Help with buying PMOs

[Roygarth]

on a separate note, buying stuff from the US with a UK credit card gets expensive. The exchasnge rate is poor and there is the non-sterling transaction fee. Just spent about £2400 with a US company and the fee was £70. Forewarned...
Graham

With a debit card buy a pre-paid $ currency card from Travelex. Very good exchange rate, no charges, they send it to you. Use it to buy in US, no fees at all. Job done. Buy a Euro version for travelling in Europe.

[theorangeperil]

Thanks everyone for the replies, I haven't had a chance to jump on and reply until now.

Sladey, good to question things for sure. I've had the webers on since I bought the car in '02 and although the car is running very nicely now it feels like I've had my share of challenges with them over the years.

They'd been rebuilt through Gantspeed back in '01 before I bought the car but for the first few years of ownership I had intermittent issues with fouled plugs or blocked jets, particularly when I pulled the car out from its winter slumber each year.

Originally that specialist looked to solve the problem with a different distributor and leads to no avail and since around 2006 my current 'early 911 specialist' has worked with me on it... It's not like a constant problem just a niggle that appears every so often.

I also had them rebuilt by another specialist in around '09 who told me the various jets etc were wrong. He certainly did some beautiful things with the outside of the carbs (not sure about the insides) but it didn't solve the intermediate issues.

A couple of years ago the guy who looks after the car sent them to a local carb specialist Gower & Lee who for some reason said they couldn't be rebuilt. I never got clarity on exactly why but after that my 'specialist' discovered that certain bits of the carb had been put in the wrong holes. I think it was air corrector jets something like that...

As I said since that was sorted the car has been great. We got 180bhp and 167 ft/lbs on the rolling road with no CDI box or fancy ignition system and none of the plug fouling or blocked jet issues over the last 2 years.

However the spindles are worn, they chatter on idle and to me the carbs just have a slight question mark in the back of my mind.
I'd also been told the engine had over 190hp on a rolling road before I bought it (I guess that might just have been 'generous' calibration).

I know its man-maths but the idea of perfect new PMOs is really appealing. I guess I might be kidding myself that would be the end of any problems, carbs are hardly the latest in trouble free motoring!

I'm in Florida in a few weeks so I guess as others I could get them delivered to a hotel... How big is the box?

[911hillclimber]

I'm sure you have already, but a good google about PMO's will give you a warm feeling.

They will jet the carbs to suit the engine spec you give them, and many have run them out of the box.

Details like the spindles are fixed by using sealed bearings, blocked drillings are cured by those drillings having a screw-in endplug, remove clean through/airline and put the screw back in.
Float chamber fuel level sight glasses so the bowl levels can be seen and re-set if needs be and the list goes on.

As to size; the carbs are the same as the Webers for size, manifolds are the same so simply measure your own carbs.

Above all email Richard Parr at PMO and he will sort everything, inc delivery to Florida hotel.
I've had new parts from PMO for mine arrive to my door in 60 hours.

Keep those Webers, WD40 outside and inside after draining all fuel from them and wrap in cloth and in a good dry box.

[haasad]

I'd rebuild the webers (properly). And look to the cars fueling system cleanliness and filtration. But I like fannying about with old things and making them work properly.

Andy

[theorangeperil]

Thanks guys.
Andy I've sorted the filtration. Any recommendations for the rebuild if I take that route?

[911hillclimber]

I think Andy has proven his upgrading skills on these things recently?

[PMNorris]

I installed my new ignition system over the weekend. With a properly recurved distributor, MSD, NGK 5ES plugs gapped to .8mm my PMO equipped 3.0SC engine now starts first time and goes really well. Some final tuning to do, but now the PMO's are great.

[theorangeperil]

Ok the deal has been done!

Distributor off to Barry Hershon at IAE inc in Detroit for a rebuild and delivery to me in Florida.
New PMOs also delivered to my hotel.

Having never brought back such a quantity of engine parts in my luggage, is it better to go for hand luggage or in the hold?
Anything to be wary of? Should I go through NOTHING TO DECLARE in the UK?

[911hillclimber]

I personally would not take them into the cabin, they will look terrible on the scanner!
When I worked in the automotive industry in the late 80's I lived out of a pilot's bag and went to the USA 26 times in 13 month winning 2 contracts with samples in the bag...had some interesting times at security...

As to declaring them, I would go through the red and be open and honest, again I used to do this and never had any hassle or had silly payments to make.

[inaglasshouse]

Should I go through NOTHING TO DECLARE in the UK?

https://www.gov.uk/duty-free-goods/arri ... ide-the-eu
In short, if the total value is over 390GBP you should go through red and declare. If you end up paying duty+VAT it will be a non-trivial percentage. Import duty varies depending on type of goods (10% rings a bell for car parts, but I could be wrong), VAT is a further 20%.
It's a pain and makes the maths of getting things from the US / done in the US quite a lot less attractive.

For an item like your dizzy that started in the UK and is coming back refurbed, you shouldn't have to pay duty on the full value of the temporarily-exported dizzy (take proof that you fairly recently sent it out from the UK) but might be hit for duty / VAT on the work done in the US.

[MdR]

Surely then, much like your dizzy, your carbs have also been sent to the US for rebuild & you're just carrying them home...?

[gridgway]

Unlike the dizzy, you would be lying about the carbs. I think that those clever customs guys are trained to spot that!

If I were me I'd be declaring!

Graham

[Magnum]

Nonsense!

Don't you pay enough tax buying chavs prams and nappies? Send a brick via DHL four weeks before you leave and keep the slip - you're just bringing it back....however would a tax grabbing customs system know?

Gotta fight back in some small way? BTW I live safe distance from them....just in case...

Only jokes! But don't pretend is doesn't resonate in a small way?

[haasad]

I really like chris's approach to the idle air adjustment, and drilling the plugs then fitting screwed plugs. Next time my carbs are of I'm doing those mods to my old webers.

[theorangeperil]

Ok all sorted.
Richard Parr has been great, as has Barry Hershon at http://flat6recurve.com/