Vikram's 1960

Started by 94touring, May 15, 2016, 11:55:37 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

MiniDave

#250
Which needles are you running? Sounds like you need a different needle profile.....

Call 7Ent or Mini Mania and ask them for a recommendation for a needle to use - your engine is a stock SPi converted to carbs right?

Edit: 7 Ent says it should have either std "M" or lean "EB" needles with red springs

Interesting that the center 2 look the worst.....are you confident that the gasket seal is good between the head and the manifold? Are there any possible vacuum leaks? Are all the hoses connected correctly? No open vacuum lines anywhere?

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Vikram

I believe I have the standard M needles.
Yes, the engine is a stock 1275 spi to carb. Yesterday, I discovered that the main battery cable was shorting against the exhaust clamp. I'm guessing the heat from the exhaust took off the insulation. That caused the car to die as expected, so that may have been the problem? I have a new cable coming in that I will install much further away from the exhaust. But I feel that's just another issue that cropped up.
Also, I do have an open line coming up from the radiator side but I don't know if it is a vacuum line. I labeled a picture that I found online to help explain.

MPlayle

That is a crankcase breather line.  The picture shown has both the timing cover breather and clutch cover breather.  They get joined to that pipe which would then have on of the two ends of that 'Y' in the middle going to the throttle-body or carb.

You can let the timing cover breather vent to atmosphere with either one of those stubby filters on it or a hose looping down to the air stream just below the engine.

Alternately, you can plumb it into one of the carbs on the appropriate port - which is likely currently capped off on both of your carbs.  I am not familiar with the best arrangement for with dual carbs.  (My initial thoughts are to put a 'T' fitting in the line and take it to both carbs to keep them balanced.)

On the SPI I converted to carb, I took it into the carb.  I reused the same pipe shown in the picture and capped off the extra branch of the 'Y' in the middle of the pipe.

Vikram

So I believe I've finally found the issue. While adjusting the nuts on the back of the carb for fuel mixture, I noticed that the jets are not moving linearly up and down and in fact one of the jets moves and I need to push it all the way up to seat it properly.
I assume they aren't holding their tune as a result and are slipping further out, richening the mixture and fouling the plugs. I did rebuilt these carbs with new jets, so maybe I did something wrong along the way.
My plan is to pull them off and try and fix them. Alternatively I could try and trade them for a single hif 44 or something.
Man I wish I left it as the spi it came as sometimes!

94touring

That would do it.  Time to pull them off and see what might have gone wrong. 

MiniDave

The jets only move when you pull the choke, but you're right they should move freely. Glad you found the issue.....check to see if they got bent somehow.

A single carb does have it's advantages, nothing to synchronize, only one rebuild kit needed etc.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Vikram

Out of interest does anyone have a spare single hif 44 with a manifold/have interest in my twin 1 1/4 su's with the manifold?

MiniDave

I might be able to help, let me check my stash o stuff......probably tomorrow before I can look, I have to work today.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jedduh01

Keep your twins around until you REALLY know the HIF is the solution....


Fitting an HIF can be a pain with some firewall and engine mountings.  angles and space. Clearances  and adjustments.

Just a thought.

Vikram

I've decided that I'm going to sell my twin su's and replace them with something different. While at it, I figured I wanted to try something a little different to make it interesting. I'd ideally like to fit a weber 40 or 45 dcoe. I am aware that with the long manifolds, these carbs need bulkhead modifications. I also know that there is a "swan" intake manifold that doesn't require the mods, but restricts flow to the point where it might not be worth it.
I have also seen short straight 2.75" manifolds that also do not require mods.
I was wondering if anyone had ever tried MG weber intakes on minis? I assume they would fit, they look short and are a lot cheaper!
I should mention that I do not have a central speedo, so I do have more room to play with.....

I know its easier to go with the hif44 and would probably get the same power, but I'm intrigued by webers and love the sound....

Any thoughts?

MPlayle

Tuning the Webers gets tricky and can become expensive in buying a variety of jet sizes.

I had a 1275 in a panel van that arrived with a 32/36 DGV Weber down draft on it.  The jetting was the factory jetting that all the Mini suppliers selling the kit leave it with.  It was WAY too rich for the car.  The 32/36 DGV has 4 jets to change in tuning it plus potentially changing the venturies.

Once tuned, they stay in tune.  But they never arrive even close to properly tuned.  I searched all over the web trying to find where anyone had posted their jet selections once they got theirs tuned and nobody had.  They all cheered having found the right setup for their car, but never said what those setups were.

I got a basic tuning kit with a selection of jets for it, but ended up changing to an HIF44 instead.


MiniDave

#261
The same kit that works on a 1275 Midget/Sprite should work perfectly, other than modifying the bulkhead.

I have a friend who put one on his 1500 Midget and it really works well, and it gave a bit of a bump in power with the 2nd barrel, but he used the downdraft - not the sidedraft - I don't know if you have the hood clearance for it.....you may, I just don't know. But, be careful - there are some Chinese knockoffs of Webers making the rounds and they are simply shit. See if you can find a kit from Pierce Manifolds, they sell the real ones.

