Tip Might Be Of Use

[Keith W]

Hi all, my HA van (1256cc) has been running like a pig when up to temperature for a couple of years now. Since I've owned it I've done all the usual stuff like plugs, leads, timing, carb overhaul, tappets etc but not much improvement. Having run out of ideas I paid for a garage to have a look. They had an elder mechanic whom took much interest in it and knew how older engines worked. After a week of investigations he discovered the problem. There is a steel brace between the inlet and exhaust manifold. He discovered that when the engine gets hot this brace expands. In my case the brace was lifting the inlet manifold upwards very slightly allowing air in. The brace has a slot in it where it bolts on to the inlet manifold designed to allow for expansion but the brace slot was not sliding as it should. He widened the slot and undid the nut a fraction to allow the brace to expand without lifting the inlet manifold. Runs really well now. Thought I would pass on this tip in case it could be of use to others.

[Johnboy HB]

That's something you would never think of to try, good tip