How do I get more power out of my stock engine?

[JLT]

hey JLT nice to see you on here

Same back at you. Chris Canterbury is on this forum, too. It's all part of an evil plot to get Californians to populate this list en masse, subverting the British crowd and turning it into the Samba. Then it will be no more silly talk of petrol, roundabouts, wheelbraces, tyres, kilometers, degrees Centigrade, wings, windscreens and so on.

Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

Actually, I like being reminded that the world doesn't orbit California.

 

[creationblue]

hey JLT nice to see you on here

Same back at you. Chris Canterbury is on this forum, too. It's all part of an evil plot to get Californians to populate this list en masse, subverting the British crowd and turning it into the Samba. Then it will be no more silly talk of petrol, roundabouts, wheelbraces, tyres, kilometers, degrees Centigrade, wings, windscreens and so on.

Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

Actually, I like being reminded that the world doesn't orbit California.

We actually measure in miles, this is NOT europe! (thats an in-joke for any confussed Americans, we are in Europe, but we are not, if you get me......) :lol:

 

[AxlFoley]

lol I confused some Americans with the question about brake Servos, they didnt have a clue what the hell i was on about

I'm still not sure what they call it over there!

 

[vdub wannabe]

I did'nt realise this would open such a can of worms

So I my answer to your question is: Keep the valves, timing, and dwell adjusted to spec, make sure the air/fuel ratio is optimized for power and cool running, and drive at the speed your bus is happy at, not at the speed you want it to go

I agree with this. I have just driven my bus from Hungary to the UK (as seen in this months VolksWorld camper magazine ) . Pushing up the roads through the Alps we were pulling the bus in first/second gear, but not trashing it. Slowly slowly catchy monkey was the phrase of the trip. Although we covered massive distances.

The first thing I did when I got back was take the van to my trusted aircooled garage and he conducted a major service.

Please note Monza 4 tips are the devils work and should be destroyed!

I have heard bad things too

Also it turns out that the standard dissy on the SP engine is a vac advance only unit, so this was changed for a vac/mechanical advance unit

Where do I get one of these from?

The inline fuel filter your using isnt made to be under any sort of pressure (other than gravity). Filter goes between the tank and the carb. Do it soon dude.

I assume this restricts fuel flow? Can you indicate on the picture of the engine where it should go please?

There is no camping interior in the van at the moment so no excess weight!

Cheers for the help/suggestions guys and girls.......keep 'em coming.

 

[stagger lee]

Hiya Lee,

........i have to say my suggestions are as cheap as you can get really.....

I would most likely agree with that. And, as I mentioned before, they are good suggestions.

But this is a subjective matter we are dealing with here. The OP wants a "cheap and easy" way to increase horsepower. Most times I see somebody looking for "cheap and easy" in an automotive sense they are looking for a chemical additive or a simple bolt-on. Additionally, these people tend not to be mechanically inclined. I hope that is not the case with this OP. He, at least, has the good sense to ask here before going out buying something.

So what they really are asking is, "What I can I buy for less than 20 quid that I can just screw on or bolt on or pour in that will give me more horsepower?" Lee, you and I both know that there is no shortage of hucksters and con-men selling crap to exactly this kind of person. These flim-flam guys are making a bunch of cash. People who look for something "cheap and easy". And it just ain't there, mate.

Your suggestions, good as they are, are not in that "cheap and easy" class for these folks. They'll put a dent (maybe a small one, but a dent nonetheless) in the pocketbook and take some mechanical skill to install. For you and I, not a terrribly big deal. For the "cheap and easy" set, not even close to what they want.

i'm with you mike, it is subjective. figures i had in my head were cheap, albeit a hundred quid all in or so. not possible for a few tens of pounds really?

myself i bought a t3 1600 twin carb engine that had stood for years when i damaged my 1600 (worn main bearing/bent rod) for about 100-120 quid, myself i thought this was quite expensive. but i needed an engine and it was relatively local. i used the internals from the t3; crank and rods to basically replace my knackered parts. threw in a set of bearings and rings, about 70 quid for all. that really took care of the engine. i also fitted the solex carbs off the t3, they were there. made up a linkage by just modifying the t3 linkage parts, cost zero. i got a t25 electronic distributor from the breakers yard; 25 quid. thats about 200 all in. if i didn't have to buy the donor engine it would have been about half that to do the same.

biggest outlay is going to be carburettors, but they'll make the biggest difference.
i reckon;
300ish for new units; new quality units doesn't come better than this
150ish for descent used; price will reflect make/model/condition
40ish for t3 solexes; inspection a must, check for bad wear.

don't think anyhting too big for venturi; early to mid 30's is plenty. late 30's early 40s forget it really.

for all you monza haters out there. i've been running a monza 4-tip for years now. was given to me as my exhaust broke, and this one wasn't. i love it, can't get enough monza :lol:

 

[easy]

for all you monza haters out there. i've been running a monza 4-tip for years now. was given to me as my exhaust broke, and this one wasn't. i love it, can't get enough monza :lol:

 

[Harlequin]

for all you monza haters out there. i've been running a monza 4-tip for years now. was given to me as my exhaust broke, and this one wasn't. i love it, can't get enough monza :lol:

Worthy of a "Mythbusters" challenge........
Monza 4 tip lasting 4 years/owner-driver not dying of shame :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[JLT]

We actually measure in miles, this is NOT europe! (thats an in-joke for any confussed Americans, we are in Europe, but we are not, if you get me......) :lol:

My bad. I thought you guys went metric when Australia did. Sorry. (I grew up in Germany, so I was used to kilometers.)

