Strombergs - worth spending money on?

[DenW]

I have spent many happy hours in my workshop playing with a basket case TR4 - my first venture with the marque and a great way to learn!

 

The chassis is looking OK and the lace body shell is now coming together and ready for final panel fit and painting - so recently I've turned my attention to the engine. I inherited two blocks with crankshafts etc and an ammunition box with most of the other essentials so that with the purchase of a scrap engine in order to gain a high port head and a set of pistons and liners I've put together a reasonable engine - I hope!

 

Turning to engine ancillaries I have renovated everything for little more than the cost of overhaul kits but have now hit a wall with the carbs.

The CD175s I have are not in the best condition and will need at least a full overhaul kit and are missing a couple of parts for the linkages - this will set me back around £150 even with Rimmers 15% off deal - and even then I suspect the spindle wear is not all spindle and I may well have to allow for rebushing too!

 

So ... is it worth spending this sort of cash or should I put it towards obtaining and renovating a pair of SUs? As you can tell from the above I am reluctant to throw money at the project as I have no real idea of the overall cost and would prefer to use what I have to build the car and uprate and improve it later - I know that as I start to put it together there will be a myriad of nuts, bolts,washers, brackets and other widgets that I don't yet even know I need!

 

Advice please on the best and most economic way to find SUs - I know that both H6s and HS6s are getting hard to find at reasonable prices - new ones are still available but horribly expensive and even then lack most of the linkages -as do I!

Can I use HS6s off other cars - I see that TR7 and Dolly ones are sometimes available at reasonable prices - can they be adapted reasonably well or will that be difficult or impossible?

 

Any advice or help appreciated!

 

Cheers

DenW

[RogerH]

Hi Den,

the strombergs work OK so no need to change if at all possible. The SU's have less parts that wear out quickly but given time all things wear.

If you buy a set of second hand SU's what is to say that they will not need overhauling.

 

To have the Stroms professionally overhauled will cost apprx £350/pair. The missing bits of likage can be found at the usual suspects.

Rebuilding yourself will be cheaper but will still need money spent (as you stated) but will work perfectly afterwards.

Bushing the spindle holes is not the end of the world.

 

Have you considered selling your spare block and crank to raise funds.

Have you checked the crank(s) for cracking at the #4 big-end journal to web radius.

 

Roger

[ctc77965o]

Den,

 

Rebuild what you have OR find an orig set of 4/4A SUs with linkages. When in good condition the stroms & su perform the same...I have SUs on a TR and Stroms on a Jag....both are fine carbs.

 

Buying SUs from another model will create spindle & linkage problems... you could waste a lot of time in getting it right... much better to invest a few dollars in what you have rather than heading into the unknown...

[rodofcv]

Hey up Den, when I bought my TR2 it was fitted with a pair of CD150 s specially engineered, I should think at great expense, to fit a four cylinder low port head. I have since bought the correct pair of SUs and the Strombergs are redundant. I have no idea which, if any, parts might be interchangeable but you are welcome to them. You also get the low port head as I was unable to separate them. I think a 6' lever is required! Since the postage would be quite expensive I would prefer them to be collected (assuming always that you want them): I'm in Wallingford Oxfordshire but I don't know where you are.

Let me know what you think (politely!).

 

Rod

[TR4Geoff]

Hi Den,

 

I very much agree with Roger's comments and, to get it clear from the start, would mention that I have a pair of Strombergs on my '4'. They gave me 35mpg on the way back from the Black Forest earlier this year and that was at speeds up to approx 85mph!

 

There are certain members of this Forum who don't like Strombergs, probably because they can't be bothered/ haven't got the patience/knowledge to tune them, but they never actually give a reason!

 

There are actually only two problems with Strombergs....I) They have a rubber type diaphragm which will rot/wear out after considerable mileage. 2) They haven't been made for quite a few years!

 

The diaphragm isn't actually a problem as they are still available - but don't squirt any carb cleaner in the carbs otherwise the diaphragms will be knackered!

 

Some spare parts are a problem, but if you need to, I would talk to the nice gentlemen at Southern Carburetters in Crawley, Sussex. They are very helpful and have access to a greater variety of spares (and at better prices!) than the major suppliers of TR spares. I also know that by virtue of the improved spares position, they were willing to undertake the overhaul of Strombergs again as from May/June this year.

 

Hope this is helpful.

 

Geoff

PS. Southern Carbs...www.southerncarbs.co.uk 01293 533843

[DenW]

Thanks for all your replies - I had got the impression that few enthusiasts had much time for Strombergs and that they weren't worth the time and effort/cash spent in renovating them but you have put me straight in that and I will follow your advice and work with what I have.

 

Roger: I'm not totally strapped for cash for the project I just want to spend it in the best areas and I enjoy reusing what I have rather than adopting the modern approach of chucking whole assemblies away and replacing them rather than repairing - its part of the reason for running classics!

I was planning to use the leftover bits to build another engine as a spare or for the next project.

I tried to check the cranks but was not sure what I was looking for and as the crank I used was newly reground (with unmarked shells) I'm hoping it was professionally checked when that was done.

 

Rod: Many thanks for the kind offer which I would be delighted to accept - PM sent.

 

Geoff: Thanks for the contact - just what I may need!

 

Thanks again for the excellent response to my first post on the forum - you may not be able to shut me up over the next few months!

 

Den

Edited November 11, 2013 by DenW

[RogerH]

By the way Den,

welcome to the forum.

 

Roger

[John Morrison]

Hi den,

think you are correct to rebuild what you have, my strombergs have done a number of years now without problem, about teh only downside is there is more available for SU's if you want to play with tuning etc.

 

re the bits of linkage you may be missing, get in touch when you know, likely I can help and you are welcome.

 

John.

[DenW]

Yep - I feel better now I've decided which way to go and can now get on with it.

 

Thanks for the offer of parts - The bits I know I am missing are the long linkage bar from accelerator to manifold part no.106764 and a couple of the couplings (?) for the shafts between the carbs Rimmer part no RTC169. Little bits with a hefty price!

 

I stripped the carbs down today and they seem OK inside - so just bits and bushes to deal with!!

 

Den

[MartinAndNeil]

Hi Den,

Glad to see that you intend to stick to the original equipment. The Strombergs are a Triumph baby while SUs are from Mr Morris.

 

Hope you find the link below useful and also check out the University Motors Ltd YouTube short films in three parts regarding overhaul of the CD stromberg.

 

M

 

 

http://www.bowtie6.com/other/zenith-stromberg-carburetter-repair/

[MartinAndNeil]

[John Morrison]

Hi Den,

 

I'll have a look in the next day or so.

 

be in touch.

 

John.

[John Morrison]

Hi Den,

 

you have PM.

 

John.