Strange Cat on Ebay this Week.....

[bmurphy7369]

Jack,

Before you try to make sense of the above questions, let me read for a while. I finally received the fax, but have to run down to the shop and pick it up. I hope it is the elusive diagram that I have been hunting. I'll post or email after I have read through them.

Regards,

Brian

 

[John S Farrington]

Brian, All Zenith Stromberg carbs return to the idle position using integral coil springs positioned at the ends of the butterfly plate shafts in the center of the other stuff used for adjustments, etc. SU carburetors use a more conventional tensioner spring but ZS units use coils at the carburetor shafts. If everything is slick, you should require no more tensioning. The choke linkeages as in the E types also use similar coils at the shaft inputs. In the case of E type choke tensioning, the coils are usually too stiff and pull the manual actuation lever back to the unchoke position before you want it to happen. The choke return spring arrangement on ZS manual choke conversion depends on the kit that you select for converting the water heater choke. Tell me what specific configuration are you working towards? Hope this helps, Jack.

 

[bmurphy7369]

Jack,

The diagram that I received (XJ6 Series II Secondary Throttle U.S/Canada) was a Jaguar factory diagram. It shows the two "Y" shaped spring mounts, but I think that the car must have never had them. They even have a Jaguar AAU... part number for front and rear applications. They must be a throw-back to the S.U. system and probably not worth the hours of searching it would take to find a pair.

I pulled the carbs last night and water poured out. It then dawned on me that when the fuel pump quit in February, I was forced to leave the car out for a few days due to lack of hands to get it up the hill and down into the garage. It did rain heavily on at least one of these days. I can only assume that since I drained and refilled both tanks prior to starting the car and had no water at that point that I have a faulty gas lid gasket and/or filler neck to deal with at this point. Also the moisture inside the carburetors has made the butterfly operation stiff. There are still some brass throttle shaft fittings and spacers, maybe just two on the rear carb that are definitely missing.... I looked at a TR6 diagram for the ZS and there was a picture of what is on my car. The carbs had been replace by a set originally from a TR6, which is fine except for the Jaguar-specific throttle attachments.. I can work around this by bending and fabricating something that will suffice.

As for the throttle return issue, I think that this should be cured by cleaning the carbs and possibly going one more turn on the throttle springs. If not, while I'm making carb parts I'll have to make one of the "Y" shaped spring brackets for the front carb to give it a little more snapback.... when I drove the car I had to put it in neutral once to wait for the engine idle to slow down. This would just be for my own peace of mind and not necessary once the other issues are resolved (remember the Killer Runaway Audis of the 1980s?).

For now I am striving for a car that will run long enough to tune and I think I have had a chorus of unrelated problems that has made it difficult to pinpoint any one culprit. So it's back to the drawing board and pulling of fuel tanks once again. When I get to the tuning point I may have to get a few pointers from you. Thanks as always for the assistance.

Brian

[ 04-09-2004: Message edited by: bmurphy7369 ]</p>

 

[John S Farrington]

Brian, I admire you for your tenacity. There is nothing like trying to solve a treasure hunt without a map!! I will be glad to share information with you but I would feel guilty if I did not advise you of the guru of all British side draft carburetors. A fellow who advertises in Hemmings Motor News (Bible of all car nuts) is called Joe Curto of New York. Joe knows all ZS carburetors as well as SU applications. He probably stocks all of these odd ball parts. If you cannot find him in Hemmings, call me at (256) 535 0703 during business hours.
Your Zenith carbs have standard return (coil/helical) that will assure proper return regardless of linkeage. Add on springs are just a cluge. If your coupe were at my toy store, we could solve the problems that face you very rapidly and efficiently but I think Joe Curto could save a lot of time and effort. He offers carburetor rebuild services and, I think, could provide some of these rare and unique parts. I feel competent to rebuild the ZSs but the periferal parts present a challenge. With Joe's years of experience in his very specialized work, he could offer you great expertise. (One of my other hobbies is mahogany Chris Crafts: all of the guys who understand wooden hulls such as these are presently and very rapidly expiring). I regard Joe as a true repository of unique and rapidly disappearing information in this age of fuel injection. I will be glad to keep sharing information but in the dual ZS configurations, my best credentials are the series 2 E types. The coupe might be very different. Keep in touch. Jack Farrington

 

[John S Farrington]

PS, If you got water in your gas tanks during a rain storm, It is not the gas tank opening seal. Your coupe and all dual gas tank XJ6s have a body water drain at the submerged well that the gas tank filler caps fit into. These drain lines originate at the rear most position of the gas filler well. Yours are probably clogged up with leaf and other debris particles. Get either a speedometer cable, wire or high pressure air line to clean/blow the drain tube out. The drain tube starts at the filler well and terminates at the rear wheel well (left and right) rear position behind the well. Series 1, 2 and 3 XJ6s and 12s exist better in garages rather than the great outdoors. I would also check both of your gas tanks for water and rust debris by removing the drain "bung holes" (British term) under each tank. There is a round port in the lower rear wing on each side to do this. Jack

 

[bmurphy7369]

Jack,

Will draining the tanks completely remove all the water and debris? Should I pour clean gas through them a few times to be sure that they are free of particles and water? If I do this without removing the tanks (sloshing them around, blowing compressed air through them) and see clean gas, am I still running a risk of rust particles remaining from the water that has been in the tanks for a few months? I would just hate to have any more fuel issues after the carbs are tuned to the car. A local mechanic I spoke with said that the XJ6 tanks can't be completely drained while on the car. I don't know if he was possibly thinking of a different model of car, as it has been some years since he has had a Series II in shop. I have no doubt that he is knowledgeable, but would love not to have to remove the tanks at this juncture. I am getting very excited about driving this car, but at the same time don't want to create any future costly and time consuming repairs by cutting corners. I almost called you today about this issue, and had these questions in mind for you. I decided to wait until after the Easter weekend. Hope you and your family enjoy the Holiday!

Cheers,

Brian

P.S. I had never heard the British meaning for the term "bung hole".... I am, of course, familiar with the less clean American version... always enjoy learning new things. I can't wait to use it in a sentence.

"Hey guys, you'll never believe this! My Jag has two bung holes!"