my a14 is running really rough, and it gets worse as it warms up to the point where you cant rev it at all and have to sit there for ages trying to get the revs high enough (about 5000) to just drop it and make it off the spot without it dying cos of how rough it is. i took it to a mechanic yesterday and he didnt know what it was. he suggested it might be a wiring/ignition problem, i have replaced everything though, i put a new coil in about a week go along with new points, plugs, leads, condenser and dizzy cap. another thought was an air leak? or a fuel leak in the carby dripping into the manifold. does anyone know what this could be? anoy help would be much appreciated

Take it to a mechanic who knows how to fix the easiest engine in the world.

i think i fixed the problem, swapped the coil wires round to what i think now might be the right position but now it doesnt want to start untill i let go of the key. i think i can remember reading something about this somewhere else so ill do a search. also i tried to start it and it blew stem or something out the side of the engine, couldnt see where from tho it looked like it may have come from the 4th plug. had a weird smeel too... not another head gasket... ???

you need to put the ballast bypass wire back on, thats why it wont start until the key is released

waht is that and where does it go/come from etc?
i put a new ignition barrel in the other day, could it be that the wires to that are round the wrong way

possibly, its the other power feed to the coil, that operates during cranking, the other wire comes from the ballast resistor

it was a dodgey connection to the battary, the steam only comes out every now and then and only when you start it it seems, its only a tiny little puff and it looks like its either coming out of the rocker cover or head gasket, it looks like its the rocker and comes out behind the block so its hard to see propperly

Smell like head gasket. Time to give it a compression check. Also (when cold) remove the radiator cap start the engine and see if there are bubbles in the radiator (bad sign).

Have you checked the plugs?

Could be a cracked head.

radiator seems to be fine and i just got the head serviced so i dunno ill just see wat happens