MGB: My possessed MGBGT acting wierd...again!

Cant seem to get this girl right for sale.

Just as I was about to put the MG on the market (again!) something else seems to have gone wrong...

It seems like its almost running on two cylinders! With the accelorator put to the floor she seems to be running at half the 'umph' she used to have. And whats even stranger - its all seemed to happen overnight! I cant even get her to idle - the tach falls too low to keep her at idle speed and she conks out!

We're talking a fully functional MGBGT one day to one that runs at half capaticy and now blows black smoke the next *ripping hair out* Any ideas??

Many thanks in advance
Georgia

Possibly flooding. Check the float/valve to make sure it isn't dumping gas into the carb. Check the choke to make sure it's working right.
Possibly ignition. Check the coil, distributor, points, cap & rotor, wires and spark plugs to make sure you are getting a good, hot spark on all cylinders.

First pull the plugs to determan which cyl is miss firing. Then look at the carb. that feed that cyl. Black smoke indicates a rich mixture.

Georgia,
Your missing the most obvious answerGeorgia Watt wrote:
>
> Cant seem to get this girl right for sale.
>
> Just as I was about to put the MG on the market (again!)
> something else seems to have gone wrong...
>
> She doesnt wont to be sold. Keep her off the market and she will run right.

Seriously try compression checks (tosee if you've dropped a valve)and trynew plugs and leads.

I'm with Iggy. I would check the point setting to see if it has slipped, then check the static timing first to see if the distributor has rotated as they are easy to check. But one stuck carb is a good bet for an overnight sensation. Also more difficult to deal with.
A bad condensor will also make a car run like crap.

Many thanks to all of you (as usual) for your quick replies. Had a look at it this early Sunday morning and didnt even have to take out a spark plug to find the problem. Plug lead #1 isnt even attached to the distributor!

So my next question is, should I be looking at buying a new lead, or is it much scarier than that? Trying to shove the thing back in there is obviously a complete waste of time - theres nothing to hold it in place.

Keep it simple - already bitten off more than I can chew when it comes to cars and mechanics!...but very keen to learn.

Once again - muchly muchly appreciated!
This is so much easier than taking it to an MG shop where they talk over my head and into my wallet (and things still dont work!)

If ther is no metal tip on the end of that wire it may be stuck in the distributor cap. If you don't want to spend much money for now you can take that wire to a parts store and they can match it up with a replacement. A whole set would be better, but getting only one is an alternative.

Keep it simple and keep asking questions.

It actually wasnt a piece of metal stuck in the cap, but the end of a screw I could see. I took the plunge and removed the distrubutor cap and worked out a screw was just a bit too loose - this was the screw that pierced the ignition lead and held it in place in the cap!

All fixed now. Took her for a run around the block and shes happy again. Just goes to show keeping it simple is the best policy. So glad I didnt get all worked up and checking compressions thingiemajigs :)

Thank yooooou
Until next dilema...

Georgia