Weber DGV Carb Conversion for 78 MG Midget 1500

[texas_bugeye]

Wow! Talk about your exposed electrode! Spark everywhere! Being Iridium maybe it can stand out there in the heat pressure changes. Sort of like standing on the sun! Must be some tuff stuff. Anybody else try these?

 

[PAUL161]

What I failed to mention was, the fuel cost savings was when gas was $3.50 a gallon. Now it would take two trips like that for them to pay for themselves. They say their supposed to last a 100,000 miles? We'll wait and see just how true that statement is.
The Champions are about 9 bucks each and the NGKs are about 10. Not cheap, but they seem to preform a little better than conventional plugs.

 

[Midget78]

Hey gang. I will ask about the plug issue in greater detail and let all of you know what he says. He did sorta explain his thinking already but honestly my mind was on the carb more so at the time when I should have been listening. I do remember it made alot of sense what he was saying. I also will find this web page that spoke of why the new generation style plugs need to be in "newer" cars and stay away from the oldies that like things to be simple from an operation stand point.

 

[bighly]

I just completed a successful conversion on my 76 Midget 1500 using the Pierce kit. I also added a header and freeflow exhaust.

I had to add a crankcase breather to overcome the increased cranckcase pressure. It was pushing oil from the dipstick tube. This went on the blanking plate where the mechanical fuel pump was.

I am using a Carter 4070P high volume low pressure pump along with a Holly regulator to keep it down around 3 to 4 LBs.

Next is to go drop by and see Mike Pierce this week to insure proper jetting and adjustments (he and his brother Warren are racing friends and the shop is only 10 miles from my place).

I'll try to keep you posted.

Cheers!

Tracy Drummond
Healeys, Midgets and Miata's Oh My!

 

[George Zeck]

Midget78 -

My name is George Zeck and I live in Avon Lake, OH. I just put on a Weber onto my 1275 this summer. Went on easily. I did have to re-do the choke cable and make some minor adjustments. It was running in < 2 hours.

I did add the spacer plate - I had some vapor lock issues (might still have - I last drove it in Oct). Your pretty brave to drive in it the last week of Cle weather. It's been bleeping cold.

Email me privately and maybe I can answer a few Q's.

Good Luck -

George Zeck
Emerald Necklace MG Club

gzeck2 at yahoo dot com

 

[Midget78]

Hey Tracy. You know I also had the issue with the oil blowing out of the dipstick. Actually I didnt even realize it until I stopped working on the car and notice the puddle under the car. Its like the polish way off changing the oil. I put a "T" on the line that runs from the bottom of the air cleaner to the valve cover. I went to Auto Zone and purchased one of those $15 air cleaner filter units that tighten onto hose or pipe. That allowed me to regulate the amount of air being pushed into the crankcase and putting to much pressure in there making the oil blow out. I have yet to drive the car to know if that will fix the oil blowing out under driving conditions. I also seen on the net a guy who drilled and tapped the intake manifold, put a hose barb on it and ran another hose to the intake manifold with an inline PCV valve. I guess that works also.

 

[jvandyke]

I also seen on the net a guy who drilled and tapped the intake manifold, put a hose barb on it and ran another hose to the intake manifold with an inline PCV valve. I guess that works also.

This is what I did. Documented somewhere here. On a Weber with Pierce intake. On my 1098, there is only a hose from the valve cover to the air cleaner (stock), most have a timing chain cover thing and later have a gulp valve too. I was loosing oil (from a tappet cover "drain pipe"), not enough vacuum on that valve cover line from the Weber's "Longflow" style foam filter housing. So I drilled, tapped the intake on the outboard side right below the carb and moved the valve cover hose there. Oil leak gone immediately. During the process I discovered that the fitting on the valve cover was loose so it could be I would have been alright had I just tightened that up but I was already done.
My only leak now is from the oil filter adapter housing.
I do wonder if I'm sucking too much oil into the intake but I'm not fouling plugs so I'm going with it for now.

Here's the thread

BTW I used a barb fitting and restricted the opening (with a piece of vacuum tube cap with a tiny hole snipped in the end). Metered orifice approach vs. PVC