Jak, I'd suspect that your SPICA microswitch is stuck in the "ON" position and causing the decel solenoid to be activated. Your engine is starting with the help of the cold start solenoid but once that gas runs out, the decel solenoid is holding the pump in a very lean condition. Remove the wire from the decel solenoid and see if it remains started.
My recent experience: on Summit Points' Shenandoah circuit a month ago, my GTV suddenly lost power to where I had to continually pump the throttle to keep it running. I limped into the pits and stopped the the car where it immediately died. I had already removed the decel's wire long ago so I consulted my local Alfa mech via cell phone. He said that the sometimes the plunger/jet needle that the decel solenoid acts upon gets stuck and will not return to its correct position. I removed the solenoid from the pump and made sure that the plunger/jet needle was moving freely (which it was). I screwed the solenoid back in and it ran fine ever since. I've no idea the real reason it started acting up but at least it is "fixed". Bruce > Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:55:37 +0000 > From: "doskow, j" <[email protected]> > Subject: [alfa] spica problem ? > > > > i tried to drive my 1974 spica spider today, which has been running really > well for the past few years, it would start fine and run smoothly for a > second > maybe then quit. it seems like when a linkage end had broken & the > throttle > was operating the spica pump but not the throttles which were stuck open, > but i checked all those things - all OK, as well as the connections to the > cold start & decel solenoids. fuel pressure seems OK too, has anyone had > this > happen ? -- to be removed from alfa, see http://www.digest.net/bin/digest-subs.cgi or email "unsubscribe alfa" to [email protected]
