Well had a bit of a tinker today with the V8 - the choke cable needs replacing as has too much movement in the cable where the installer fitted one where the outer sheath doesn't fix at the carb end. So you pull on it and the outer moves around instead of staying fixed thus putting all the tension on the inner cable. Anyway, minor point. Took the cap off the fuel pipe to replace, assuming it'd be a 1/4" BSP ... as always it's a funny size. Outer measurement of the thread 0.431" ie a shade under 11mm, and the head is 1/2" AF - but doesn't seem to correspond to any fuel fitting I can find. Maybe a 7/16 UNF as a kind soul pointed out on S2F but sounds too small. Anyway, no doubt I'm measuring it wrong! If I can just find something that goes on the end of that with a 90 deg bend and an 8mm hose barb fitting, I'll be sorted, but seems unlikely at this point! Tempted to take all those rather rusty fittings off and just plumb the hoses straight onto the press-fit SU fittings with a couple of t-junctions, like I've seen on some MG setups. Doesn't look very tidy, but might be a lot less nuisance!
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Well had a bit of a tinker today with the V8 - the choke cable needs replacing as has too much movement in the cable where the installer fitted one where the outer sheath doesn't fix at the carb end. So you pull on it and the outer moves around instead of staying fixed thus putting all the tension on the inner cable. Anyway, minor point. Took the cap off the fuel pipe to replace, assuming it'd be a 1/4" BSP ... as always it's a funny size. Outer measurement of the thread 0.431" ie a shade under 11mm, and the head is 1/2" AF - but doesn't seem to correspond to any fuel fitting I can find. Maybe a 7/16 UNF as a kind soul pointed out on S2F but sounds too small. Anyway, no doubt I'm measuring it wrong! If I can just find something that goes on the end of that with a 90 deg bend and an 8mm hose barb fitting, I'll be sorted, but seems unlikely at this point! Tempted to take all those rather rusty fittings off and just plumb the hoses straight onto the press-fit SU fittings with a couple of t-junctions, like I've seen on some MG setups. Doesn't look very tidy, but might be a lot less nuisance!
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Nick on my 101 v8 its got standard pair stromberg 175 fitted the part you circled has also got the return to tank pipe....where is yours?...also cold start choke fuel pipe runs between carbs from same side...the couplngs are 1/2",5/8"...but you can get as on my water pump 1/2"head with 7/16" thread but its not 11mm
 
There isn't a return to the tank, that's what I'm plumbing in, on the basis there should be one so worth seeing if it helps. Ive ordered a 7/16 UNF to 8mm hose adapter, hopefully with a bit of PTFE tape it'll work, just need to keep an eye on it.
Sorry Shippers didn't grasp the second bit of your reply!
 
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This the same connection you circled in your pic...carb is removed...pipe on left comes from other carb and blue pipe is return to tank...so fuel from tank goes to left carb same as yours then to right carb same as yours then returns to tank... I used clear blue pipe so I can see flow return...
 
I don't think it should have a return to the tank.
Col

This the same connection you circled in your pic...carb is removed...pipe on left comes from other carb and blue pipe is return to tank...so fuel from tank goes to left carb same as yours then to right carb same as yours then returns to tank... I used clear blue pipe so I can see flow return...

Thanks both! Col - You could be right, but the P6 gang seem to agree theirs all have a return, and that's where this engine came from so... (why some versions of the same engine would need it and others not is another question) and since it's not happy as is I'm willing to give it a go. Easy test after all - bung a pipe to a jerry can in the back carefully wedged in place - if it's working, it'll be obvious very quickly. If not then I haven't made an unnecessary hole in the fuel tank!

Shippers, thanks sorry yes that's what I thought as well so that's OK :) Wish I'd found a nice 90deg tap but this straight one'll do, the fuel hose is bendy enough.
 
Sunny's airbox was rattling around like a box of pebbles and the catches were useless as they were just hanging there - turns out the PO hadn't fitted the o-ring that seals it at the bottom. Not surprising as it's NLA... thankfully people make so many O-rings for so many things, no problem getting another one. It's a 4mm x 160mm one which I found from a trawl of the forums - they'd even provided a nice Amazon.com link so ordered from there. American but didn't take long to get here anyway. Should have ordered a couple but with some 303 it should last years anyway.
Had another look at the parts manual and it does look like someone had replaced the awful tin Sherpa / FX4 cover with a Land Rover one so that's good news - no idea what'll be underneath, will be fun finding out what belt / idler pulley it needs!
Big Red's fuel return line - Turns out it was indeed a 7/16" UNF connection, so fitted a bit of PTFE tape on it and the hose is nicely hooked up now on that end - have been messing about testing it (into a jerry can) to make sure it's worth the effort of drilling the tank, I think it is making a difference as Red's a lot happier when I let the choke off again - but still died after a few minutes idling. Still, small steps.
[will insert a couple photos here later]
Took Red's airbox off and although I don't think the filters were that old they were pretty bunged up (should have been the first thing I did really....) so I've ordered a couple more. It's a strange looking contraption with lots of patches, don't think it's the original P6 one as that looks quite different from the pics I've found, plus it's offset which I can't quite understand. But anyway, got the part number off one of the filters, a Fram CA641PL. Couldn't find those online, but did find a good site that lists all the compatible ones, from a Mann C1530 (found them on Amazon for £4 each inc delivery, nice) to a K&N E-2330 (way too expensive til I know it's working tip-top). Tried it without the airbox or elbows and again, seems a bit happier (hardly surprising really!) idling, but again dies after a few minutes. Pretty sure the idle's too low but not being familiar with the engine or the settings, best look that up then, and while I'm at it better understand how the choke works on these things (carbs being witchcraft to me at the moment).
[photo of airbox to go here :)]
Took a photo of the nearside carb - tucked in under the bonnet edge so apols for the crap quality, it's a stretch getting the camera round there!
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All looks a bit crudded up and rusty, matches my hunch that the carbs need a total refurb... SU are £250 a piece though to get them done (for starters) so we'll see about that in a couple months I think! At least I figured out where the throttle idle screw and fast idle screw were, and the piston lift lever, so that was a useful lesson! :) Fast idle cam doesn't look set up right though from the SU drawing I found.
Had a squint down the intake and the piston looks a bit mucky as well (although not as bad as I'd half expected!) - at least the damper's got some oil in it still! Ordered some carb cleaner so will have a go with that first to see if it helps a bit.
While I was at it, checked the vacuum advance on the distributor - no movement at all. Not hugely surprising as the vacuum module looks rusty as hell. Looks like £45ish for a new one - ideally I'd send the whole thing off to the Distributor Doctor but looking at £250 there as well. All in good time. The distributor cap was obviously nearly new although looks a bit cheaply made, as is the rotor, a red-top although I doubt it's his make! No idea what kind of setup is on it, PO said he'd swapped it for electronic, but can't make much more out of it other than the leads are definitely on correctly. More reading to be done...
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