spark plug gap

[zhcj]

is there any advantage to widening the spark plug gap on a vit 6 from the recommended 25

i was told widening it to 35 ish for mainly short town driving is better with todays unleaded fuel ?
mine tends to splutter a bit especially round town in traffic seems to run rich at low speeds at low revs its okay once its beyond 2000 revs approx

[glang]

Have you got electronic ignition and maybe sports coil fitted?

[zhcj]

no electronic ignition but yes a lucas sports coli non ballast type i think it is

[Pete Lewis]

are you on solex down drafts  or strombergs  ???

Pete

[zhcj]

its on Strombergs Pete

[mazfg]

I fitted Accuspark electronic ignition on mine...best thing I did. £35 kit off ebay

[zhcj]

yes ive found it bit more expensive for positive earth ill take your advice and get one

[RobPearce]

Most electronic ignition kits are incompatible with positive earth. You would need to swap your polarity (which isn't terribly hard).

But I see you found a positive earth one while I was typing. OK.

[zhcj]

yes Acruspark do one for positive earth its £10 more but id rather keep the car original if possible.

as you say though changing the polarity isnt a big task

[glang]

I think that fitted with possibly the sports coil (some electronic igntion makers dont like the effect of the higher current draw on their product) will allow a wider plug gap to be used but you'll have to suck n see if it improves the combustion....

[Pete Lewis]

Plug gaps wont have a great effect on any splutter and wheeze
thats other things more likely mixture or carb has wrong parts the 1600 does not have damper springs , just heavier diaphragm weights, if someone has fitted damper springs it will be too rich
make sure things like the rotor arm conract spring blade is actually touching the brush in the cap
Use only engine oil in the dashpots
Not a lover of bigger gaps  it takes longer for the spark to jump the extra so theres a payoff

Make sure the coil is wired correct polarity ,  
and pet hate of mine  never use plugs with an R in the suffix

pete

[zhcj]

thanks all i will try this electronic ignition see of that helps but yes Pete the damper springs are in the carbs

they have been since i owned it could this be why it runs rich round town plugs are black in town driving so im guessing they are fowling up
they colour up nicely though once its on the open road.

[daver clasper]

Hi.

Had this with mine. After a lot of fettling with new carb parts, now have brown/sooty around city, grey on a run which is better.

Don't really understand the dashpot thing to produce more mixture for sudden acceleration , as its slowing down the main piston (which will let less air, but also presumably at the same time,   let less fuel through the jet hole?).

Cheers, Dave  

[zhcj]

have your carbs got the dash pot springs in or out Dave

[daver clasper]

Hi

Sorry. Mine is 2 Litre, that has the springs for main piston fitted (don't think springs are fitted to dashpots) and the lighter diaphragm weight/flange.

Dave

[glang]

Quoted from daver clasper

Hi.

Had this with mine. After a lot of fettling with new carb parts, now have brown/sooty around city, grey on a run which is better.

Don't really understand the dashpot thing to produce more mixture for sudden acceleration , as its slowing down the main piston (which will let less air, but also presumably at the same time,   let less fuel through the jet hole?).

Cheers, Dave  

Hi Dave, with the airflow a lower pressure is produced in the intake side of the carb piston giving a higher velocity which literally sucks extra fuel out of the jet even though the needles upward movement is delayed by the dashpot oil.