PROBLEMS: Engine Performance

   1. The engine falters or misses at higher speeds.

   2. The engine has less power.

   3. The engine stalls when reaching normal operating temperature but does not
        overheat.

   4. The engine has poor response or acceleration.

   5. Engine overheating.

   6. Engine uses too much gas.

   7. The engine coughs or backfires when pulling.

   8. The engine emits blue smoke and requires oil frequently.

  PROBLEMS: Starting

   1. Starter does not turn at all.

   2. The engine turns but slowly and may not start.

   3. The engine turns normally but will not start.

   4. The engine backfires or gas is blasted back up through the carburettor.

  SOLUTIONS: Engine Performance

  1.   The engine faltering or missing at high speed could be caused by a couple of
        things. It could indicate a dirty or blocked main jet in the carburettor. The
        carburettor's main jet is what supplies the engine with most of its fuel during
        normal cruising speeds. If it becomes blocked by dirt or gum, it will be unable
        to supply the engine with the fuel it needs at higher speeds thus causing the
        engine to falter.

        Another cause of this behaviour could be a fault in the engine's ignition system.
        On cars using contact breaker points in their ignition systems, corrosion or pitting
        on the contact surfaces can lead to a poor or interrupted supply of current to the
        ignition coil resulting in faltering. The points should be replaced or their contact
        surfaces should be cleaned.

        Faulty spark plugs are also often a cause of faltering problems. As a plug wears,
        its electrode gap will gradually increase in size. If left unchecked, this will lead to a
        weak or intermittent spark in the combustion chamber causing the engine to
        falter.
 

        This problem can sometimes be easily solved by the use of a good
        fuel treatment. If this fails to improve performance, and the carburettor is the
        definite cause of the problem, a through cleaning of the carburettor jets and
        passages may need to be undertaken which may involve dismantling some
        or all of the carburettor.

        The cleaning of the carburettor should be done using
        a carburettor cleaning spray, however, safety goggles should be worn so to
        avoid the rather unpleasant experience of being sprayed in the eye!
        N.B. After a carb has been thoroughly cleaned, the fuel/air mixture may need to
        be re-adjusted at the mixture screw.