Amazon: 1965 122s keeps breaking down!

[Volvo_133]

Temporarily fit a temporary flexible fuel line from pump to a 5 litre can. Sit with it idling. This will check the tank, old fuel lines and allow the coil to heat up.

[142 Guy]

My initial reaction was that it is fuel starvation; but, being able to drive for a few miles before the starvation occurs then not being able to drive at all seems odd. If it was a flow related starvation issue, normally after the car quits you would be able to do a few repeat cranks and get some amount of gas into the carbs so you could 'drive and die again' -sounds like a Bond movie title. Disconnect the fuel line from the front carb and add an extension to direct the fuel into a container. Crank the engine. If you get good flow its likely not a starvation issue.

I am inclined to form a line in the ignition related column. If your strobe light is 12VDC powered, take it along on your next test trip (or just around and around the block) until the engine dies. Connect up the strobe and then crank the engine to check for the presence of spark. That will pretty much confirm whether the problem is ignition related. Like Clan, I am also inclined to vote for a dodgy condenser rather than ignition coil problem. Does this car use a ballast resistor? A hot ballast resistor can create temperature related failures.

[simonvolvo]

I agree with Derek UK – rusty tank – in a car that has sat for as long as yours.

But I would suspect the carbs rather than the line from the tank to the engine bay.

You say you have cleaned the carbs (I assume SU’s), but have you checked the jets? Rust “powder” from a rusty tank can settle (and consolidate) in the jet tubes and cause the symptoms you describe.

[Bob Meadows]

I would also look at the rotor arm along with all the other ignition related advice :~
Some of the above even when new can develop similar reported problems- go for a descent brand.
Good Luck.
Bob.

[Volvo Guy]

Hi all. Thank you for all the advice.
I had some time on it today and tried a few things you suggested.
I replaced the coil with another used one I had in stock. It started fine, ran ok on tick over and revd up well on the driveway. Set off down the road and it ran ok for half a mile then started hesitating, then cut out. No worse than it was but no improvement. Checked fuel at carbs and chambers were full, fuel still under pressure in rubber pipe. Turned it over for a long time and it started again but rough running, got it turned around and towed home.

I fitted new points and double checked the insulator that goes through the dizzy to the condenser and LT lead. It started up so I took it down the road but same thing happened. Towed home.

Took off inline fuel filter, blew it out expecting it to be full of rust but nothing visible. Blew airline down the steel pipe to tank which felt ok. There is no seal on the fuel cap so the tank can breathe well. Took the lift pump apart, its a 10 year old one from brookhouse, not a clear top one, but I couldnt see any muck or rust. I took the top off the float chambers, they still looked clean and full of fuel, then i took the air filters off. I jammed to floats shut and started the car, watched the float chambers empty as the car ran, I reved it up and down and it ran fine until they both ran dry. I put the carbs back together and started it after about 2 seconds of turning over.. reved up and down and left it running for 15mins.
I took it for a drive and same thing again. Towed home.

Then i checked timing again with strobe. it was a little bit out but not much.
I'll have to park it up until next weekend. I'll order another condenser but the one I fitted was brand new from Brookhouse. Its a mechanical advance on this dizzy, do these ever give issue?

[Othen]

What a conundrum.

Given that the fuel system seems okay it sort of has to be the ignition system. The condenser is favourite - even though you have fitted a new one the symptoms sound most like it being at fault.

Can you recall whether this problem existed before you changed the condenser for the new one? If it did that is unlikely to be the issue.

Good fortune,

Alan

[Bracpan]

I had similar problems for well over a year, changed tank, coils, filters, points plugs, condenser etc etc.
Bought a 123 dizzy and all the problems went away...

[old fart]

Have you still got the original condenser?
I had a similar problem on a PV some years ago, spent months faffing about with the carbs etc, then put the old condenser back on and all was good, though mine never actually packed up, just ran like a pig after 20 minutes.

[VolvoRoyS]

Next time it happens you need to check for a spark. Take on old plug with you and when the engine dies, pull off a plug lead, connect it to the spare plug, rest it in the block somewhere and operate the starter. If no spark then at least you will have established that it is ignition. Next remove the distributor cap and flick the points apart. If you don't get a spark then the problem is on the low tension side. This would then suggest a break in the wire to/from the coil.

Roy

[142 Guy]

Originally Posted by Volvo Guy

I took it for a drive and same thing again. Towed home.

Then i checked timing again with strobe. it was a little bit out but not much.
I'll have to park it up until next weekend. I'll order another condenser but the one I fitted was brand new from Brookhouse. Its a mechanical advance on this dizzy, do these ever give issue?

Did you do the check with the strobe while the engine was non operational? The purpose of doing the check with the strobe is not to confirm the timing, its to determine whether the ignition is still operational when the engine is dead. If the engine is dead and the ignition is operating you have confirmed that the ignition is not the cause of your mystery problem and you need to focus on fuel delivery. However, your check for fuel at the carbs suggests it is not a fuel starvation problem.

The next time you do a test run and the engine quits, you need to do an ignition check as quickly as possible. In the absence of the strobe, the spark plug test described by VolvoRoyS would work (I personally dislike this test because 50% of the time I seem to manage to zap myself).

If it turns out that the ignition is the problem, you already seem to have dealt with the likely candidates (assuming a new condenser came with the new points). Since it appears that you have exhausted the likely candidates, give some consideration to the possibility that you may have an electrical connection heating up and becoming intermittent / high resistance. This could include the ignition switch. The typical way to check this would be to confirm the presence of +12v on the coil + terminal when the ignition is switched on (when the engine is in its non running state). I recognize that if you have the Amazon armoured coil wire that test is not at all easy. However, it can be done indirectly by pulling off the - coil connection and checking for voltage to ground at that point. Refer to Ron Kwas' excellent Sw Em site for details (about mid way down the page).

https://www.sw-em.com/Volvo%20Igniti...%20Scratch.htm