Carburretor Quiz

[craigtayla]

Hi All,
The van is running rough and cutting out of power up hill. Not been able to solve the problem after many trips so took to a local garage-local non specialist but mechanic with experience of air cooled engines. Garage advises a new carb. I have a flea bay bought solex 34-pict 3 on the 1600 twin port brasil engine fitted 10000 miles ago. Always had this cut out/tuning issue which is why I bought the flea bay carb. New garage are advising a weber as easier to tune and more reliable.
What would you advise? Any thoughts appreciated.
Cheers

 

[matty74]

Thumbs up for the Twin Webers 34 ICT from me, although mine are on a SP 1641 so my options were limited.

 

[mike202]

Your carb may need refurbing, cleaning re jetting etc. However if you can afford to buy a genuine Weber carb that would be better. If you want a bit more power though go for the new twin Weber 34 ICT carbs. That’s what I have, and they are quite popular and don’t need re-tuning once set up properly.

 

[craigtayla]

Thanks Matty and Mike,
I’ve tried a refurb on the carb but still same issues. Part of me thinks it’s not the carb but going with the garage advice… so Weber then but not sure about the twin set up/cost. What single weber carb would suit and where best to get it?
Cheers

 

[sparkywig]

Get a new one Solex from Gerrit at Rage, probably cheaper than buying a new twin choke Weber and manifold.

 

[Huyrob]

Thumbs up for the Twin Webers 34 ICT from me, although mine are on a SP 1641 so my options were limited.

I hope so .. due to be fitted 7th nov , hope it flies like yours, if not it’s down to me

 

[Graham L]

Hi All,
The van is running rough and cutting out of power up hill. Not been able to solve the problem after many trips so took to a local garage-local non specialist but mechanic with experience of air cooled engines. Garage advises a new carb. I have a flea bay bought solex 34-pict 3 on the 1600 twin port brasil engine fitted 10000 miles ago. Always had this cut out/tuning issue which is why I bought the flea bay carb. New garage are advising a weber as easier to tune and more reliable.
What would you advise? Any thoughts appreciated.
Cheers

Sounds like the garage doesnt know what its doing, on a stock engine the stock carb works great, bite the bullet and get a fully refurbed 34 Pict 3 from Rage in Holland, rage.nl https://rage-keveronderdelen.nl/.
No need to fit twin carbs

 

[Graham L]

Thanks Matty and Mike,
I’ve tried a refurb on the carb but still same issues. Part of me thinks it’s not the carb but going with the garage advice… so Weber then but not sure about the twin set up/cost. What single weber carb would suit and where best to get it?
Cheers

There isnt a single weber that works better

 

[mike202]

Yes that’s the one Solex, which are the original single carb. I never had one of those, before the twin carbs from Eurocarb, I had a 36/32 progressive carb which worked ok I thought. The twin carbs is on a new engine so I can’t compare the two different carb set ups.

 

[matty74]

As stated, a decent Solex would be a better solution if you were planning to stick with a single carb set up.

Are you getting full advance from your dizzy and what do you have fitted?

There’s other things to consider if you’re struggling up hills etc

 

[sparkywig]

I think the distibutor isn't advancing, or your timing is off.

 

[ozziedog]

Just a thought but have you driven other air cooled vans to compare? Whereabouts are you ? One of the peeps on here may be able to recommend a different garage / mechanic from their own experience in their own area. Nick at CJ motors is great in Bristol and people do come from all over the place to get him to fix stuff on their air cooled motors. Graham L is up north . See if you can manage a more detailed description of the ‘cutting out of power’ and the general running of the van. All of these vans are underpowered aerodynamically disadvantaged ancient jalopies and have an intense dislike of anything approaching slopey let alone hilly. That said most can pop along quite nicely on the flat but wouldn’t send tremors into anything sporty or of todays standard. If you’re not mechanically minded my total after thoughts are to find a decent garage that can state point blank,,, this or that or the other.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, yeah,,, where are you,, just roughly

 

[craigtayla]

Thanks fellas, appreciate the advice.
I’m in St Albans Herts and haven’t managed to find a decent specialist local garage in 10 years and have tried a few who say they have past experience etc. Any recommendations for local to St Albans greatly appreciated.
The van stalls after a period of high revs up hills or along the motorway.
Have always kept to stock and have the solex 34 pict 3 fitted and alegedly refurbed but rough running at idle still.
Had the same issue with the original solex carb so changed it for a completely refurbed on off flea bay. And so maybe the advance is the issue or a new carb from Rage? New garage? All of the above?
Cheers

 

[70-CA-Panel]

Hi Craig,
Just a thought what happens to me a few years ago.
If the issue is the engine just stops running when getting hot i.e. going up hills or on motorway it may be fuel starvation due to the fuel pump rod getting stuck in the plastic guide.
I had it where I had to let the engine cool off for about half an hour and it ran fine again until the next long hill.
You could sand down the diameter a little or use a used rod to replace.

