Will-
I've had old-style Strombergs on my '64 TR4 since new, and yes, they're
similar to the SU's in operation. The problem with them is needle
centering; they stick if not perfectly aligned. Stromberg fixed it by
designing needles with a floating mount. Only thing is, they rub the
side of the bore, wearing ever thinner, changing air/fuel ratio as they
disappear.
The fix? Use SU's. My '66 TR4A has them, the engine is stronger, and
as you say, after they're set up, they're fine. The Weber fix is
expensive but satisfying. You can lose some bottom end grunt if you're
not careful, but they look, sound, and go better than the SU's or
Strombergs, and never go out of tune, since the mixture is via jets, not
needles. Smog compliance might be an issue if you're in a Big Brother
state like California.
I've learned over the (many) years that once the money is spent, one
doesn't seem to miss it. My '70 Vixen went from the stock downdraft to
two 40DCOE's to 50DCO's, and I contemplate injection for my next insane
purchase. I suppose I could sell the old stuff and recoup some of the
money. Anybody need a 1700cc Cortina engine that puts out 160HP and
lives? Got one available (expensive)......
Keep on ragin'
Skip Gurnee
'64TR4, 65TR4A, '66TR4A, 66 Lotus Cortina, '70 TVR Vixen S2 (race car),
'90 Cherokee (tow SUV).
William Zehring wrote:
>
> Dear all;
>
> My experience with carbs has, heretofore, been limited to SUs,
> specifically, those mounted on MGs, with a nice visit now and again to a
> single throat Solex on a Ford engine'd Morgan. I view the SU carb as a
> simple unit, easy to get to know, not terribly inspired at cold starts, but
> still and all rather reliable once you've spent a half a lifetime learning
> how to tune them. Now, as I approach the final stages of my 2500
> restoration (with the pace of a glacier, I might add), I contemplate the
> Stromberg carb. diaphragm and all. One local wise man suggests that I
> "throw them against a brick wall and smash them to bits." This gentle
> fellow suggests I'd be better off with a pair of SUs, 1.75s of a big
> Healey, or 2.0s off a jag. Another less local but still wise man (gentle,
> too, I hope) suggests that the Stromberg and the SU are really pretty
> similar, and that their differences in performance are real but rather
> subtle and that I can probably happily leave the Strombergs on the car and
> enjoy years of happy motoring, also avoiding the additional expense and
> effort. Of course, a nice row of three dual throat Weber carbs sure looks
> fast, and probably is, with the right cam, but it also looks expensive, and
> my budget frankly doesn't call for such equipment. So, what's the poop?
> Any reaction to my supposedly wise men?
>
> Low man on the learning curve, I am
> Will Zehring
> '71 2500 (a work in progress)
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