Here's the Midget 1275 downdraft kit from Peirce....  http://www.piercemanifolds.com/product_p/P4-004-ECON.html supposedly their stuff will have the correct jets - my buddy didn't have to do a thing to his....it ran perfectly right out of the box, good thing too as he's one who would get frustrated if it didn't and he had to change a bunch of jets.

No question the hif44 is a simpler install, but you still have to come up with the right needle, which shouldn't be difficult. The Hif44 is simple to tune, too.

You might check the Facebook British parts page, I think I saw one for sale on there the other day.....might have been for the 1500 tho.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Vikram

Thanks for the information. I also heard that mini's need the carb at an angle to account for the floats, is that true?

Dave thank you for that facebook page, I never knew about it! I found the weber on there, but as you said its for the 1500. There's a nice cannon manifold for a 1275 that I might pick up though.... I'll be posting my carbs on that fb page tomorrow, so if anyone is interested in buying them please let me know!

As for tuning issues, I'm struggling with my twins su's so that doesn't concern me too much. Would you recommend the 40/45 dcoe over the 32/36 DGV (cheaper)?

MiniDave

I think the 40 is too big for a stock 1275, the 32/36 will work better, and if Michael Playle had one on one of his cars then they must fit under the hood OK.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Vikram

Ok, I heard something similar.
Whats the difference between this:
http://www.piercemanifolds.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=P4-004

and the one you sent? The carb body looks a little different

MiniDave

#265
Hmmmm.....not sure. Linkage maybe?

You can call and ask them.......

Edit: called and asked - Econ is Chinese made carb - avoid!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MPlayle

#266
The DGV kit as sold by several of the Mini parts suppliers does indeed fit under the bonnet just fine.  The kit should be complete with the manifold and carb.  You may be able to reuse your existing choke cable and accelerometer cable depending on their lengths and routing.

Just be sure the DGV you get is manual choke versus electric choke.

Edit:
If you go with the DGV, let me know.  I still have the tuning book and jets that I can make you a deal on.


Vikram

Thanks a lot for that Michael, I would definitely be interested in those parts if I did buy it...

I cant help but be tempted by a DCOE. After more research there's a mix of people who say that the 40 is perfect for a mild 1275, some say the chokes are too small and to go for a 45, and there are those who say its simply too much carb in the first place. I feel like its trial and error and its down to whoever can get it working well.

Do the DGVs sounds as good as DCOEs? By the looks of it the DCOEs are a little easier to adjust/tune? I'm really not after a power bump, just something new that I can hopefully tune into shape, and that sounds the business.

MiniDave

The DGV fits the car without modifying the bulkhead, as for sound it's probably not the same as the sidedraft carb pointing right at your face......based on driving a car with a single Hif, K&N filter and no insulation behind the instruments - it was loud as hell!

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MPlayle

It is hard for me to say about the DGV I had as it was so rich it kept stumbling and fouling/flooding out.  Trying to drive 50+ mph for more than 5 to 10 minutes and it would bog down, stumble and die out.  Put dry plugs in and it would fire back up and run reasonably for about another 15 minutes, then repeat the stumble and die.  The new plugs would be black, sooty and wet, reeking of fuel.

I would say it was a bit louder than a stock SU with proper air box.  Perhaps just a little softer than a SU with K&N cone filter, but not as loud as a DCOE is going to be.

I just decided to go with changing back to a SU (HIF6/HIF44) with an appropriate needle versus all the "trial and error" of tuning the DGV.


Vikram

Well it's certainly taken me long enough, but it's been tough with school and having to work on the car in a parking lot. But enough excuses.

I'll be posting pictures soon, but to cut a long story short I sold my SUs and now have a weber 45 dcoe (got a good deal). I've spent the last few months making it fit without cutting the firewall and without using a swan-neck manifold. I've done so by using the maniflow 2.75" inlet manifold and a set of short trumpets and hi-flow mesh filters. I understand that using shorter velocity stacks cuts down on lower end torque so I'm using 34mm chokes instead of the advised 35mm to compensate.

I re-jetted the carb to these specs using Vizard's book:
Chokes 34mm
Main jet 150
Air corrector 180
Emulsion tube F2
Pump jet 40
Idle 50F2
Aux vent 4.5

I'm very nearly there, the carb fits in the car without filters, but with them on it just touches the firewall. I really don't want to run without filters and I also don't want to run the car with the filters rubbing against the firewall as they will be destroyed in weeks.

It's so close that I think if I use an adjustable engine steady and tilt the engine forward a bit, all will be well. What do you think of this? Does anyone have a spare adjustable engine steady, I know minispares has a cheapish one and KAD has a really expensive one...

MiniDave

#271
The MiniSpares cheap one is exactly that.....cheaply done, it would probably work just fine but I found a much better one (still spendy) at 7Ent, but I think it was probably about the same cost as the one from KAD now that I look at it.

I think tilting the engine forward a bit will work fine.

I may have a spare, let me dig around in my spare parts - if I have the cheapy MS one you can have it, I owe you one for the instruments you gave me. Some of the factory steady "bones" were longer too, I may have one of those also......lemme look.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Vikram

That sound's great, thank you. Will I need to adjust my floats?

MiniDave

I doubt it, you're not moving it much......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Vikram

Bit the bullet and got the road version of the adjustable engine steady from KAD. It's a really high quality part and worth every penny. As a result the weber is in with filters and all without touching the bulkhead (just).