Alpine back in the game

The day really started the day before – when I dragged the Alpine out of the carport in preparation for today. I say that because that was when I started to worry, but the Amazon delivery man liked the car so that was fine. Anyway, after an early start to put the fan heater on it and scrape the ice off, I paced backwards and forwards waiting for the pick-up lorry.

He turned up as expected (at 9:05) and cheerfully started to load the car.

It was then that I noticed that his lorry had a flat tyre. So as he strapped down the car I got the pump and we pumped up his tyre.

So we were off and arrived 40 minutes later in the sunshine at RADCO engineering just outside Sudbury, who seemed to occupy a very small unit on the trading estate. After they had cleared the workshop we off loaded the car and pushed it in and onto the rollers. It was a neat clean workshop with a small engine room and test equipment as well as the rollers. No seats I noticed - so I stood up for three and a half hours.

It took about an hour just to start the car. Checking everything and re-seating the distributor. Looking at the floats in the carbs, looking at the filters, checking the spark plug gap and generally making sure everything was ok so it ‘should’ work. Churn and churn but nothing.

Eventually he decided to swap out the plugs – and the car just sprang to life - strongly. Who hoo.
So, time to get it tested on the rolling road. One hour and four power runs later it’s going well, has c95 BHP and torque is much improved. New jets and air tubes … or something. So off for a test drive.

A mile away and I’m thinking we’ve cracked it. Then the car stutters and loses power again. I turn round quickly and head back – only for the power to keep dropping - down to third gear to keep it rolling and limp slowly into back up to the unit.

A puzzled man appears. We both thought it would be fine. So he starts again.

The car will start, but dies when revved. Fuel in the carbs ? Tops off and they have fuel in there. Fuel pipe – take off and blow though it to prove both lines to the carbs are clear – they are. Fuel Pump – turn over the car and fuel spurts out. Bowl off the pump and check the filter - it is clear. However there does seem to be a bit of air ‘bubbling’ in the incoming fuel.

Next re-start the car and it dies again when idling. This time there is no fuel left in the Webers. So fuel starvation. Turn over the car again and this time no fuel comes through to the fuel pump. Then it slowly starts to come though and fill up the bowl.

Next take the incoming pipe off and blow down it to prove that is free. It is not – you can’t blow air back down into the tank. Get a compressor. Use that to force air back down the line – there is a pause and then a gurgle as it blows through. So a blocked fuel line causing starvation.

Off for another (more hesitant) test drive. Up the hill in the trading estate first – fine. Of to the next village about a mile away and also uphill – fine. Back past the estate and onto the bypass – fine.

So there we go. Distributor not set right, Carbs a bit out, Pugs dead and Fuel line blocked.
Before I left I had a look behind the scenes at the Ford Anglia he races and found the main engineering ‘works’ and about 3 times more space. Lots of big bits of equipment there laths etc. as the main business is engine building.

So home. A nervous 30 mile run back home – via the petrol station – but its fine. Everyone else seems to be driving at 20 miles an hour. A bit hesitant perhaps at slow speed but then it always was. Needs additive for octane boost too but everything ok. For now.

Park up and get out. We’ll try another test run again tomorrow.