Changed the leads; it's got much better. Car doesn't try to stall at junctions; idles with very few misfires, as compared to constant yesterday, however it's still bunnyhopping when you change up a gear, and if you accelerate harshly in any gear it doesn't like it at all, and jolts back and forth. Extreme bouts of hesitiation is how it's best described.

Am going to check the plugs in a mo.

Try replacing plugs and coil packs.

Check resistance of coolant temperature sender with multi meter.

Pep0 said:

Try replacing plugs and coil packs.

Click to expand...

Will do. Luckily I have a spare coil pack...

Pep0 said:

Check resistance of coolant temperature sender with multi meter.

Click to expand...

What should the range of resistance be? Also, unless I remove it from the head and pour hot water over it, I won't be able to measure the resistance range? Should I do this?

Try multi meter resistance in situ, engine cold and after you next do a run. The nominal values lurk some on the forum...

Noel

Just pulled the plugs, got to plug 2 and...



And from a different angle


http://techjournal.webs.com/sp2.jpg
Clearly the ceramic is cracked in 2 places. Now I know it wasn't like that when it went it, as I checked them. I must have overtightened it.

Note both pics are of plugs 1 & 2

First the head is aluminium and you either need to be real careful about the amount of torque you employ or learn how to tap heliciols...

Second over torquing should not crack an insulator you need to use a good quality plug spanner really carefully and deliberatly.

Stripped many a thread but never cracked an insulator... yet.

Noel

Not overtightened, improper engagement of the socket or not using a proper plug socket. I'd replace the lot.

fingers99 said:

Not overtightened, improper engagement of the socket or not using a proper plug socket. I'd replace the lot.

Click to expand...

I used a proper plug socket, (just a generic one, not a recognised tool maker) but I guess I could have applied force when the socket was at a wierd angle. I don't ever seem to get a good fit of the spark plug socket, it always seems loose and wobbly... I'm thinking an overhaul of my tool collection is needed as a priority, a lot of it is no-name stuff

I have changed them all over to spare Bosch plugs that have done less than 1000 miles, now I'm gonna see how it drives...

Well the car now starts and drives fine!

The servo is working as it should now too!

Seems the slight blow on the exhaust which was there before the HG job has got worse, no doubt due to the fact I disturbed the exhaust by unbolting the clip holding the first part of the exhaust on, underneath the car, but without undoing that I couldn't get the manifold forwards enough

Thanks for all your help everyone,

A relieved GP3000000!

One more point: I bled the cooling system cold but couldn't get more than a trickle out of the top bleed valve, whereas the bleed valve by the headlight let water out readily.

I repeated this after driving a short distance and it was the same. Top bleed valve unwilling to give up any water.

I drove a further distance and now the top bleed valve was letting out water, at a pressure too, small bubbles of air every now and then, but tons of water coming out! After a while the bubbles are getting fewer and far between - do I just stop when it's mainly water coming out, I mean, I could sit there forever with smaller and smaller bubbles coming out... Isn't the cooling system pressurised? Surely that means it needs air, because water doesn't compress?

Top up the header tank when cold to max, then run it for a week and let all the air out of the heater matrix bleed, when warmish, dont worry about air bubbles.

Your fan should come on a lot in this weather if it does not address that immediately rather then take out a HG again.

Noel

OK, Thanks Noel, will do that.

Just to say thanks to everyone who has helped me during this, couldn't have done it without all your help! And the car even seems a little more powerful than before.