 

[craigtayla]

Hi Craig,
Just a thought what happens to me a few years ago.
If the issue is the engine just stops running when getting hot i.e. going up hills or on motorway it may be fuel starvation due to the fuel pump rod getting stuck in the plastic guide.
I had it where I had to let the engine cool off for about half an hour and it ran fine again until the next long hill.
You could sand down the diameter a little or use a used rod to replace.

Yeah, the van would run again when cooled down. I’ll try the rod-thinking about it, the issue began after fitting an alternator and new pump!
Would that account for the tricky tuning and rough running too? Or seaparate issue-ie the advance?

 

[Marvel]

Yeah, the van would run again when cooled down. I’ll try the rod-thinking about it, the issue began after fitting an alternator and new pump!
Would that account for the tricky tuning and rough running too? Or seaparate issue-ie the advance?

I’d say you may have struck the nail firmly on the head.

 

[ozziedog]

This sounds like you’re getting there. You could prove this theory if you run it until it’s too hot and causes the issue then stop ( like there’s a choice) pop off the air filter and drop a capful of fuel very carefully down the carb (hot motor, careful careful) if it starts immediate then you’ll know for sure it’s a fuel supply issue. If it’s definitively a fuel supply issue it would be easy enough to pop the pump off quickly to see if indeed the pump rod is jammed its only two nuts and leave the fuel pipes all connected, and just wiggle the rod up and down. New pump usually means a new rod and possibly a new mount / guide thing that the rod slides up and down in. This could indeed be the main issue. Running this around in my head, I can’t see the rod seizing on its own as there is a bit of slack, not much but a bit. It’s possible that the rod is slightly bent perhaps? Or the pump stand / guide thing is expanding as it’s getting hot and gradually squeezing the rod until it can’t jiggle no more, which would indeed make it a bit of a pig to try and tune the motor so it may actually be running a bit hotter than it should and enhancing the issue. If it’s all new ish then theoretically it’ll all be a tad tight.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,that ^^^ might be all baloney

 

[Walt]

This sounds like you’re getting there. You could prove this theory if you run it until it’s too hot and causes the issue then stop ( like there’s a choice) pop off the air filter and drop a capful of fuel very carefully down the carb (hot motor, careful careful) if it starts immediate then you’ll know for sure it’s a fuel supply issue. If it’s definitively a fuel supply issue it would be easy enough to pop the pump off quickly to see if indeed the pump rod is jammed its only two nuts and leave the fuel pipes all connected, and just wiggle the rod up and down. New pump usually means a new rod and possibly a new mount / guide thing that the rod slides up and down in. This could indeed be the main issue. Running this around in my head, I can’t see the rod seizing on its own as there is a bit of slack, not much but a bit. It’s possible that the rod is slightly bent perhaps? Or the pump stand / guide thing is expanding as it’s getting hot and gradually squeezing the rod until it can’t jiggle no more, which would indeed make it a bit of a pig to try and tune the motor so it may actually be running a bit hotter than it should and enhancing the issue. If it’s all new ish then theoretically it’ll all be a tad tight.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,that ^^^ might be all baloney

Just to add to what @ozziedog is saying - I've never had this but if it is the Fuel pump/rod issue I think there's a few videos out there from years ago (Bug Me from the US?) which shows/ describes the issue being the black plastic pedestal(?) (expanding?) or the issue being the rod itself.

Think they either swapped the rod or sanded the black pedestal?

Also, long shot - but you mention fitting an alternator; Was this a swap, like old alternator for a new alternator, or don't suppose you replaced a generator/dynamo?

Just the rod is a different size for an alternator.

 

[Walt]

Thanks fellas, appreciate the advice.
I’m in St Albans Herts and haven’t managed to find a decent specialist local garage in 10 years and have tried a few who say they have past experience etc. Any recommendations for local to St Albans greatly appreciated.
The van stalls after a period of high revs up hills or along the motorway.
Have always kept to stock and have the solex 34 pict 3 fitted and alegedly refurbed but rough running at idle still.
Had the same issue with the original solex carb so changed it for a completely refurbed on off flea bay. And so maybe the advance is the issue or a new carb from Rage? New garage? All of the above?
Cheers

Not exactly local to St Albans for an engine service but if you drive over an hour you could check out...
- Type 2 Detectives in Burwell, Cambridge
- Northamptonshire; Off the top of my head I don't remember the company names, but there's a few that usually advertise in the Hayburner magazine.

And... just noticed your rough running at idle comment; As @sparkywig suggested - That sounds like it could be a timing/dizzy issue.

 

[Albie5]

Many years ago I swapped my solex for a single Weber progressive carb. Difference was like night and day - I could easily climb hills in 4th gear and had much more power.
(engine is a new Stateside built 1600)