Guess the Fault

You'd crashed into something? :-)

Morse

Brake fluid has leaked from master cyl into the servo and then been sucked into the manifold?

Steve

it is 70's tho. no vac.

The ash tray was full Unfortunately speaking from experience of the build quality of marina's I could change the big ends in 2 hours and they would last 2000 miles.

Bob

Neil - Usenet ("Neil - Usenet" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I dunno whether Marinas had servos or not, but they were certainly about.

Brake servo letting fluid into the inlet manifold ?

brake pipe across the starter solenoid

Brake servo failure allowing brake fluid to be drawn into the engine inlet manifold via the vacuum hose and burnt causing the smoke.

clutch seal failed on the hydraulic cluthch and dumped fluid everywhere

'They all do that, Sir'

Cat decided to sleep under the warm bonnet on a cold, wet night. Next morning van drives off, cat starts to warm up and can't find its way out. Eventually cat spontaneously combusts, leading to the smoke. In its last few moments of life, the cat scrabbles around biting and tearing at stuff, cutting through the fuel and brake hoses, killing the engine and the brakes.

On opening the bonnet you see a barbecued feline, along with the broken hoses.

Am I close?

What about a rod through the side which has chopped a brake pipe and spewed oil on the exhaust.

"suddenly, the engine cut out" > fuel starvation. "smoke came from under the bonet" > fluid on exhaust manifold. "total brake failure! IE pedal went to the floor" > master cylinder emptied. "opening the bonet, the fault was seen" > pool of brake fluid fuming. "a bit unusual" > ?pool happened to be next to a rusted, open air intake >

flooding carburettor > fuel starvation.

Please look back on the fault re: Marina Van. (might have been an Escort, the old memory is going!) but I am sure as I can be, it was a Marina. The only clue I can think of is a design fault. I am not a mechanic! but I know what caused this. I will satnd by my promise to pay £10 to anyone who gets this!

Rodders

Broken belt, wrapped around a pulley, flailing about severing a brake pipe or hose, and HT lead?

John

Sorry John, but far off the mark. This was a genuine fault, can only be a design fault.

Rodders

Battery dislodged, live terminal touches brake pipe, heat either boils fluid or pinholes the pipe.