340 1.4 rough ans slow idling

[Two340'sman]

I vaguely remember the "Good-OK-Bad" meter. I'll look through my mags.

[Two340'sman]

Had a quick look through most of my magazines (not all are at this house) did not find the article on the CO meter, I have a vague recollection that the article contained a cartoon of a car with a puff of smoke coming out of it's exhaust.

I did come across June 1972 Practical Wireless with part 1 of constructing the PW electronic ignition system.

You seen very knowledgeable in electronics. I struggle, even though dealing with loads of stuff during 20 years of work at British Aerospace. I went there as a mechanical engineer, they kept putting me on electronics. Silly them.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Two340'sman

Had a quick look through most of my magazines (not all are at this house) did not find the article on the CO meter, I have a vague recollection that the article contained a cartoon of a car with a puff of smoke coming out of it's exhaust.

I did come across June 1972 Practical Wireless with part 1 of constructing the PW electronic ignition system.

Yo seen very knowledgeable in electronics. I struggle, even though dealing with loads of stuff during 20 years of work at British Aerospace. I went there as a mechanical engineer, they kept putting me on electronics. Silly them.

The cartoon image concurs with my memory of the article as well. The later one from PE in Jan 77 shows a cartoon style 1970 Mk1 Capri with a big cloud coming out of the right-hand tailpipe :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393116656831

You probably did a Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship like i did an Electrical and Electronic Engineering apprenticeship. My passions not only cover electronics but mechanical engineering as well so although part of my apprenticeship also trained me in mechanical engineering, there were no bits of paper for that.

I haven't had a look yet at reworking the design for the meter from that Heathkit drawing but if you go through the Gastester you can probably come up with a more accurate drawing when you compare component values.

Did a bit of research last night to see what the concentration % of CO is in the atmosphere - much lower than i thought! instead of 2% as i suspected, it's much lower so that's that theory out of the window! There must be a reason why the thermisotr based CO meters calibrate at 2% in free air, i just haven't found it yet!

[Two340'sman]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

The cartoon image concurs with my memory of the article as well. The later one from PE in Jan 77 shows a cartoon style 1970 Mk1 Capri with a big cloud coming out of the right-hand tailpipe :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393116656831

You probably did a Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship like i did an Electrical and Electronic Engineering apprenticeship. My passions not only cover electronics but mechanical engineering as well so although part of my apprenticeship also trained me in mechanical engineering, there were no bits of paper for that.

I haven't had a look yet at reworking the design for the meter from that Heathkit drawing but if you go through the Gastester you can probably come up with a more accurate drawing when you compare component values.

Did a bit of research last night to see what the concentration % of CO is in the atmosphere - much lower than i thought! instead of 2% as i suspected, it's much lower so that's that theory out of the window! There must be a reason why the thermisotr based CO meters calibrate at 2% in free air, i just haven't found it yet!

Blimey, I remember that PE one as well. Yes, I did City and Guilds Engineering, OND in Engineering and a sandwich course HND in Mechanical and Production Engineering, although there was quite a bit of electronics in this last course.

My friend may bring here his non working Gunsons analogue meter today.
He's the ex Mercedes mechanic, 30 years at Mercedes.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Two340'sman

Blimey, I remember that PE one as well. Yes, I did City and Guilds Engineering, OND in Engineering and a sandwich course HND in Mechanical and Production Engineering, although there was quite a bit of electronics in this last course.

My friend may bring here his non working Gunsons analogue meter today.
He's the ex Mercedes mechanic, 30 years at Mercedes.

Pretty similar to me and i also went on and did a Diploma in Automotive Lecetrical Systems too plus a few other related things through work.

Trouble is most of that was 30+ years ago now and i've forgotten a lot of what i haven't used regularly. Some of it comes back to me if i start doing something, other stuff i need to look up and remind myself.

Maybe you can fix your friends Gastester so you have at least one working one between the pair of you then using the readings from his components, figure out what might be wrong with yours.

[Two340'sman]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

The cartoon image concurs with my memory of the article as well. The later one from PE in Jan 77 shows a cartoon style 1970 Mk1 Capri with a big cloud coming out of the right-hand tailpipe :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393116656831

You probably did a Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship like i did an Electrical and Electronic Engineering apprenticeship. My passions not only cover electronics but mechanical engineering as well so although part of my apprenticeship also trained me in mechanical engineering, there were no bits of paper for that.

I haven't had a look yet at reworking the design for the meter from that Heathkit drawing but if you go through the Gastester you can probably come up with a more accurate drawing when you compare component values.

Did a bit of research last night to see what the concentration % of CO is in the atmosphere - much lower than i thought! instead of 2% as i suspected, it's much lower so that's that theory out of the window! There must be a reason why the thermisotr based CO meters calibrate at 2% in free air, i just haven't found it yet!

