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80 tr7 losing power

Posted: 19 Jul 2009 11:18
by john lewis
hi brand new to tr7 always like them bought 1 last night on ebay as usually i put cart in front of horse it has carb problem guy tells me he will be driving lose all rpms downshift and it comes back then works good for rest of day any ideas what is wrong got 300 miles to drive to get home thanking u in advance john

Posted: 20 Jul 2009 05:29
by andyf
That could be any number of things although I would be surprised if just downshifting would clear the problem for the rest of the day. If I had to guess I would say it is contaminated fuel. The TR7 has a habit of rusting its petrol tank on the inside.
See if it has an inline fuel filter fitted. If yes, change it, if not then fit one. This may help for a while although the longer term solution is tank replacement.

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1980 persian aqua DHC

Posted: 20 Jul 2009 22:02
by john lewis
thanks,he says tank replaced so ill check filter,decided to trailer rather then drive,no sense taking a chace and end up hating the little thing before i get a chance to enjoy it so thanks again hope to get a few pics ill try and post

Posted: 20 Jul 2009 22:51
by bmcecosse
Drive it home ! Just make sure you have recovery insurance. It could just be needing a good run to clear away the cobwebs.

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Posted: 21 Jul 2009 05:49
by andyf
That`s good news as it`s a git of a job. Maybe as BMC suggests, a really good blast is in order.

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1980 persian aqua DHC

Posted: 24 Jul 2009 21:21
by john lewis
drive sounds good only problem it will take at least 2 weeks to get a passport hoping to have it delivered next week but cant wait to drive sounds like u both think a good run may help that is good cause it appears to be it great shape and i was a little concerned about it losing power hoping it is as siple as filter be better if it needs a good "blast" would that mean drive it to the end of powerband or full revs before shifting or just drive at 60mph for a while and thanks again for help i imagine ill need a lot john

Posted: 25 Jul 2009 18:29
by bmcecosse
Just a good drive - increasing speed as you gain confidence. It's really just to clear out all the cob-webs, clear the fuel passages - that sort of thing.

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Posted: 11 Aug 2009 20:04
by john lewis
hi me again i got car the loss of power that happens once a day happens every 5 min hard way to drive read a few articles about loss on forum wondering what test do u do to check ign module that is in coil mount there was alot of mold on car both inside and out thinking that it may of shorted out i see a rec. in car for 1500 worth of work trying to fix rough ride new headgasket , tank ,filter hoping to get in touch with local carb.guy who is spose to be good maybe it is just a carb problem at idle she rev about 10 sometimes it kicks out and almost stalls sometimes she does stall already im calling it a she ha ha thanks for whatever help u may have

Posted: 11 Aug 2009 20:20
by ObiRichKanobi
Where are you? If in the states, you can pull the module and take it to your nearest Autozone and they will test it for free. That's assuming that you're talking the Delco system where the coin and module are mounted on the inside of the right front wheel well.

If so, the modules are known for failing if they get hot. Make sure you use thermal grease between the module and the housing when reinstalling it. If the module is bad, not a problem...it's a Delco D-1906, used in millions of vehicles in the 80's...and readily available just about anywhere.

1980 TR7 Spider, Bosch Jetronics EFI.

Posted: 11 Aug 2009 20:23
by PeterTR7V8
This maybe bad fuel. TR7s have a reputation for accumulating water/rust in the tank. Install a glass type fuel filter in the fuel line in the engine bay & see what it catches. Drain the tank if you can. If it is just water caused by condensation & lack of use this will fix the problem. If the tank is rusty it will probably need reair or replacement. Do a search on the forum for "rust" & "tank" & you will find a LOT of info.

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Never say die. At least not while you're still breathing.

Posted: 12 Aug 2009 21:14
by john lewis
im in saint john nb canada i replaced fuel filter old 1 u could blow tru,but in doing that i ran across a black wire not pluged in to nothing i wraped it around fuel filter so it wasnt touching anything and i started car and drove away without it getting warm or having the choke shut down car worked good for about 10 miles then i had to shut off and start again to go another mile and it acted bad twice but i was on a big hill and might have been in wrong gear the tack looked like it went to 0 2 times but it went right back up in first 10 miles i droped it off with a guy that used to work on them at the dealers 30 yrs ago and he was going to look at it ill let u know what happens next

Posted: 15 Aug 2009 09:41
by john lewis
well it is not carburation it is ignition i see instalation info on ALLISON OPTO BREAKERLESS IGNITION DOES ANY BODY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM what would be a good replacement and is it a big job guy says everything is joyrigged so it is very hard to follow hoses and wiring there are a lot wires not hooked up anyplace where i can get diagram of hoses and wires any help wold be appreciated thanks john

Posted: 15 Aug 2009 13:36
by Dan B
Hey John,

The wire that was dangling....was that near the carbs? I had one like that. It turned out to be the wire for the throttle jack. Mine is an A/C car, so it has a throttle jack to raise the idle when the AC is turned on. That shouldn't have any effect on your power.

When I first got my TR4A, there was crud in the gas tank, even some leaves and debris. The fuel pump would draw it toward the tank outlet, which it would plug up, sometimes slowly, starving the car for fuel. I had to take the tank out and clean it out. I was surprised at all the stuff that came out. Some of the pieces were big enough to cover the outlet without going into the pipe. Could it be something like that?

Posted: 16 Aug 2009 00:31
by FI Spyder
It's tough when the PO *******ized everything. How do you know it's not carbs? Could be fuel starvation (dirt/rust in fuel line/tank/carbs,) N/A emissions are a sealed system so if plugged it will develope a vacuum in gas tank starving the carbs. Ignition (component failure when hot). Pertronix is a common electronic module in N/A. Parts books are a source for where hoses go, Victoria British etc. (car won't run right with a vacuum leak). For electrics download manual from jclay's website and it will have electrical diagrams for your car.

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra
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Posted: 20 Aug 2009 22:07
by john lewis
the wire was near the gas filter it was a ground doesnt seem to go to anything well the carb guy said carbs sound good he thinks it is some kind of electric short in ignition cause tack just drops i changed gas filter it was clean and they change tanks already it stalls out then it starts up right away when u downshift so really i cant see it being gas related cause it seems to have the gas there to keep going i may be wrong i really dont know, good news is that radio stopped working and now car is driveable it will die out every now and then perhaps 2 times in 10 miles but it will keep going so im hoping a good blast may help expecting a huricane this weekend off next week playing to take her on a few little trips blow the carbon out see what happens thanks to all out there that are willing to help just a little side story car got backed into in carb guys yard so much for original paint but little car is in great shape body wise and with help im sure we can make this little baby a proud ride