Winter projects: carb and dizzy rebuild

[drooartz]

So I've got a few small projects for the MGB this winter -- time for a carb rebuild and dizzy rebuild. So today the weather was decent and I went out to the new droobarn and did a bit of work. Pulled the carbs and dizzy so I can send them out for reworking. Need to call Hap on Monday to get the carbs in line, and need to call Jeff at Advance for the dizzy. Going back to points I think, but I'll talk it over with Jeff first.

I've been having some trouble with idling and running *way* too rich, and these are the first steps towards getting that sorted out.

On a related note, the new droobarn works nicely as a work space. It's a bit crowded in there now as I've got all sorts of odd-and-ends in there for winter storage, but there will be plenty of workspace come Spring. Also will be nice when I've got more than one outlet in there (just put one in for now, will do a full wiring job next year).

Here's the engine bay, pre-work. You can see my fine $10 clip lamp, the only lighting currently in the droobarn.

And carbs out. Easy enough to pull everything off. I love simple cars.

Dizzy ready to come out. With the right hand drive car, the dizzy is a little more fussy to get out, but wasn't too bad.

Out and ready to send off. Cleaned up a bit of crap while I was in there -- really need to pull the engine some day and do a major renew on the engine bay, but that'll have to wait for another time.

 

[PAUL161]

Droobarn, Drew, did you patent the name? Has a ring to it! I'd name mine, but P Barn doesn't sound too good! PJ

 

[drooartz]

No patent on the name, but it does flow with my website URL (drooartz.com). I'll have to make up a little sign for it some day. Makes my wife laugh, at least.

Side note: my 10 year old niece writes my name as Droo due to the website name. Cute, really.

 

[ralph_s]

Drew,
You don't want to rebuild your carbs yourself? They are not that difficult and you will thourghly understand them. Take lots of pictures, and have at it. It's a great winter project.

 

[drooartz]

Drew,
You don't want to rebuild your carbs yourself? They are not that difficult and you will thourghly understand them. Take lots of pictures, and have at it. It's a great winter project.

With my winter schedule (I'm a musician in addition to my day job) there's just no way I could find time to take on even a small project like a carb rebuild -- ski season here is my busiest season. I probably wouldn't get to it until May at the earliest. While I don't have much of either, I do have slightly more money than time these days.

If you want to do your own, drop me a note and I'd be happy to walk you through it as we do them simultaneously

Thanks for the offer, Basil, definitely appreciated. Had I more time I'd take you up on it.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Almost always in the rebuild of HS4s , you have to address the shafts, and it takes special tools to do it.

 

[drooartz]

Just got off the phone with Hap, we've got a plan to tackle my carbs. Sending him the whole intake assembly (manifold out) and he'll get it all nicely freshened and cleaned up

Talked with Jeff at Advanced Distributors this morning, got a plan there as well (going back to points in the distributor). He wants a compression test on the engine to get an idea of what we're dealing with, will run that in the next couple days and off the dizzy goes.

Small steps, but they'll help out a bunch.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

UH-OH!

Now you're gonna HAVE to pull the engine and spruce up the bay. Won't want to put those shiny baubles in there!

 

[drooartz]

Now you're gonna HAVE to pull the engine and spruce up the bay. Won't want to put those shiny baubles in there!

I'm perfectly content to just be making small progress on this one. I've been down the "while I'm in there" road, a simple radiator renew turned into a 3 year mechanical restoration on the Tunebug. Not interested in doing that again anytime soon. :wink-new:

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Drew, nice chatting with you today, I'll be looking out for your package. Thank you.

 

[PAUL161]

Drew, Hap does a wonderful job rebuilding carburetors! He did the ones on the wifes MGB, HIF-4s, and when they came back they not only looked like new, they worked like new. If I remember correctly, that was in 2006, just before the Gatlinburg show, and they haven't been touched since! PJ

 

[drooartz]

I had Hap do the carbs on the Tunebug, and Jeff did the dizzy. I'm excited to get them done and get the car running a bit better.

Had some time last night and got the rest of the parts off. Everything is ready to go, just need to get them boxed up.

 

[PAUL161]

Jeff is an expert and real nice person. You can ask him if he would advise you to stay with points or go electronic, plus give the benefits of each. He actually set up the one on our 72 B for how the car is driven and by his advice, we kept the point set up. PJ

 

[DrEntropy]

I know where the heat shield belongs but where do you fit the fluorescent lamps in an MGB? layful:

 

[drooartz]

Jeff is an expert and real nice person. You can ask him if he would advise you to stay with points or go electronic

Already had that conversation with Jeff (he is a really nice guy) and have decided to to back to points. Fits better with what I do with the car.

I know where the heat shield belongs but where do you fit the fluorescent lamps in an MGB? layful:

Ground effect lighting, Doc. Pimp my ride and all that.

 

[drooartz]

Small progress

Made a little progress today. Everything is packed up and ready to send out on Monday.

 

[Basil]

Drew,
You don't want to rebuild your carbs yourself? They are not that difficult and you will thourghly understand them. Take lots of pictures, and have at it. It's a great winter project.

I think if all I was doing was replacing jets, rubber bits, springs, etc., I'd probably do that myself, but If I really wanted a proper full rebuild, to include shafts and bushings and and all that, I'd probably send them out. Probably things spring I'll tackle the tripple carb setup on my Jag. If I decide to go all out and do a full rebuild and not just drop in a "kit" then I'll probably send them out.

 

[drooartz]

Mine probably need work on the shafts (they're the original carbs, as far as I can tell), so sending them out made the most sense. Besides, if they're done properly I won't have to worry about them for years to come.

 

[drooartz]

Got all my boxes shipped out on Monday, so off we go. Will be nice to have the car running a bit smoother next season.

 

[DrEntropy]

Shweet!

I keep considering going thru one of the SU setups here, considering refitting the B with SU's. I like the Weber DCOE but th' ol' wallet fuel level seems to drop proportionately with right foot pedal application. Surprising how much those accelerator pumps push out.