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carb advice please

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tweety

tweety

Jedi Trainee
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Hi all,

I've got a 79 midget with Zenith carb, CA emmissions.

I've owned the car for a little over a year and am still finding all of the bastartizations committed by PO's. The carb being one of them. The water choke has never been hooked up (just hanging there by the hoses) it appeared that a conversion to a manual choke had been started by never finished. I just discovered that the choke assy that was once attached to the carb is gone! Seems to have just fallen off and vanished.

Car still runs though!

Second problem is that the plug at the bottom of the float bowl is leaking gas. I understand that there is an o ring that often corrodes away.

Q: I'm wondering if I can get it out (the plug) and replace it without pulling the carb. I see that Moss sells a plug and o ring. I would love to be able to do it w/o pulling the carb. I'm looking for words of wisdom here.

Q: Given the constant overall issues with the Zenith carbs, any suggestions on what to replace it with? It's gonna cost some $ to restore the choke, I don't mind spending a little more to have this whole issue fixed right.

Thanks guys, I can't tell you how much I've learned from all of your posts.
 
While ya do that, Duncan, I'll offer up my 2p:

Yup. It ~can~ be done with the carb in-situ... but only by a contortionist with small fingers and a lot of patience. The bowl can be lowered from the body by removing the six screws, lower bowl... empty, clean, pop out th' plug and renew th' O-ring, refit the bowl (being aware of the float now dangling in th' ether) and TRY to reinstall the screws.

It's just easier to bench the carb and go thru it that way. The manual choke idea isn't a bad one, IMO it eliminates one more potential water leak AND a "funky" piece of engineering.

My opinions only. :wink:
 
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/467017/1

(Link to original post and various carb resources) Have a look at the bottom of that discussion, there are a couple of links specific to problems with the water choke, and rebuilding it.

I've got a Midget with the same engine (78 California 1500.) The original CD150 is notorious for running very, very rich for a number of reasons, including the horrible water choke.

In increasing $ / time / hassle, I would suggest a few options:

- rebuilding the choke and carb, and resetting both

- upgrading to either an electric or manual choke

- Ditch the carb, keep the stock manifold and run a single SU. (Probably what I'd sugest for someone on a budget, with fair mechanical abilities.)

- Ditch the carb and manifold, and replace with a Weber DGV (What I did)

- Ditch the carb and manifold, find a dual SU setup (Nice, looks great, good power & parts support, looks stock, requires a little sheet metal work)

- Ditch the carb and manifold, go for an aftermarket dual DCOE setup (fairly big $$)

I was so frustrated at mine that I replaced the whole thing with a Weber DGV (electric choke) which has been fantastic so far. Better starting, increased power, easier to adjust, sounds great. Kits on ebay for about $300.
 
as my friend Duncan says he has the dgv, while I have the twin SU's...so easy to get right, they were the best carbs for the 1275 bar none. I have rich M needles in mine thanks to a fine gentleman in the UK who rebuilt the set I have and then sold them to me. And as far as sound, try putting a pipe to the erar with a single resonator and no sideways muffler. Then go for a run and down shift and listen to the burble..sweeeeeet!!
 
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