Huge yank shite - odd jobs.

[Felly Magic]

Ramrod the Cumbrian pimp LOL

[eddyramrod]

I'm already driving the pimp car!

[Clanger]

I know this has already been suggested and rejected Dan but, these efi throttle bodies can still maintain the appearance of a carb while giving much better performance and reliability.

 

https://www.holley.com/products/fuel_systems/fuel_injection/sniper_efi/

 

http://fitechefi.com/products/go-efi-kits/

[danthecapriman]

I know this has already been suggested and rejected Dan but, these efi throttle bodies can still maintain the appearance of a carb while giving much better performance and reliability.

 

https://www.holley.com/products/fuel_systems/fuel_injection/sniper_efi/

 

http://fitechefi.com/products/go-efi-kits/

I don't know...

I'm a bit of a technophobe tbh. And I'm not a fan of modern tech in old cars really. It just seems to take away a bit of the originality and feel from how they're meant to be. (Other opinions are available before I get flamed!)

I've got electronic ignition already, but that's only because it's getting harder to find decent condensers, it's also all hidden 100% from view so nobody would know anyway.

I still think the carb is a perfectly fine way of doing things, it's just irritating this has happened. There's still millions of old carb cars running around perfectly happy.

[DodgeRover]

Just needs using more it will be fine

[Junkman]

Possibly. Possibly not.

Just given it's previous history it's pissed me right off. I'd rather it was right though as it's a right twat to drive when it's playing hell. Plus, as you might of gathered, I'm incredibly anal about this car given my investment in it. It is literally the most expensive thing I own or have ever owned so it being nothing short of spot dick on is unacceptable to me!!

 

That'll be the 13 and a random for me, please.

[xtriple]

Seriously, just drain the carb, strip and clean the float chamber/valve seat and any jets (carb cleaner in a can is brilliant stuff for getting gum off), make sure its got a fuel filter close to the carb (so you can see if there's any shit in there) and then drive and enjoy. Carbs are simple (I like simple) and when right are great.

 

Having had multiple bikes at the same time and not using them enough, the carbs gumming up was a common and frequent problem especially since UK fuel became utterly shit, I used to always turn the fuel off (on bikes with taps) and run them until they died as otherwise, another carb strip was not far away. In fact, my wifes brand new CCM was an absolute bitch and if left for more than a few days wouldn't start with the now stale fuel in the bowl! That was the bike that made me start running them dry before putting them away.

 

Modern fuel is rubbish but I use super unleaded in the Bentley and that seems to stay fresh for longer... could be my imagination or me trying to justify £1.30 a litre!

[danthecapriman]

YEE-HAW! It's fixed!

 

Went and picked up the ungrateful old swine this afternoon.

 

Anybody care to guess what the issue was?

 

 

Yep, All you lot that said the carb float/needle are bang on and owed a pint on me.

They got the engine to start playing up again after I'd dropped it off (after I temporarily fixed it by twatting it with a spanner) so it was going to be a consistent issue without being fixed.

The problem was the float bowl was absolutely full of brown rusty shit in the bottom. The exact same shit that blocked the pump and filter last year. The cause of that was the tank being rotten and full of filth.

Somehow it appears that we fixed the tank and pump with brand new items last year but some shit had managed to get past the fuel filter into the carburettor, sitting there for a year before becoming a problem. Eventually it must have worked it's way into the float/needle and jammed it solid at the top causing it to overfuel massively.

How the hell the shit got past the filter I've no idea but it did! Goes to show that even a filter isn't completely the solution if you've got an issue like this.

 

Anyway, the carbs been fully stripped and cleaned out then reassembled. Then it's been set up properly again and the timing etc checked at the same time. Then finally the spark plugs were all replaced as they were black and fouled up.

It's running spot on again now.

Despite my rage and loss of patience earlier with this I'm not going to get rid of it! I can't and I don't want to! It's such an awesome car!

I've just got to keep it run more often now I think. Lack of use seems to be this cars biggest enemy now.

 

In other news, my mate from work brought his fiancé over this afternoon to have a look at the car with a view to using it as their wedding car in May next year.

They both absolutely love the thing! And who could blame them! They really want to use it so I'll be doing that next year! Should look great buffed up with a ribbon up front outside the church!

[DodgeRover]

Good news! I wonder if the rusty carp had been sat about in the lines/ pump/ carb after the filter and just gradually accumulated where it could cause a problem.

