) on the back that goes to a little vac solenoid on the manifold.

This could all be just rambling on my part but I was really hoping to sort this out before next weekend as there's a big subie get together and drive up the freeway, wanted to get this running better before then and I'm getting a new exhaust in the week so was hoping to fix it this weekend

Proton mouse · Post by **Proton mouse** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 1:56 pm

SB can you put up a clear pic (pics) of where your vac pipes are going so I can compare to mine.
How is your float level btw?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 2:31 pm

Is it in the dizzy itslef? My EA81 xxxxxscratch that, one of my EA81's is/was without any vacuum advamce and goes like the clappers. Vac advance only advances the timing a smidge under minimal or no load when you get vacuum rise in the intake manifold.

Have you put timing light on and watched timing as you increase revs in the safest possible way - fingers away from fans, handbrake on, children outta sight, wheels chocked, no brick walls or hard objects in path of a driverless escaping ute.
I know I had to limit my maximum total timing to 28 DBTDC so yours must surely dip into the 30's. Hook up your own intake vacuum and see if you can activate the diaphragem and advance timing.

You are wasting valuable 'bullet work time !

Skull · Post by **Skull** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 2:44 pm

^^^^^^ I agree with steptoe.

I had exactly the same issues with my Brumby when first purchased.
Problems were the vacuum advance diaphragm had a hole in it, & the centrifugal advance mechanism was seized/broken springs.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 3:57 pm

The vac advance unit in the dizzy itself works fine, sucking on the hose produces a change in advance. Mechanical centrifuge advance weighted thingy works as well; with the vac line disconnected the timing is advanced slightly with increased revs.

With the timing light and everything connected as I have been driving it, engine at 2500rpm (max on my tacho) it's only about 15-16 BTDC degrees at most. Disconnecting the vac hose makes no difference as we already know. Also while I was fiddling about I checked the secondary throttle vac unit and linkages as this runs on ported vac as well; all very worn there must be about 1mm of play in the secondary linkage and I couldn't even get it to open in the driveway (probably would have to rev it really high and I'm not comfortable with that while stationary

) So this wouldn't help under load and higher revs when you need the secondary to work. Opening the secondary manually made it jump like I've never heard it do before, maybe that's where all my power is

You're right Jonno this is wasting my time when I should be working on the wagon as is always the story when it comes to fixing anything on this ute, try and fix one thing it opens up a massive can of worms. I'm ready to give up on this until I can afford a Weber and be done with it...perhaps should have done that instead of getting a new exhaust eh

Here are the pics of my vac lines
Manifold vac going through a solenoid to the coasting bypass valve on the carb (red goes to carbon canister)

Ported vac from two ports on the carby to the dizzy, no vacuum to be found here.

Proton mouse · Post by **Proton mouse** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 5:12 pm

Well all looks the same as mine as far as I can see. Those 2 vac ports on the carby will only give vacuum
under certain road/throttle conditions, so you prob wont feel anything at all from them.
As stated previous it sounds like it is leaning out under load, which comes from either
1) too much air (vac leaks) which you have tested for
or
2)not enough fuel... which could be filters (you changed front and rear?) wrong float level, mixture screw
too lean, or some form of particulate blocking the power jets.

John

Subydoug · Post by **Subydoug** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:54 pm

Cant remember if its been mentioned but popping out the PCV valve and making sure its clean and working properly could be something else to try. A new one is something like 20 bucks but make sure its genuine. I got one from auto pro and it was a horrendous piece of crap

.

Regards

Doug

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:07 pm

Haven't checked the PCV, it's not very old anyway so should be OK. My money is on leaning out and/or the timing advance not working as it should. If the secondary butterfly isn't opening would that cause it to go lean? Float level is spot on the dot on the sight glass. Maybe I could try that mod where you mechanically link the primary and secondary with a piece of perfectly bent wire, see if it makes any difference.

I've had enough anyway, guess I'll just live with it until I put a Weber on it, one of the mods I had planned for this car anyway before that big meet up in August at Lincoln.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:30 am

put the twin port in so you can run it in for the 'bullet, or at least the twin carbies ! Stop wasting space in 'ere

Proton mouse · Post by **Proton mouse** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:38 pm

If the secondary butterfly isn't opening would that cause it to go lean?

You would have a distinct lack of power over all SB, not just going up 'detonation hill'

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:27 pm

Well I ended up linking the secondary with a piece of wire bent just so it only opens at 3/4 to WOT, so I'm not pouring fuel in all the time. It did seem to make a difference driving around normally, had more to go when in the upper end of the rev range, could rev higher and not run out of puff. Going up "detonation hill" as John so neatly put it

it makes little difference. In fact going up that hill now every day is different; yesterday I got up there nearly without a single rattle! Day before that was the same as it's always been, today it was struggling in 3rd gear at 60, didn't even try 4th

New exhaust going on tomorrow, wondering why I even bothered

Well at least if I ever put a rebuilt donk in this car (a bit worried about that oil smell down hills) it will just bolt straight up.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:52 pm

That oil smell down hills - got a free flowing PCV hose ? Think I fixed my smelly vent filter by shoving a PCV valve in the 5/8" heater hose to control direction of flow

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:42 pm

I caved and put 25L of 98 RON in it on the weekend, still had 20L of 91 in it though. Mostly because I wanted it running better for the cruise but I think from now on I'll only use 95/98. The car is transformed with the better fuel, possibly the new exhaust too but now no more pinging up hills and I mean none. Gets up the steep hill with power to spare again, slight inclines no longer effect my speed in top gear. Maybe also had something to do with the half an hour at 110-120 km/h blowing out a few cobwebs

And yeah Jonno, nothing wrong with my PCV system. Within 10 seconds of coasting down a slope you are over powered by burning oil smell, unless you keep the windows up

So I suspect intake valve stem seals or maybe even rings...kinda hoping it's the seals but they are a complete PITA to replace, heads on in the car.

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:32 pm

Welll.,...........at least you got there.

I aim for a decent RON, mostly the mid range real one. It works better that way.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:38 pm

Silverbullet wrote:And yeah Jonno, nothing wrong with my PCV system. Within 10 seconds of coasting down a slope you are over powered by burning oil smell, unless you keep the windows up So I suspect intake valve stem seals or maybe even rings...kinda hoping it's the seals but they are a complete PITA to replace, heads on in the car.

If you're smelling burning oil in the cabin it won't be due to exhaust emissions unless your exhaust doesn't face the out the gap out the back or is too far forward of said gap. More likely you have an oil leak on an exhaust manifold and a hole in the gear lever boot or a rubber grommet missing/displaced in the firewall, this includes the grommets of the main loom.

It also sounds like your engine is getting tired. Have you checked out the compression on each pot recently?

Cheers

Bennie