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Pretty similar to me and i also went on and did a Diploma in Automotive Lecetrical Systems too plus a few other related things through work.

Trouble is most of that was 30+ years ago now and i've forgotten a lot of what i haven't used regularly. Some of it comes back to me if i start doing something, other stuff i need to look up and remind myself.

Maybe you can fix your friends Gastester so you have at least one working one between the pair of you then using the readings from his components, figure out what might be wrong with yours.

I did all my study at Willesden Technical College NW London, it was a fantastic College. The Automobile section always intrigued me but I was not in it. This was where my Mercedes mechanic friend studied.

I always struggled with college stuff, found learning very hard! Probably never learnt stuff properly! In all my jobs most thought I was clever, in truth, I always struggled.

Yes, the other gas tester should help in getting one going.

In the late 60's as a young lad I worked for a Janspeed agent in London, great fun, lots of nice cars to play with!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Two340'sman

I did all my study at Willesden Technical College NW London, it was a fantastic College. The Automobile section always intrigued me but I was not in it. This was where my Mercedes mechanic friend studied.

I always struggled with college stuff, found learning very hard! Probably never learnt stuff properly! In all my jobs most thought I was clever, in truth, I always struggled.

Yes, the other gas tester should help in getting one going.

In the late 60's as a young lad I worked for a Janspeed agent in London, great fun, lots of nice cars to play with!

That was one of the reasons i went for an apprenticeship rather then college etc. Always found the "schoolroom" learning not good for me, despite getting some very good exam results at school.

In the late 80s/early 90s a friend of mine worked for Janspeed and it was the time they were developing the 820 Turbo for Rover alongside Tickford who produced the bodykit etc. He often had the demo model in the evenings, lucky git!

Hopefully by now you've made some progress with the Gastester?

[Two340'sman]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

That was one of the reasons i went for an apprenticeship rather then college etc. Always found the "schoolroom" learning not good for me, despite getting some very good exam results at school.

In the late 80s/early 90s a friend of mine worked for Janspeed and it was the time they were developing the 820 Turbo for Rover alongside Tickford who produced the bodykit etc. He often had the demo model in the evenings, lucky git!

Hopefully by now you've made some progress with the Gastester?

Just been typing this!

Well, my friend brought round two Gunsons gastesters, a Mk 1 and a Mk 2. The Mk 1 does differ, has different scale markings for one thing.

Mine is a Mk 2. My friends Mk 2 was in a box and all in pieces, in poor condition, bent meter needle, wire off the meter movement and as you said the setting pot, the slider was not making contact with the track.

I removed the pot from my unit, fitted it to his unit, carefully bent the needle as straight as I could get it, mechanically zeroed the movement and with some hot glue re-assembled stuff. The system is very badly mechanically designed!

Applied battery power and switched to check, needle moved full scale, so good so far. Switched to the other position and I could adjust the reading to 2%. Brilliant!

Warmed up car engine and tested CO, got a reading of 2.5%.

Adjusted down to 1.3 % and went to fill with petrol, did about 7 miles, car perfek.

Not sure what I’ll do with the other Mk 2 gastester to fix it. Now we have a working one, I'm a bit loathed to disturb it.

I think the problem with the rough slow tickover might have been grot in the carb, fiddling with the idle mixture screw may have dislodged it.

[Two340'sman]

The Janspeed agent owner had lots of cars, I got to drive most of them. E-Type Jag, Jag XK 120, Aston Martin DB" perhaps, Jensen Interceptor, Bentley, Austin A40 with an MGB engine, Daimler Dart, MG Midget (of course with lots of Janspeed stuff), Mini Cooper S. and a Mini van with a 1275 engine. Probably other cars that I have forgotten, but his favourite was the Cooper S. The car went on display at main BMC agent Stewart and Arden in London.

Although a great enthusiast the Janspeed agent owner was a terrible mechanic, and terrible driver! Used to regularly crash his racing Mini, which was V fast, would out accelerate Jags in a straight line. I hope he does not read this post!

[Two340'sman]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

That was one of the reasons i went for an apprenticeship rather then college etc. Always found the "schoolroom" learning not good for me, despite getting some very good exam results at school.

In the late 80s/early 90s a friend of mine worked for Janspeed and it was the time they were developing the 820 Turbo for Rover alongside Tickford who produced the bodykit etc. He often had the demo model in the evenings, lucky git!

Hopefully by now you've made some progress with the Gastester?

Janspeed was (perhaps still is) in Salisbury, I used to go down there sometimes, occasionally would meet Jan.

I think I was just slow to learn! the Tech College couldn't really have been better!