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Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:31 am
by Slow 1200
this is one for the X files:

background: new to me, bone stock US spec 67, hadn't been used much in a long time, just had a top end rebuild (guides and valves) and new rings

symptom: sometimes, on long left turns (such as a roundabout or a long left corner in a windy road), the car loses power for 2-3 seconds, and then recovers and keeps working.
It was already doing this before the rebuild (previous owner told me about it and happened a couple times when test driving the car)

My first suspect was flooding but I couldn't see anything out of spec in the carb (float, needle, etc look fine), so I'm thinking some loose electrical connection? any ideas will be welcome :D

Re: Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 8:23 am
by Piledriver
Ground strap on the trans.

Re: Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:26 pm
by Max Welton
Long left turns... Nuance matters here.

Does it die right away (once a certain amount of force is reached) or mid-way through the turn (it takes a certain force for a certain amount of time)?

How does it die? Does it sort of loose power then die after a second or so? Or does it die like someone switched the key off?

Is there some way to safely tilt your car far enough to the right to simulate the lateral Gs that come from a left-hand turn? That could be interesting.

Max

Re: Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:16 pm
by Ol'fogasaurus
I think the three things mentioned need to be checked.

The easiest things to check are the electrical connections both in the engine compartment and under the dash also making sure nothing is moving or capable of moving around.

The ground strap: if you are still using the woven kind, this is a very possible electrical malfunction area (check the motor and transaxle mounts too). Even on old American cars the woven ground strap was a pain in the "no-speak-about" as they have a tendency for the small wires to break down/fray in a fairly short time. Unless this is a stocker and intended to be such for shows, I would go with an oversized ground cable and attach it to the block/transaxle then go to the pan. Remember, it is the ground that does the work in an electrical system.

As far as the fuel system goes (and this does sound more like a fuel problem) the float level could be off especially if you have a rake to the car. Being that it only happens on long left hand turns is interesting. Check for the rubber connections to the fuel line, filter, and carb (if you have one there) to make sure they are all in good shape (again, check the condition of the motor mounts). While you are at it check the fuel filter: it seems weird to check the filter and soft connections but you never know what can cause something.

My two-it on this.

Re: Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 6:06 am
by rrb6699
it could be a carb float issue if its just losing power like its getting less fuel.

I have the oppisite issue. when I make a hard or semi sharp right turn, my Bug revs up. try goin around corners in neutral both ways just to check this. when I make a left turn it doesnt rev up but I have noticed just a slight power loss.

seems like mine is fuel related.

Re: Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:44 am
by Slow 1200
I haven't had time to check anything yet, I did reproduce the miss a couple days ago in a multistorey parking lot, there was a 180ยบ turn which I took a little fast* and about 2/3 into it the car nosedived for a second

*not even tire squealing but "spirited", the car does have Konis and man do they make a difference!

Re: Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 5:02 am
by Slow 1200
just for reference sake, changing the no-name needle and seat for the proper solex item seems to have fixed the problem, at least yesterday I tried as hard as I could and it didn't miss a beat!

Re: Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:00 am
by sideshow
I don't trust "new" solex needle/seat assemblies either, good testing

Re: Engine missing on hard left turns

Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 4:19 am
by rrb6699
I rebult my carb and cleaned it thoroughly. the problem I had is now gone and the engine runs very steady