Weber carb conversion, Midget 1500

[yb710]

I am trying to figure out how to hook up the throttle linkage on a weber DGV on a '75 Midget 1500. The "universal throttle wheel" that was included seems to interfere with the choke Mechanism. Anybody have any pictures of what they may have done to mount this carb?

 

[jcatnite]

I've an electric choke weber. I'll try to snap a picture tomorrow if that will be soon enough?
JC

 

[tosoutherncars]

Bump for pix! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[piman]

Hello YB710,

if you still have the original carburettors, forget the Weber.

Alec

 

[SilentUnicorn]

they makee good paper weights....here is a manual choke DGV

mark

 

[yb710]

OK, I think I have heard from enough people at various sites that I may have made a mistake by purchasing the Weber! Might be an expensive mistake, but I am just trying to perk the Midget up a bit over the ZS carb. I've gone this far so I may as well live with it and see what happens. Mark, thanks for the picture! Last night, I figured out how to cut down the "throttle wheel" and it looks pretty much like the linkage in the photo. I did have to bend up the choke cable mount but not as much as in your photo. I took the original ZS return spring and shaft and welded another inch of rod to it to make it longer and have it mounted as it did not appear to have sufficient throttle return. The end of the rod goes through a hole on the mount for the throttle cable. Your photo shows that you do not have that hole. Had to grind off just a bit of material on the exhaust manifold for the new intake to fit flush. Still need to replumb the heater hoses and then I am ready to fire the puppy up. Will try to post a picture of the set-up when I get it finished.

Larry Y.

 

[tosoutherncars]

Larry, you haven't made a mistake. Alec is in the UK, where the Midgets got a very, very, very different selection of carbs. I'm going to assume that he didn't notice you were on the other side of the Atlantic. Either that, or he's never owned a car with the Z-S 150CD and that godforsaken water choke.

The DGV isn't a bad choice at all. Many will tell you that they prefer the Euro setup with the twin SU carbs. Either choice is miles and miles better than the choked-off, imprecise, hard-to-tune, expensive, restrictive P.O.S. Strombergs.

Best,
Duncan, Ottawa

 

[DrEntropy]

Either choice is miles and miles better than the choked-off, imprecise, hard-to-tune, expensive, restrictive P.O.S. Strombergs.

So, Duncan, tell us how ya REALLY feel about 'em... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif

 

[SilentUnicorn]

gee i am not sure i understand .... you mean the zenith isnt a good carb?

one thing i will say about the weber, is it does provide that nice accel pump, a good push on the pedal and it all feels real good. just aint the same with a pair of su's.


mark

 

[jlaird]

Heck no. SU's to make em sing.

 

[yb710]

The carb has been installed and it works! Cut down the "throttle wheel" and also installed the original return spring and shaft. Hooked the hose from the valve cover to the fitting under the air cleaner. Fired it up and went for a drive. Ran fine right out of the box. Took it to work to have the auto mechanic teacher check out my work. He fiddled with it a bit and then removed the vacuum line to the dizzy. Said that all that 70's emission control design made the engines run hot and overheated. The car was otherwise de-smogged years ago. Now the Midget runs better and faster than it ever did and I know because I am the original owner of the car! Would post a picture of what it all looks like but I cannot figure out how to add pictures...any suggestions?

 

[SilentUnicorn]

sure . make a reply using the reply button. At the bottom of the box click on file manager (in the post options box) browse to your file and volia! note: the file size must be below the limit....200k i think


mark

 

[yb710]

Well, that was easy! Now lets see if it works when I hit the submit button. I must have done something wrong because all I see is a red X...

 

[tosoutherncars]

I would suggest Photobucket... Very handy. Can't wait to see the carb. So is your distributor a mechanical advance? How will your timing work?

-D

 

[yb710]

Went to photobucket and got set up. At work now. Will try to post photos tonight.

 

[yb710]

Well I think I have it this time...hope this works. The vacuum line to the distributor is still there but plugged with a small ball bearing or BB. Kept the line there for car show originality reasons even though the Weber ain't exactly original! The vacuum line to the anti run-on valve plugged the same way. The auto tech guys said that the vacuum retards the timming which causes the engine to run hotter and burn off more gases/fuel (?) in order to meet emissions for the time. One teacher said back in the 70's and 80's, he wished he had a dollar for every time someone brought in a car and it did not run worth a crap so they simply plugged a few vacuum lines as they did on the Midget. Anyway, I hope I got the above story right as I am not a mechanic. Hope the URL takes you to the photos...

 

[yb710]

Lets see if this works better!!!

 

[yb710]

...and maybe one more!

 

[tosoutherncars]

Looks excellent! Is your valve area still vented? If so, how?

 

[piman]

Hello Duncan,

I'm aware that most people on this board are not UK based.
It certainly is a long time since I had Zeniths on a car (Triumph 2000 sedan) but I don't remember them being troublesome. Certainly I have had many more S.U. cars. The ZSs and the S.U.s are fundamentally the same and ZS came about because what used to be BMC, later British Leyland, owned S.U. and charged the likes of Triumph and Jaguar a lot of money for them.
They are a simple carburettor and being a progressive choke makes it an excellent driving carburettor for a road car. Perhaps, also, having had bad experiences in the past with complicated Weber compound carburettors doesn't help, that and that horrible manifold especially over a twin set up.

Alec