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James Feller
Frequent User
Username: james_feller

Post Number: 57
Registered: 5-2008
Posted on Tuesday, 09 June, 2009 - 20:18:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Hi All,

I'll post some photo's when I get the car back but I had the front seats retrimmed, re sprung &foamed. I got a complete hide in the UK when I was there in March. WOW is all I can say, talk about a match.... the trimmers here have done a marvellous job, its the right colour, look and finish. I have seen retrimmed jobs before and while done nicely the leather just did not match and 'looked' retrimmed.
I was determined that I would source the right leather when it was my turn... I took a sample and the trim codes with me to the UK and would you believe in 2 days Montagues had a full hide shipped that matched both colour and texture. Again I will post photos in a bit so you can see, the job is so good that it does not look 'new' it simply looks well kept, the outcome I was wanting right down to the contrasting piping.
Secondly, I have had this intermitant flooding issue for years, it only ever happens when I fill up and even then only occasionally... would you believe I have just been had my fuel tank syphoned, pressure cleaned and relined. It had a large build up of crud ( not KRudd mind you.. another story)
The tank was removed and cleaned and the fuel head removed and cleaned and the whole fuel system blasted clean. Yes a fairly large job i'll grant you but you should see the sample of muck that came out!!! Its a wonder the poor thing ran.... it would explain the rough coughs and spirts I had on occasion when stirred up from refuelling.
Has anyone else had this done or encountered this?

J
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Lawrence Heasman
Experienced User
Username: lheasman

Post Number: 47
Registered: 5-2008
Posted on Wednesday, 10 June, 2009 - 09:16:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Hi James,

My 89 Spur gets the splutters when the fuel tank gets down to about its last 30 litres or so.
Do you think this could be the cause?
How old is your car and how much was the 'irrigation'.
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Paul Yorke
Grand Master
Username: paul_yorke

Post Number: 342
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Wednesday, 10 June, 2009 - 09:24:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

It's really important not to let Injection Spirits run low on fuel.

The fuel pump is lubricated by the fuel , so any dry running will make them noisy and eventually fail prematurely.

I recommend a 1/4 of a tank as the re-fuel minimum - especially if driving in hilly / winding roads.

Lawrence, also check the main fuel filter. There is also a strainer in the tank.
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Richard Treacy
Grand Master
Username: richard_treacy

Post Number: 1727
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Wednesday, 10 June, 2009 - 10:28:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

I must reiterate Paul's warning. If the fuel on my KE-Jetronic injected SZ is so low that the low fuel lamp stays on without flickering, then the pump complains when at standtill on a steep hill, the only time you can hear it. The fix is easy and costs nothing in the long run: fill up the tank.

If the pump complains, it is in danger of disintegrating as Paul implies. If the level drops further, it can end in disaster. If it is so low that the car splutters on hills, it is very serious. Running so dramatically lean can overheat the heads locally and burn the exhaust valves out in just 10 miles of hard use. I know that from my R-Type: in 1977 I burned a set of new exhaust valves away completely, one splitting open and almost shedding its Stellite, and cracked the head, all in less than 10 miles on the highway at 90mph due to fuel starvation. The low-pressure fuel line needed lagging near the right hand side exhaust system, a modification needed on all R-Types. The twin exhaust system on those cars was not entirely sorted out when new. There was no cooling system overheating, just a terminal miss on four cylinders. It can happen equally to an injected V8, but I am not willing to prove it.

If the pump complains with 30 litres remaining, best is to plan to remove the fuel pickup from the tank and bend it back to the correct shape sometime ! In the meantime, do keep the tank topped up so that you never suffer fuel starvation !

Although not directly related, there is a service bulletin on fuel pump noise reduction in the SZ Service Bulletins section of the Technical Library:

http://rrtechnical.info/sz/bulletins/fuelpumpnoisereduction.pdf

My SZ had this factory modification done fifteen years ago.

RT.
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Lawrence Heasman
Experienced User
Username: lheasman

Post Number: 48
Registered: 5-2008
Posted on Wednesday, 10 June, 2009 - 16:11:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

thanks for the advice. Since converting the car to LPG I now only use the petrol for about 10kms once a week just to keep everything lubricated. I normally have at least half a tank on board and have noticed no noise the last few times I have ran some petrol through so I will ensure it never gets low as the consequences sound rather nasty.
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James Feller
Frequent User
Username: james_feller

Post Number: 59
Registered: 5-2008
Posted on Wednesday, 10 June, 2009 - 19:46:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

I think your question was answered Lawrence.
My car is a Sept 86 build Spirit. It has K Jetronic fuel injection so yes it is critical you never run them out of fuel completely. Only once have I ran it so low as to have the 'low fuel' light on constantly. This was an attempt to get from my home in Sydney to Canberra and back home on one tank of fuel.
I can report that the 650klms or so were done on about 100ltrs of fuel so not bad really for the old darlin'. Richard, I see from your post this was quite a silly thing for me to do, I have not done it since and won't entertain the idea again.
I normally fill up when the light just starts flickering about 3/4 empty reading on the gauge.
The cost for the automotive colonic irrigation Lawrence was $600. They did unhook the fuel head in the engine bay and removed accumulated rust and dirt deposits that had made its way up to the pressure head. Time will tell whether or not this cures the occasional splutter after refilling I get. The guy assured me the injection system and fuel pumps et at were all good.
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James Feller
Frequent User
Username: james_feller

Post Number: 62
Registered: 5-2008
Posted on Wednesday, 22 July, 2009 - 13:39:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Update,

Touch wood, seems to have cured the interim issue or as it was intermitant... to date it has not occurred again....waiting for it though..
I must say, they reset the tune and adjusted mixtures apparently?.. however this is done...
the car is running beautifully at the moment and it maybe just me but I reckon its performing better too!
J