Spearos Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Hi all, On the way home from work tonight my 90 V8 cut out (typical it happened on a busy roundabout!), upon closer inspection the distributor appeared wet. Removal of the cap and a quick wipe/dry seemed to solve the problem - although the vehicle did stutter after being stationary at junctions etc. I'm thinking maybe the thermostat gasket has failed or at least is leaking and soaking the distributor causing the engine to cut out? This would also explain the stuttering after being stationary as I assume under this condition the water can penetrate the distibutor but when the vehicle is in motion leaked coolant is being blown away from the distributor because of the airflow from the front of the vehicle? Am I talking carp, or is it common that a leaking thermostat gasket can cause havoc with getting the distributor wet? What would you guys check, or what would you suggest I do? It is a 3.5 running on SU carbs. Cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diff Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Hi all,On the way home from work tonight my 90 V8 cut out (typical it happened on a busy roundabout!), upon closer inspection the distributor appeared wet. Removal of the cap and a quick wipe/dry seemed to solve the problem - although the vehicle did stutter after being stationary at junctions etc. I'm thinking maybe the thermostat gasket has failed or at least is leaking and soaking the distributor causing the engine to cut out? This would also explain the stuttering after being stationary as I assume under this condition the water can penetrate the distibutor but when the vehicle is in motion leaked coolant is being blown away from the distributor because of the airflow from the front of the vehicle? Am I talking carp, or is it common that a leaking thermostat gasket can cause havoc with getting the distributor wet? What would you guys check, or what would you suggest I do? It is a 3.5 running on SU carbs. Cheers, Mark Yes, any water on or in the dizzy of a v8 can cause it to cut out. It is commonly caused by water hitting the outside of the dizzy cap, resulting in condensation on the inside which results in the sparks tracking to earth. Obviously if the leads and their connections are poor then the sparks will track to earth with the water on the outside too. Regards, Diff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearos Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 Thanks diff, I never did really know how water exactly water affects the distributor. I guess the first thing to do is to determine if the thermostat gasket is actually leaking, if it is, then fix that and see if it cures the problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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