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RE: 62 MGA H4 Carb tuning

To: "'Barney Gaylord'" <barneymg@ntsource.com>
Subject: RE: 62 MGA H4 Carb tuning
From: Dan Pockrus <dpockrus@efficient.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 09:29:19 -0500
> Well, okay.  A copy is just a copy.  This would be easier if 
> I had it on my
> web site, but it's not there (yet).  This is the simple 
> version, nothing
> fancy required.
> 
> First order of business:  Be sure the shoulder on the main 
> jet needle is
> flush with the bottom of the air float.
> 
> Tuning twin SU's is simple.  Because there's a balance tube 
> in the intake
> manifold, the engine will idle well running on only one carb. 
>  Loosen the
> clamp fastening the throttle shafts between the two carbs so they can
> operate independently.  Back off the idle screw (also fast 
> idle screw) on
> the front carb until it is completely closed, set the idle on 
> the rear carb
> and do the mixture adjustment there.  Then close off the rear carb and
> adjust the front one.  Then open each idle screw about 3/4 
> turn from dead
> closed and retighten the shaft clamp.  If you want to measure 
> it you'll
> find the balance to be pretty close.  A little off doesn't 
> matter because
> of the balance tube.  Just be sure that when you start to pull on the
> throttle cable, both carbs start to open at the same time.
> 
> When you get the mixture too rich it will gallop (the British 
> call this
> "hunting").  It's a combination of periodic misfire and the resulting
> variation of engine speed at about 2 cycles per second.  When 
> you get the
> mixture too lean it just starts to misfire on one or two 
> cylinders and the
> engine shakes.  The mixture adjusting nut on the bottom of 
> the carburetor
> has right handed threads.  Turning clockwise (looking from the bottom)
> raises the jet and leans out the mixture.  Counterclockwise 
> lowers the jet
> and richens the mixture.
> 
> Start with it rich and proceed towards lean, very slowly, one 
> flat at a
> time on the adjusting nut.  When it goes lean and starts to 
> misfire, back
> off the nut towards richer mixture, just enough to quell the 
> misfire.  Then
> give it another two flats towards rich to avoid that 
> borderline case of
> misfire when the operating temperature changes.  You have 
> then set it to
> the most lean condition it can tolerate at idle without being 
> finicky.  The
> taper of the main jet needle controls the mixture the rest of 
> the way up
> the scale.
> 
> Last order of business:  Turn the idle screw on both carbs 
> the same amount
> to fine tune the idle, then reset the fast idle screw within 
> 1/4 turn of
> the fast idle cam, but not quite touching it.
> 
> Now I expect I'll get the same flames and addendums that went 
> around the
> last time.
> 
        No flames, just a question from one of the semi-clueless - in
the terms of your excellent procedure above, what is a "flat"?
        Started the B last night and confirmed your suspicion - there is
a large intake leak somewhere. I'll pull the SU's and shield plate
tonight and see what the deal is. Thanks!

Dan Pockrus
'74 CBB

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