I seem to have an intermittent ignition fault at least that what it appears to be. Once going and twice coming back. It just sputters and putters, and eventually refuses to pull at all with a cloud of black smoke.
On each occasion, I pulled over as soon as I could, revved it a bit and then it seemed OK, even found myself doing 65mph on the M42 on the way when half an hour earlier, it was hard put to do 30 mph on the dark and winding road to Bromsgrove.
Oh well I meant to replace the distributor lead a while ago, after it let me down before, mind you could be anything, from damp in the distributor cap, to the coil I suppose.
Not only that but all the way home there was an annoying tinny rattle, I look under the bonnet and behind the lower pulley some sort of flange seems to have detached itseld. doesn't seem to make much difference to anything apart from being in an impossible place to get at,
What is it, and how important is it. ?