[danthecapriman]

Good news! I wonder if the rusty carp had been sat about in the lines/ pump/ carb after the filter and just gradually accumulated where it could cause a problem.

Must have been. The tank was full of rusty silt which had been sat inside since the cars lay up in 1995. I think, once I'd got it back into running use that was enough to start stirring up all the crap in the tank which was then sucked into the fuel lines. They got blocked and it also killed the fuel pump! The filter was solid with it too.

I replaced the tank and pump, blew out the lines and changed the filter.

But some must have got passed the filter and/or into the lines which is what caused this issue. It's the only place it could be from as everything now is either new or been cleaned and put back on.

I suppose if the old filter got blocked bad enough there's a limit to how much it can stop? Eventually it'll start failing to filter properly.

There was a fair bit in the carb though. Some was bigger solid rusty flakes but some was almost like brown jelly! It's not surprising really that it didn't like it.

 

I suppose aswell, the only thing you can do to fuel lines is blow air down them and flush through with petrol. If the shit was stuck to the insides it won't necessarily come away that easily.

[Zelandeth]

If there has been that much crud in the system the best bet is to replace the lines. It will have coated the inner surfaces and will flake off in tiny bits basically for ever more.

 

...not what you want to hear when the lines are an absolute swine to change on some cars.

 

The only other thing I can think would be to find some suitably violent cleaning agent that might shift it, and set up a system to circulate it for a decent amount of time through the system (disconnected at either end from the carb/tank obviously) to shift it. Might even be that a water based cleaner/detergent would work...just because the stuff doesn't dissolve in petrol doesn't mean it won't in water...

 

At the very least I'd make a point of checking the state of the float bowl after a couple of hundred miles to see whether it's an ongoing issue still, or if the crud is now mostly gone.

 

Above all else though given the relatively low use, it probably wants a decent length of a run at decent speed. Will probably help wake the old beast up no end.

[andy18s]

The brown jelly would be the fuel starting to go off

You'll need to start adding stabilizers and stuff over the winter

And keep using it of course.....

[danthecapriman]

Good advice.

I'll get it out this weekend and give it a good long distance run. It does improve the more it's used that's for sure, it was quite rough and 'tight' when it first went on the road again but gradually it is freeing up and feeling better.

Even the steering and suspension is the same.

[mercrocker]

Good news, Dan.   It's amazing how our mojo for life becomes dependent upon all this old shit we own....  

 

All my cars have had new carbs in the past two or three years (or completely rebuilt units) except the injected Merc and it removes an awful lot of pain.    

 

I only ever run on Shell Optimax too, it does really seem to "keep" longer.    I never have any issues laying up my van for four or five months....

[danthecapriman]

Good news, Dan.   It's amazing how our mojo for life becomes dependent upon all this old shit we own....  

 

All my cars have had new carbs in the past two or three years (or completely rebuilt units) except the injected Merc and it removes an awful lot of pain.    

 

I only ever run on Shell Optimax too, it does really seem to "keep" longer.    I never have any issues laying up my van for four or five months....

I must admit this is the first time I've suffered with this. My Transit got about 1/3 of a tank of cheapo 95 unleaded in September last year. It was then left completely unused until August this year when it was fired up and driven again. It seemed perfectly fine! Though I have stuck £20 of fresh super unleaded in just in case.

This particular car has just taken a huge effort to bring back to life since it came over from the states. One thing after another! Fingers crossed it's now sorted.

 

I'll get it out Saturday if it's dry and put some fresh fuel in then before winter really sets in I'll add some fuel stabiliser or something similar.

[SiC]

You can't really blame it for this one.

 

I wonder if the filter was faulty and the element was set properly in the casing. Hence letting crud through.

 

Makes me want to strip my carbs down and check. Especially that float bowl. It's been sat around nearly as long and bought back into action suddenly.

[danthecapriman]

You can't really blame it for this one.

I wonder if the filter was faulty and the element was set properly in the casing. Hence letting crud through.

Makes me want to strip my carbs down and check. Especially that float bowl.

No, I can't really blame it. It's just a thing with such an old car I think.

 

The old fuel filter was a cheapy motor factors jobby so it's possible it was of dubious quality. The new one is a more expensive one with a somesuch micron filter element in it.

I've heard of these cheap inline filters disintegrating before now though, the paper filter stuff starts falling apart and getting sucked into the carb.

