Hi everyone, i have used that title so this may help someone who types in exactly that when theire V8 wont start. Last sunday after beating a pal clay pigeon shooting we left the shooting ground and headed for the local watering hole. Him being a little narked was giving his motor loads of wellie, i had to keep up as i didnt know this pub. My vehicle- Defender 90 all new orange pollybush kit, uprated shocks and springs and goodridge ATs (what else). Engine- 3.9 V8 from a rangerover classic running on a nicely balanced pair of SU s. I have had this landi 6 years and its been wonderfull. So i was giving the old girl some ted, it was country lanes and lots of junctions where i was flooring it to keep up. Our speeds rarely went above 50 mph so it wasnt as reckless as it might sound but i was having to floor it to keep up going through the gears. We got to the pub and she just started banging and popping and i lost power, she would tick over but popped and banged when you put any revs on. She then stopped and would not start. Cracked a fuel line to a carb and it was pumping so it wasnt fuel, took a plug out and it sparked although seemed weak so sent a pal for a coil. He came back with a new coil and another distributor. I had a powerspark electronic ignition dizzy fitted with a remote amplifier on the bulkhead. changed the coil and fitted the rover dizzy with its amplifier on the side.. NO DIFFERENCE exept it tried to fire once or twice, pulled HT lead from coil out of the dizzy cap and nervously held it in a motorcycle glove 1/4 inch off the engine, you could have welded with the spark, looked at plugs weak spark. Much scratching of head, fuel, sparks, but wont start. Old boy came out of pub and asked the problem, i politley told him what i had tried , he thought a moment and said "see if she will jump a spark from the same lead (coil to dizzy) on the rotor arm" (another dizzy but same rotor arm off the one i removed) it sparked on to the rotor arm, i borrowed a rotor arm from a guy in the pub who was in a rangey and she fired up and ran as sweet as anything. THE BLOODY ROTOR ARM thats all it was you just wouldnt have thought it. Moral of this is listen to old boys in pubs eh. Hope this helps somebody.
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