wet plugs

My 308 GTB (carb) repeatedly wets its plugs up with fuel on both banks at start up which makes it run bad. Not all the plugs just 1,2,3,8 possibly 6 - the others seam ok but are very dark but not wet. I have changed the extenders and plugs but still have the problem . Could this be a coil problem or maybe a fuel pump pressure - its running original coils and pump.

 

The car is not running points but the original single distributor with twin magnetic pick ups. There are then two amplifiers for the twin original coils. Spark plug wires are new. Did try screwing in the carb adjust screws on the offending carbs but it seems to make no difference - fuel is still getting through and flooding. Car is running 50 idles and 130 mains. Seems to keep flooding throughout the rev range. Hav'nt driven as roads are salty since winter storage just though I'd run it up to temp in the garage and its running on 6/7 cylinders.

Not using choke on start up and car still runs bad when warmed up ie problem doesn't clear and its driving me nuts!!!!

Forgot to say car is euro dry sump.

Just found another post in technical which says once fouled plugs need replacing and won't run properly again - ??

Just remembered I had the same problem with a 78 GT4 which ran exactly the same ignition system. Only fitting an MSD system cured it but I don't really want to go to the expense of that here. It must be possible for the original system to function properly?

 

Could resist going into the garage to have another look even though its 11pm here. Decided to pull the distributor cap and all the terminals are green and corroded. There is also a brass ring in the middle which is broken in one place. All of which explains the problem I guess.

 

Big Tex, carbs could well be leaking down fuel as I just added some redex petrol cleaner additive stuff and this really helped the two troublesome plugs on cylinders 1 and 3. Cleaning the distributer cap helped but still kept getting these two plugs foul up. Also finally changed these two for new and it ran fine. As you say if the plugs foul up - toss them as they just don't seem to run right again.

I just hope it starts up and runs ok nextime............

 

Still no solution. Arghhhhhhhhh!!! Car is still running bad and now started backfiring/spitting out of carb on cylinders 1 and 2. Cylinders 1,2,3,4 now wet. Thought this might be an idnition problem so replaced both coils and mini amplifiers. No good.

Car is off to mechanic tomorrow on trailer. He thinks it could be a cambelt issue - and I think he could be right - belt on cylinder 1-4 appears very tight and a crack sound can be heard when the engine is switched off. Belt on cylinder 5-8 is very loose but this bank is not wetting plugs. Could one of the tensioners have gone leading to a belt slip a tooth??

 

Will do. Did a search and the plugs look just like those in the post "gt4 unbelievable backfire " although can't figure out howto highlight this post.

Havedone compression test and all ok I think at 145/150 psi on cold engine.

I notice that the gt4 car had the same type of magnetic pickup on the single dizzy. Whilst there does seem to be a cambelt issue, the problem does seem abit intermitant ie I have got the car running on 8 serval times with no fouling of plugs. Go back start it again and there is a problem .

Will post what the Ferrari Specialist finds when it goes in.

 

Unbelievably I've just got it running on all 8 again. This is mad. Changed one coil lead (1-4) and touched the 1-4 distrib cam sensor but didn't change it. Put the old coil lead back on and it was still fine. So my guess is its an intermittant fault on the magnetic distributoe sensor for 1-4 bank. The 1-4 cambelt is way to tight though so must havebeen installed incorrrectly or can they tighten up? Anyhow I'm going to get it transported to the Ferrari Specialist to change the belts and see what he thinks.

 

Yes.

 

Ok an update. Ferrari Specialist has sorted car and I pick it up on Thursday. Turns out cam timing was ok after all but three of the plugs had gone dead (due to the flooding I think), tappets were too tight and the small brass ring in the dizzy was loose, carbs and timing abit out.

Strange thing is I changed the plugs and the flooding looks like it killed them also. So if you flood the car bad ie wet plugs as someone else said throw them and buy some more £10 for 8.