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Quick Carb Question

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Jim_Gruber

Jim_Gruber

Yoda
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If 12 flats is the starting point, is 10 flats leaner I assume.

Fixed my intake manifold leak but jets were set so rich to overcome the air leak that I immediately carboned up the plugs. New plugs and now corrected to 10 flats out to see what I've got.
 
10 is leaner.
 
Thanks Jack. That's what I figured. Getting closer to figuring out Bugsy's issues. Looks like my intake manifold leak is cured. Now with a set of plugs in it that can fire. Amazing how quickly middle set of plugs carboned up and I mean totally carboned up when the back carb was set probably 25-30 flats out to compensate for the huge air leak on the intake manifold. Time for some more fiddling to get it drivable and then on Monday since I've got a day off, over to the LBC expert to make things really right with Bugsy.
 
Get it a close as you can useing the system and testing in the manual. Then check a front and a back plug after each drive for awile, adjust one flat at a time till you get em spot on.
 
You know, you can clean the plugs and they'll probably be fine. Carbon is a way of life with these cars. Give it a good run once in a while, keep it adjusted more or less right, and it shouldn't be a major problem.
 
Steve, unfortunately these are so badly fouled I can't get the engine to even rev. Running on two cylinders until it limps up to 3,000 rpm. Above 3,000 they suddenly seem to fire. Put 4 new Champions in this morning but no time to fire it up. Curious to see if I fixed the problem and at the same time afraid I haven't.
 
Time for an Italian tune-up!!
 
:lol:

I've been dinged for usin' that particular turn o' phrase but it APPLIES! :laugh:


Put yer BOOT in it!!
 
Italian Tune Up, yeah I wonder if Frank makes house calls in SW Ohio. Later today I'll have time to give it a whirl and see if if runs well enough to limp to the LBC shop about 6 miles away on Monday. I'm fortunate to have a guy who knows Spridgets and all things LBC close by.
 
Westfield_XI said:
Time for an Italian tune-up!!
Click to expand...

OK I'll bite - not one I've heard before and I've lived in a mafia town
 
Got a chance to start Bugsy finally today. No time for test drive but he fired right up and miss seems to be gone. Feels like he's running well enough to actually make it down the road for a test drive. I liked the strong vroom, vroom sound he made when he fired back up. Getting closer to getting it right.
 
Got a chance to start Bugsy finally today. No time for test drive but he fired right up and miss seems to be gone. Feels like he's running well enough to actually make it down the road for a test drive. I liked the strong vroom, vroom sound he made when he fired back up. Getting closer to getting it right.
 
JP:

<span style="font-weight: bold">The Italian Tune Up -- </span>(from the <span style="font-style: italic">Alfa Romeo Owner's Bible</span> by Pat Braden)
"You've sunk your next five years' paychecks into this sweet Italian beauty and you're not going to abuse it, by golly. You shift at 2500 rpm and never go over 70 mph. To prove your point, the car needs tuning so often now that if you really put your foot into it you're sure something would explode. That's Italian cars for you.
"Somewhere, right now in Italy, someone's driving exactly the same car as yours. His right foot is pressed firmly to the floor, where it has been for the last three hours. The rubber on the brake pedal shown no perceptable wear. The speedometer and tachometer are both trying to bury themselves offscale. His arms are weary from cranking the wheel back and forth as he negotiates the mountain roads. His eyes gleam and his heart is glad for he has never once had cause to do more than regular maintenance to this thoroughbred of a car that has uncounted kilometers on its engine.
"He's right and you're wrong.
"Alfas don't just like to be driven hard. They <span style="font-style: italic">need </span>it. When your car limps in for service, the plugs are fouled and the oil is so diluted with volatile hydrocarbons that the engine is grinding itself to death. To correct this sorry condition, the mechanic waits until you are just out of earshot and then takes off in your jewel, driving it with an abandon that would give you seizures. After a few minutes at full-throttle and something nearing 100 mph the spark plugs clear and all the junk in the crankcase begins to evaporate. He gets a big grin, you get a bill for $59.95, and the car never ran better."
 
Ah Bellisimo! grazie!
 
Excellent. Now I know. Bugsy needed far more than that. A new set of plugs certainly helped. I never got a chance to get him out of the garage all weekend. Better half was keeping me on task to get some drywall work in the basement finished that I was supposed to complete last winter and instead I worked on Bugsy instead. The mention of doing anything with Bugsy this weekend drew her ire and time to do some things to get on her better side e this week. I needed to get this task done anyway. Otherwise I'll never get started on some needed rusty A Post lower panel replacement that I was going to complete last year.

And stripes are to come this winter. Thnaks to all for the help and support.
 
Just don't be too surprised (on any car, actually), if, after months of local slow-speed commutes and no oil consumption, a weekend blast into the countryside causes a major drop in oil level.
It's the gasoline evaporating out of the crankcase.

One of the "tricks" to get cars past emissions tests is to unplug the PCV valve from the crankcase and twist it clear.

Sucking gas fumes out of the crankcase will cause a failure.
 
I've owned four Alfas since '74, never with intent but it just HAPPENED... This one is a purpose-built 1750, 11mm cams, 40 mm Weber DCOE's. I rebuilt it in 2000 and all I've done is change the oil on sporadic schedule, did a valve adjustment sometime a while ago. It looks like a rat but RUNS.

Bellisimo!!
 
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