SU's

[PYU940F]

I overhauled my original carbs twice over the last 5 years but still could not get them to run right, maybe I was not doing them quite correctly but I think I was. I put it down to just being 50 years old. (the carbs that is, not me). Just bolted on 2 brand new carbs that were on special offer last winter. Transformation. As I remember the car when bought it n 1975. Anybody else annoyed with their carbs? New ones (not overhauled ones) are well worth it. Smooth idle, smooth pick up, and, as I remember, happy at 30mph in O/D 4th and put your foot down and a smooth, jerk free, albeit slow acceleration.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

 

[RogerH]

Hi Simon,

old carbs can be brought back to life and up till recently it was the only way.

 

A nicely rebuild SU will perform very well.

Now new ones are available at not much more than the rebuild cost then perhaps there will be some good bargains going for project carbs.

 

Roger

[Don H.]

Definitely save the old ones, Simon. Something can be restored many times, but can only be original once. Those old SUs are almost certainly rebuildable and capable of being returned to service. Sometimes things like throttle shaft bushings are beyond garage bench repair, though, but the guys who do this all the time have all the tooling and skills.

[PYU940F]

Roger and Don

I know where you are at. I hate throwing away old/original but I really did get p ....sed off at not being able to get them right. The only way the old carbs would run at all smoothly was mega rich. I think I paid less than £500 for 2 SU's made by SU looking the same as the oldies (apart from being shiny) and they work perfectly out of the box. I thrashed up and down the A25 to day and stopped every few miles to pull the plugs and after a couple of very minor tweak they are a lovely burnt light brown colour, perfect I reckon.

Sometimes polishing a turd only gives you a shiny turd so if anyone wants my old ones they can have them because I think my newies will last me and the car out.

 

Cheers all

 

Simon

[Don H.]

Understood, Simon. Make sure they go to *somebody*, and not the recycle bin!

 

The guy in the US with one of the stronger reputations for SU rebuilding is Joe Curto. He'd have rebuilt those carbs for less than the price of new ones, but not a whole lot.

http://joecurto.com/prices

[rcreweread]

Simon - I would be interested in your old carbs - have sent you a PM

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[RogerH]

 

Sometimes polishing a turd only gives you a shiny turd

 

Cheers all

 

Simon

 

Hi Simon,

Somebody on here just recently posted - You can;t polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter.

 

Now that is the lateral warped sense of reality that I like about this forum.

 

Regarding the carbs - sometimes it is easier to accept what you have and move on.

In your case a dodgy pair of crabs, renewed. The old ones will simply sit there forever. Pass them on and let somebody else enjoy them.

 

Roger

[Alec Pringle]

" In your case a dodgy pair of crabs, renewed "

 

And speaking of a warped sense of reality, I can't get out of my head a vision of this poor fellow Simon rushing round his garage . . . . . desperately trying to corral, corner or otherwise subdue Roger's blessing of renewed crabs.

 

I can almost hear the claws clacking . . . .

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[TR NIALL]

" In your case a dodgy pair of crabs, renewed "

 

And speaking of a warped sense of reality, I can't get out of my head a vision of this poor fellow Simon rushing round his garage . . . . . desperately trying to corral, corner or otherwise subdue Roger's blessing of renewed crabs.

 

I can almost hear the claws clacking . . . .

 

Cheers

 

Alec

Maybe it's the Clawless ones he's talking about,Scratchie Scratch.

[RogerH]

Hi Alec/Niall,

now look chaps this isn;t funny . I spotted the error and then re-wrote it.

 

Roger (perhaps it is a little funny ).

[Alec Pringle]

Now, now Niall,

 

I was trying to keep the pubic out of the public, but I should have known you'd lower the tone along with the drawers . . . . .

 

At least Simon doesn't have Webers, we might have found ourselves fighting a clutch of spider crabs for our sins . . . .

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[PYU940F]

Crabs gone to Rich #6 so they will not languish in my garage nibbling away at the rest of the pile of stuff. Let's hope Rich can restore them to happier times.

 

Cheers all

 

Simon

[Lebro]

Hope he likes seafood

 

Bob.

Edited July 5, 2017 by Lebro

[rcreweread]

Simon - thanks - they will be going back on my 4A which previously lost it's SUs as they were requisitioned to go on my 4 after it was stolen in the early 1980s and the scrotes took the SU carbs, instruments and a few other bits and pieces. I was having to consider using Strombergs but this allows me to put it back as original spec - many thanks

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[PYU940F]

Rich, you are welcome, I hope they have many more miles in them. I feel careful fettling will sort them out, there is very little throttle spindle play so I do not think they will need re-bushing. The major problem was I could never get the pistons to drop smoothly with the "dull thud" the book calls for. Countless jet centring with old/new needles and piston polishing did not cure this fault, I hope you have better luck.

 

Cheers

 

Simon