Much like the iconic Greek figure, the Land Rover has not made much progress, despite the toiling.
The learn-as-you-go process is as frustrating as it is rewarding. Every night brings a new discovery about how engines work. At the same time I have to consider the big picture. Can I really figure out what is wrong when I don’t have the big picture? I’m apprenticing to an internet master.
That might strike readers as hyperbole, elevating Rovers beyond their marquee. But the analog holds. An apprentice knows more than the average joe about a topic, but still relatively little compared to the engineer who designed the thing. Thats me – the apprentice.
I get that the carburetor works on the vacuum produced by the engine to suck in more gas which burns faster when you press the pedal down…. but really, thats scraping the surface. It turns out that if a battery isn’t up to snuff that the engine may not idle perfectly, regardless of what the alternater is putting out. Who knew? So while I am chasing the timing, maybe its just a weak battery…or maybe its a bad wire…or maybe the dizzy (gear that controls timing of the distributor) is bad, or maybe its a spark plug… turns out they can all lead to the same symptoms. How do you know which to troubleshoot first?
The challenge now is bringing back the spark – pun intended. I’ve got great help via the Rovers North Forums (http://www.roversnorth.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17) and I’m remembering mantra of patience. But at some point I have to remember that timing an engine is an art and maybe not the domain of the apprentice.
I have a few more tricks up my sleeve. The brakes are coming together and should be easy enough. After that, it may be time to turn things over a master. I’m close to reconciling the idea that its not giving up if I take it to someone who can save me from doing more harm.
If we don’t see you on the road, then check back here soon!