And as for brake servos, Axlfoly, that's what we call them here, too. (I assume you're talking about the gizmo that provides vacuum-generated power to the master cylinder.) Maybe your correspondents thought you were talking about pre-1971 buses without disc brakes, which didn't have the servo.

 

[vdub wannabe]

hi all

still looking around for bits and bobs to add to the engine.

Just to rack your brains a bit though. I was at a show last weekend chatting to an owner of a '66 splitscreen, standard 1600 single port engine.

He sits on the motorway at 70-80mph I struggle to get to 60mph and then when I start up a hill on the motorway drops to 40mph! Not funny

I had the engine serviced a few months back so I would hope that would of picked up any oddities.

So what speed do you get on the motorway? Is there something screwy with my engine?

 

[matt-me]

I would check out your accelerator pedal, linkage and cable connection to the carb. If its all loose and has too much wear you may not simply be able to open up the carb properly to get to its upper limits. Mine had lots play, especially the pedal. A few new bits from megabug and it tightened everything up. Also adjusted the cable. Big difference.

I have twin icts but the above points are still valid. I can get up to 75mph but i rarely do this often, it takes time and is noisy, what's the hurry? Hills are difficult anyway but with the icts there is a bit more pull.

hope this helps.

 

[RICH-I-AM]

The inline fuel filter your using isnt made to be under any sort of pressure (other than gravity). Filter goes between the tank and the carb. Do it soon dude.

I assume this restricts fuel flow? Can you indicate on the picture of the engine where it should go please?

There is no camping interior in the van at the moment so no excess weight!

Cheers for the help/suggestions guys and girls.......keep 'em coming.[/quote]

Not as much fuel restriction as splitting under pressure and blowing neat fuel all over the engine. Not a good mix.
I cut my fuel filter into the line about 8 inches fron where the fuel line leaves the tank (just above the gearbox). Im willing to bet that a fair few t1's t2's etc have been lost due to incorrectly fitted filters. If your unsure of the age/history of your fuel hose id replace all that whilst your at it.
Nearly lost my old bay due to shagged out fuel lines.

Rich

 

[Tofufi]

hi all

still looking around for bits and bobs to add to the engine.

Just to rack your brains a bit though. I was at a show last weekend chatting to an owner of a '66 splitscreen, standard 1600 single port engine.

He sits on the motorway at 70-80mph I struggle to get to 60mph and then when I start up a hill on the motorway drops to 40mph! Not funny

I had the engine serviced a few months back so I would hope that would of picked up any oddities.

So what speed do you get on the motorway? Is there something screwy with my engine?

My stock '71 1600TP will get to 80mph on the motorway (autobahn ), although the engine is screaming at that speed. I tend to cruise at 55mph, but if you are driving at 60mph, and find you cannot bury the throttle in the floor and feel it accelerate/ start trying to do more, then something is wrong

Before adding bits and bobs to the engine, sort out what you do have to run as well as it can.

Any pics of your engine, Vdub wannabe?

It's a good idea to learn to service it yourself... then you know it's been done right.

 

[K@rlos]

When i brought my new 1600 tp i fitted the following:

: twin Weber 40idf carbuettors (2nd hand but overhauled)
: Genuine Bosch 009 distributor
: Bugpack 4 into 1 quite pack exhaust with j-tubes
: K'N air cleaners

It don't sound like much i know but it is really noticeable i think.

 

[K@rlos]

...fit small rolling radius wheels......it'll get up hills better and ......you'll think your going faster :lol: ....

I love it :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[vdub wannabe]

Any pics of your engine, Vdub wannabe?

Here you go, sorry its taken so long to get pictures.

Heres my weedy engine: :lol:

Is the fuel filter in the wrong place?

I've checked accelerator cable and all good, checked few other things. I think I might be expecting to much.
Although speaking to someone at a show the other week, he's got a 1966 splitty with 1600 single port engine and he sits comfortably at 70-80mph on the motorway...well thats what he claims.

 

[Araon]

yep filter should be on the i/p to the pump that way protecting the diaphragm as well

 

[D@VEY]

Some food for thought on here.
Cheers

 

[D@VEY]

What about a Weber progressive carburetor are these any good? Real users please not the hearsay answers.