I finally relented to balance a customer's SUs, because nobody would
do it, and the car isn't running quite right, and " I'd like to drive
it this summer!" I said he could bring it over, and between phone
calls we could work on it in the parking lot.
71 Midget.
The smell of raw gas permeated the lot, with a puddle under the car
as I approached. He opened the bonnet, and with key-on, gas was
pouring out of the rear carb overflow. (overflow? 71? que?)
I assess the engine bay. Starting with the VB chrome thumbscrews on
the valve cover, LCB header, Monza exhaust, disconnected crankcase
vents, some plugged, some not; disconnected carb to cannister hoses,
1 plugged, 1 not. Further we have a 3/4" new front anti-roll bar, and
I asked, a rear bar. Also a Kent cam is inside.
I asked why the bars, and header, cam, etc. "Because I want the car
to go faster and handle better." I asked if he had ever driven a
stock, properly sorted Midget. He hadn't. (Naturally the shocks
wanted replacing, but the bars were "compensating")
Anyway, back to these troubling SUs. Remove rear float bowl lid. Crap
in the seat. (reminds me of a joke) Cleaned replaced, no leak. Start
the routine. "split" the linkage, pop the bells off to check needles
are in correctly, and to level the jets. Front jet already level or
higher! Rear jet 2 flats down at best. He drove it in. Apparently
there was enough overflow from the rear carb into the jet to run... sort of.
So, adjust jets 12 flats, idle screws1-1/2, start car. Runs better
than ever. "Idling" at 2200. OK, maybe the unplugged hose needs to be
plugged. It did. Now we're at 1600. Adjust idle down to 1100, check
jet mixture, 2 minutes of fiddling. Reconnect linkage so both carbs
come off idle at the same time. Car runs great. It probably needed
timing, but I had been away from the phones too long as it was.
I suggested that maybe he should have started with a tune-up before
Vicky got his money. He doesn't have any money now. This car's been
"breaking me".
Ed, what do you always say? KISS?
So it goes.
Ciao Peter C.
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