The old solex thing - aaargh

hunter · Post by **hunter** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:30 pm

Just rebuilt my carbs and refitted them. Not running too badly on start up but popping and farting a bit. Hopefully just need a little bit of tweaking to bring them under control.

Half an hour later and things seem better - but still not right.

Bugger - decided to check the float level and pump injection qtys.
Float is ok but the pumps are throwing copious amounts of fuel down the throats (no wonder my fuel costs have been high) - around .6cc per stroke on one and .2cc on the other

I now need to take the things off again as one of the rods is different to the other (er and one has been welded in the middle).

I'm really cheesed off now as i was hoping my rebuild might put off the enivitable properly rebuilt carbs and lots of cash leaving my wallet (again!)

Before i bite the bullet i need to try and sort out the pump rods - does anybody have any they can help me with?

Sorry for whining but this car is really frustrating at times

Cheers

Darran

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:16 am

arrr now I have to say this is some thing I have not done yet and am about to.. So what you learn pass on... later today I am going to look into this and I will post what I find out..warm season 0.45 cc from each nozzle on two pump strokes, 0,65 cc in cold season it's a start.

hunter · Post by **hunter** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:54 am

Hi Mark

Injection quantitys as per factory (according to duane spencer) are way too high for todays fuels. He suggests .1cc per stroke.

Note that the factory suggests .45cc per 2 strokes - ie .2cc per stroke (i think thats right)

So the suggestion seems to be to cut it by half.

I have made up a neat little vial and got the wife to bring me home a syringe (she's a dentist)

You will usually find syringes etc are measured in ml graduated into 5ths so one mark on the syringe equals .2ml or .2cc. (1cc = 1ml)

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:58 am

what you need is....

until you break the glass ops.. I have another one coming..

interesting about the fuel amounts wounder if any one else will chip in.. but hmm.. fuel new and old not sure how much there is to that. the last thing you want is the car running lean..

hunter · Post by **hunter** » Tue May 01, 2007 12:19 pm

wooooh!

Well hark at you with all the proper tools.

Makes my attempts look a little heath robinson - but thats the way i like it baby.

Where did you get the float tool and how much was it - and er wanna loan me it (if there was a cheeky northern bugger icon i would have used it here)

I'm seriously thinking of getting my carbs rebuilt but carb ex are closed until next tuesday - need a lead time. Will they replace everything not right on my carbs including the pump rods?

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Tue May 01, 2007 12:25 pm

well they seam to yes.

The tool was abit hard to swallow at $150 but if you have these cars it is a must have really.. so I got it from Stoddards when I was on holiday.. EG BIG suitcase and hit the retailers and come home ladened with goodies.. much cheaper than here. Infact my last trip I saved well more than my flight on the parts I ordered... x 2!!

that and the hotel on employie rate $30bucks a night for a 5* Crown Plaza!! Top of the Mark San Fran!! the door man was well cool with me. He liked old vw's and was laughing at all the deliveries coming.. UPS man started to know my name and room number!!! after 5 days worth of Porsche shopping.

need to go again later , I have some one coming later in the month with an SX1 and a few small goodies..

hunter · Post by **hunter** » Wed May 02, 2007 9:39 am

Well a few phone calls have been made and it seems i have 3 options open to me.

1. Get carb ex to rebuild my carbs - last qoute on lead time was 6-7 wks.

2. I have been offered a newly rebuilt set of 40's from a late 356

3. Been offered a complete as new weber conversion with 32mm vents, adapter plates etc

Prices on all are pretty much the same with the rebuilding of my carbs the cheapest option but a 6-7 wk wait.

Now...weber or solex, solex or weber?

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Wed May 02, 2007 10:09 am

on a 69 Solex all the way.. your welcome to borrow a pair of webbers I have here..not sure how good they are..

512modulo · Post by **512modulo** » Wed May 02, 2007 10:32 am

im in the same boat as you its strange how bahama yellow 912s need the carbs doing!!!

ive found some on ebay that are rebuilt have a look worldwide under the search of porsche 912 and select highest first.

theres some solexs on there for under 300 quid

Gilbert '71 T · Post by **Gilbert '71 T** » Wed May 02, 2007 10:54 am

I'm kind of in the same boat too. I'm sure my solex's need attention. But 6-7 weeks ....

think i'll run mine for the summer and get them done winter time

hunter · Post by **hunter** » Wed May 02, 2007 1:13 pm

The problem with buying "rebuilt" carbs off ebay is you dont know exactly what has been done to them.

For example, if i was to sell my carbs on ebay i could easily list them as rebuilt (i,ve stripped,cleaned,rebuilt with new gaskets and needle valves etc).

Rebuilding the carbs doesn't fix things like worn shafts, butterflies not seating in worn bores and porous bodies.

If i am to spend my hard earned, i think its probably best to buy from a well known porky expert who can give me a guarantee or get my own rebuilt. Buying from the expert is going to carry a premium - but what a downer it would be to spend £300 to find they are just as bad as your old ones - but they look shiny!

There is a guy in germany who lists solex's on the bay - they look great but all he has done is cleaned and polished them - no remedial work. He actually says that there are no guarantees with them -

You pays your money and blah blah blah.

Seriously modulo - unless the guys on the bay can give you step by step notes on the rebuild i would steer clear. They all seem to say there doesn't appear to be any wear in the shafts - mine dont appear to have any wear - but they do.

Mark thats a cool offer to try your webers, i might take you up on that - cheers.

Darren - yeah 6-7 weeks at last qoute. Wish i had never bothered cleaning my carbs now - seems i have dislodged all the shite that was keeping them airtight

It was running sort of ok before and as i had to buy a rebuild kit to get some mixture screws i thought, bugger it, might as well put the new gaskets etc in. It can only make it better - - - DOH!

Gilbert '71 T · Post by **Gilbert '71 T** » Wed May 02, 2007 1:47 pm

hunter wrote:Darren - yeah 6-7 weeks at last qoute. Wish i had never bothered cleaning my carbs now - seems i have dislodged all the shite that was keeping them airtight

It was running sort of ok before and as i had to buy a rebuild kit to get some mixture screws i thought, bugger it, might as well put the new gaskets etc in. It can only make it better - - - DOH!

Funny as I have a gasket kit as well and was thinking the same thing.....what harm could it do? Now I think I'll definately leave them alone after hearing that

Quite agree on the bay carbs as well, I've even heard stories of some that sell them as rebuilt but they've just been given a coat of silver paint

with no guarantees I'd steer well clear too.

Hope you both get sorted soon

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Wed May 02, 2007 2:17 pm

the only carbs I know you can rebuild at home ( and I am sure Graham at RB's will agree ) is the Zenith 32's for the 356 only because they are a cast iron base so it will take about 100,000,000 miles before you wear them out!! and get an air leak..

louis356 · Post by **louis356** » Wed May 02, 2007 7:52 pm

I've run webbers for 11000 miles this year and had no problems

I've just gone and done it now though ...Doh!!

Why did I have to go and say that!!

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Wed May 02, 2007 10:55 pm

Well I am going to sleep on it before I really vent my anger at these twats!! but after 7 years of telling people to go to Carb Exchange I am about to kill the &^%$£&

All these probs I have been having with my carbs from Day one.. I now have found out why today!!!!... they used silicone on the rebuild!!!!! the bowl it full of the stuff!!!!! it;s *&^^^% blocked every thing up!!!!!!!!

no wounder it was running like a bag of shite!! if they lived close I would punch the sod!!