Difficult starting when hot

[pyoorkate]

So, i thought I'd got used to the Viva, and that in fact the starting issues I had when I first got it were down to me not using enough choke (basically).

But it turns out I was wrong, the car still won't start easily (if at all) when very hot. For example long trot down the motorway, straight into a huge queue of traffic for about 20 minutes and lo, the engine dies and won't restart. Cue Kate leaping out and doing her bests she-ra impression - and pushing the Viva onto the kerb. After about 5 minutes of sitting it perks up and starts, but still doesn't want to idle. After a 10 minute run (with me left-foot-braking and keeping the engine at a fast idle with my other foot), I manage to navigate back home whereupon everything is fine. Although the engine is now somewhat cooler.

There appears to be a decent spark, and the car does smell of fuel if you just keep it turning over, but obviously I'm struggling to investigate much more 'cos I don't normally carry my toolbox with me (no, seriously, I don't! Used to, too old now, just carry an AA card ) and by the time I've got home the problem's gone away.. .

My first thought is fuel evaporation, what with the pipe running round the front and top of the block (why?!)... is that a common Viva problem? *tempted to just reroute the fuel pipe and slap a heat shield on and see if that cures it*...

[Stu]

Upon reading your description, the first thought in my head was fuel vapourisation.

I've yet to witness it, but a friend of mine who used to own and run viva's back in the 70's mentioned before to me that there is a bad design fault with the fuel pipe running across the hot engine.

Perhaps someone here can confirm/deny this from experience!

[AccieMad]

A couple of things spring to mind the most obvious being fuel vap.

Also some coils can start to break down when hot and when they cool off seem normal again.

Lastly my viva used to have an intermittant fault like this as well (it just used to die in traffic and not restart or restart and run dreadfully). I changed the points, condensor and the connecting wire in desperation and the fault went.

All easy to try stuff.

[shamm]

I have had condensors that break down when hot.

Have run a 1256 up and down motoways in 30+ heatwave without a problem so I would suspect something else first.