Backfiring EP80 Starlet

Owen

Did a quick mini service on the Mother's Starlet, it's a carburetted EP80 engine, and the year of the car is 1991. Did the plugs, oil, both filters, and plugs. She's now backfiring, which is indicative of a lean mixture. It also struggles sometimes under throttle.

Halfords is next to my house, and they've no haynes manuals for the car, and I can't find anything online. Anyone know the carb well enough to give advice? It could also be a vacuum pipe I guess, but it's a bit co-incidental that this has developed since I did the work. I do this every year, and this is the first year it's had an issue.

Esel

Just my 2c worth....any chance you accidentally disconnected a hose somewhere or left one unconnected?

Owen

Thanks Esel, I was wondering the same. I'm putting it down to an electrical fault now, having driven the car since my OP, it's misfiring to beat the band. I've got a mate calling over now, we're going to give it a going over. I've replaced the HT leads just in case, as the originals were 17 years old, and I was worried I'd strained the brittle old copper inside when removing the original spark plugs. Hopefully it's something inside the Dizzy and we'll get it sorted!

RoundyMooney

Check the rotor arm, I'd imagine it's a non points system at that age, but you never know.

Earth straps and air filter housing ok?

Owen

Thanks Roundy. Unbelievably, it's a points & dizzy engine. Got it sorted out late this afternoon, put the car into fourth, handbrake down, dizzy cover off, and rocked the car back until the cam inside the distributor was opening the points, regapped - which improved, but didn't fix the issue. Extracted the points, and they were burned to a cinder, so it was time for a new condensor and set of points. Hopped into the car, down to Halfords in Mahon Point. Three clueless spotty teenagers working on the trade counter told me there was no such thing as points, so when I actually produced the points and condensor, and showed it to them, it was like watching goats mystified by lightning.

Headed over to Motorway on the Kinsale Road. Helpful, friendly, knowledgable, and keenly priced! Couldn't recommend them highly enough, and now the little Starlet is purring again.

Esel

ned78 wrote: »

... it was like watching goats mystified by lightning....

Nice turn of phrase! Forgot the points option meself. Good you could get them on a Sunday.

E92

What are points? I always thought they were what you got for speeding:D!