 

It'd be interesting to see what's in your B's carbs. And in its fuel tank for that matter, especially as it's the same age as this.

Oddly the 1974 tank out of my Capri is pretty clean inside. Very very little rust or sediments in it.

[SiC]

I think actually it might not be too bad in the tank. I'm basing that on that the filter is coming through clean. Not sure if I'd want to cut open a tank full of petrol fumes though mind. I'm going to outsource the job to my local garage as the fastenings are rusty and I don't like the idea of a leaky tank going up with a small spark when spannering! It would mean though that I probably won't get to see it removed unfortunately.

[danthecapriman]

I think actually it might not be too bad in the tank. I'm basing that on that the filter is coming through clean. Not sure if I'd want to cut open a tank full of petrol fumes though mind. I'm going to outsource the job to my local garage as the fastenings are rusty and I don't like the idea of a leaky tank going up with a small spark when spannering! It would mean though that I probably won't get to see it removed unfortunately.

I know what you mean.

When the original tank came out of this the contents were poured through several filter papers. What was left behind in the papers was masses of bright orange 'sand'. There was enough of it to grab handfills of it. It was of course rust not sand but that's what it looked like.

 

There's actually a pic on the Maxi thread of the inside of a carb full of mank. It looks very similar to what was in mine.

[Spottedlaurel]

Well done on persevering and getting it sorted.

 

At the different end of the size spectrum I had a carb issue with the 1200 that was really annoying. Such a shame, as I knew it should be such a reliable and usable little car but it meant I couldn't trust or enjoy it. A rebuild kit eventually sorted the problem, and I've had an enjoyable summer with it (including trips in pretty grim conditions).

 

I did wonder if rust inside the tank was the fault of it, but it seems not. The tank is inside the car, not hung underneath. Perhaps the latter are more at risk of rusting away?

[mercrocker]

I have two ordinary disposable filters on my cars - one at the tank end, the other at the carb end.   I change them both annually but that at the tank end is always the dirtiest which I suppose stands to reason.   I was a bit concerned about the amount of crud that came out of the Cowley tank but the only trouble I have had is when I thought the tank filter would be alright for another few weeks....

[Clanger]

In other news, my mate from work brought his fiancé over this afternoon to have a look at the car with a view to using it as their wedding car in May next year.

They both absolutely love the thing! And who could blame them! They really want to use it so I'll be doing that next year! Should look great buffed up with a ribbon up front outside the church!

I am seeing a possible connection to the online dating thread here Dan...

 

Bride + Wedding = Bridesmaids.  If you're there in your Sunday best with the Mercury all shiny n shizz you may just be the best thing that some of these lasses have laid eyes on... forward planning Dan...

[Guest Hooli]

Makes me want to strip my carbs down and check. Especially that float bowl. It's been sat around nearly as long and bought back into action suddenly.

 

Do it, you can't get much simpler than a SU to work on.

 

 

Glad the monster is fixed Dan, nice to hear it was nowt serious.

[Zelandeth]

Just a shame it doesn't have the clear window on the side of the float bowl like I've seen on something.  Think it was something on something odd like an old Nissan pickup actually...know it was a straight six, that's the extent of my knowledge however.

[PhilA]

Funny you should say that, I was just thinking this. If it has the big nut in the side you can buy a windowed nut to go in so you can at least eyeball the level.

 

Sounds like a good candidate for a second filter (clear plastic jobby) just before the carb.

 

Phil

[Heidel_Kakao]

Just a shame it doesn't have the clear window on the side of the float bowl like I've seen on something.  Think it was something on something odd like an old Nissan pickup actually...know it was a straight six, that's the extent of my knowledge however.

 

 

Could have been a Nikki carb, they are the only one I know of that have the glass window.

Edit, actually it was probably a Hitachi DCH328 or DCH340. I wonder why more carbs don't have windows in them?

 

 

 

[Zelandeth]

Simple answer: cost.

[Junkman]

Tom's Datsun has one of these.

 

[andy18s]

nikki.jpg

 

Could have been a Nikki carb, they are the only one I know of that have the glass window.

Edit, actually it was probably a Hitachi DCH328 or DCH340. I wonder why more carbs don't have windows in them?

 

DCH328.jpg

Christ,I can remember those being sold through Grattons catalogue at £1 a week.....

[eddyramrod]

My Polonez had a Nikki on it...