Guaging interest

[Jayrz]

Ok,
owned several MGs, Sprites etc, now a 69 Elan. One of the poorest performing item on these engines has been either the SUs or Strombergs with wich they were equipped. Allways found myself wanting a Weber sidedraft coversion. Well webers are hard to come by now.

Question is if I took the time to develop a sidedraft kit using very available, cheap, easy to tune, motorcycle carburetors would there be anyone else interested in the conversion? I have access to a rolling dyno and gas analyzer so they would be very close out of the box.

 

[Dozuki]

I'd be 'interested', but for me it really all boils down to price. I've seen what you are talking about done (on the net), it looks really interesting. SUs arn't that hard to tune really, and I havn't met a ZS that I got along with. I'm drawn to the HS SUs, but that's me.

-D.

 

[Jayrz]

Dozuki,
price would be key as I don't want to end up with a new manifold and going through the expese of having one cast.
I'd plan on an adapter to install Mikunis of the approprate size on the twin SU manifold with some simple adapters for the throats and then woeking out the needles, pilots, air corrector and slide lift hole sizes till theres a good result and then, perhaps, perhaps, selling something.
GSXR carbs are easiest to come by because the kids crash them like its going out of style.

Of course I expect you to say "B" seing your avitar but which motor should I start with? the "B" 1800 or spridget 1275?.

thanks for the input

 

[Dozuki]

Depends on who your marketing to. Hobbiest - A or B series, racers - prolly the A series. I would start with what you have. What carbs do the Elans use? After that it would depend on what you can get your hands on for the testing. Manifolds are easy enough to come by on eBay for any fabrication purposes, but after that you need a car to run the dyno tests. You could also ask around at various forums to guage the interest in the A and B series engine for this idea. I've though about messing with Minukis and or Keihim (spelling?), but I don't really know that much about the carbs so I've been tinkering with an Su HS6.

 

[DrEntropy]

Doug: What you call "tinkering" has resulted in a much better running car! Congrats.

Jayrz: Have you checked out lotuselan.net? Fella there named Keith has all but re-written the book on Weber tweaking. Has a gas analyzer and methodology documented. Your Elan has the poxy ZS units, but there are ways of refitting to Weber/Dellorto units, too. Can't recall the outfit making the analyzer, but it's affordable and would help with your project.