Hi Shippers, yes that’s pretty much exactly the symptoms. Sometimes I can get half a mile out of the village, but that’s about as far as I’ve got so far!
I’ll have a play around tomorrow. Should I try this with the engine idling? Does most of this require me taking the carbs off the car? I’m happy to do that as it seems all mechanical etc, but what I don’t want to do is make anything worse! Plus, do I not then have to re-balance the carbs if I take them off?
Shippers
Well-Known Member
That's classic fuel starvation...I would strip and clean carbs there's not much to them...check on internet for setting needles you do it with the nuts under the float chamber..the top of the float should be 16\17mm from carb flange face...it sounds like it's using up the fuel in the float chamber...
Yes I suppose that would make sense!
I’ll take the tops off the carbs now and have a look. Just one other question - would having my fuel pump mounted relatively close to the exhaust cause fuel vapourisation? Pic of where it’s mounted:
Ah righty ok. There seems to be conflicting stuff on the internet about some Rover v8 engines having returns, and others not.
Have just done the piston test that you suggested - interesting results! The right hand cab (looking at from the bumper) springs down immediately and tightly. The left hand doesn’t, and has a 2mm ish gap underneath the piston which is making that asthmatic sucking/breathing noise. I’m 99% certain it hasn’t always been doing that! Will I have to take the carb off to fix this...?
**edit** - just checked, Piston does ping back nicely when engine isn’t running - do I still need to adjust something?
Also checked the fuel pressure today and it’s at a pretty rock steady 3psi (measured just before entering the t piece before splitting to both carbs - is this a sufficient psi?
Hicap phill
Well-Known Member
Your pump looks like a facet interrupted pump. This will keep ticking until float bowls are full then slow down as it fuels returns to tank.
3psi sounds right.
If you do not have a return this pump will run & then stop once bowls are full.
3psi sounds right.
If you do not have a return this pump will run & then stop once bowls are full.
Shippers
Well-Known Member
Sounds like fuel to carbs is good...I would strip left-hand carb it's the easiest as there's not much attached to it...have a look in the float chamber and clean it out ...check level...the jet assembly is the part screwed into the bottom of float chamber if not set right will stop piston dropping down fully...there's good info on the net on how to set it I can't remember off hand the right number of turns it is...at idle the piston should be down you then with a small screwdriver lift the piston 1mm or so and listen to the engine revs should rise and then settle if they go down or are erratic adjust with the lower nut on the jet body on the float chamber you will find it all on the net...have you got a filter on the inlet to pump? as it needs one..
Ok - Have removed and stripped down (mostly) the left hand carb, and to my untrained eye, it looks pretty much factory new inside! There as absolutely no crud or bits that needed to be removed. Diaphragm was all in good condition and looked new also.
Pics here:
One thing I have noticed is that when putting the cylinder back into the carb and screwing the 'lid' back on, that the rotational position of the cylinder seems to make a big difference to the running of the engine...I only just noticed that there was a little rubber tab on the diaphragm that sits in a little slot on the top of the carb, but having now lined both of these up, if anything it runs even more poorly!
I've looked on the Zenith website and looked at all the adjustment text, but all of it mentions having an adjustable screw that can be turned with a coin on the bottom of the carb...Mine doesn't have one of those!
http://zenithcarb.co.uk/zencdcdsseries/?SID=vhs8cq91rak06p3fbobshcenf5&___store=zenith
The only adjustable bit is the brass nut at the top of the float chamber. The pin in this falls and operates freely so I'm assuming it's nothing to do with that.
Have ordered some new gaskets though as mine ripped apart when removing bits and bobs.
Feel like I'm now back to square one! Ugh!
Pics here:
One thing I have noticed is that when putting the cylinder back into the carb and screwing the 'lid' back on, that the rotational position of the cylinder seems to make a big difference to the running of the engine...I only just noticed that there was a little rubber tab on the diaphragm that sits in a little slot on the top of the carb, but having now lined both of these up, if anything it runs even more poorly!
I've looked on the Zenith website and looked at all the adjustment text, but all of it mentions having an adjustable screw that can be turned with a coin on the bottom of the carb...Mine doesn't have one of those!
http://zenithcarb.co.uk/zencdcdsseries/?SID=vhs8cq91rak06p3fbobshcenf5&___store=zenith
The only adjustable bit is the brass nut at the top of the float chamber. The pin in this falls and operates freely so I'm assuming it's nothing to do with that.
Have ordered some new gaskets though as mine ripped apart when removing bits and bobs.
Feel like I'm now back to square one! Ugh!
I think on further research, I have the later type carb which needs to be adjusted with one of these 'special' tools: http://zenithcarb.co.uk/carb-adjusting-tool.html
Have reattached carb and now doesn’t start at all
I am now entirely stuck!
Shippers
Well-Known Member
Mate been there mine as in my avatar pic was under a tree in Portugal for 15 years all the fuel system was in bits tank was new stainless steel not fitted no hoses no in tank pump Nada...you've got 3 threads going with the same problem... Same symptoms as yours was leaves that got in tank before fitting...sorted that...then dust in dry tank was sloshed about by petrol blocked filter...double check all hose clips...did you see diagram from book I posted showing the adjustment screw you need to get that right...at tick over the engine doesn't need much fuel under load if supply to pump is restricted you get those symptoms or the same with blocked jets...remember each carb supply's 2 cylinders on each bank...strip both carbs...in your other thread what is the pipe yellow in colour connection between carbs for?...
The yellow cable is the choke cable, I think off the top of my head.
Yeah I saw the adjustment screw picture. I’ve got the adjustment tool, but as I can’t get the engine started, I don’t really know where to start with that. I think I’ve read that the washer on the bottom of the piston, that’s on the needle needs to start off flush with the bottom of the piston so I’m going to double check that tomorrow.
I’ve also put in a new diaphragm and new gaskets. Was going to try and take the float jet out, (the brass nut in th roof of the float chamber), but the size seems odd - 12mm spanner is too small and 13mm is too large, so I’m guessing it’s an old fashioned size if spanner that I don’t have. The needle goes in and out quite happily and freely though so I don’t think itS that.
I’ve adjusted the floats, but that just seems like a complete guess tbh. I checked the Haynes manual which said it was supposed to be approx 18mm from top of inverted carb “lip” to the top of the float, which I think I’ve done, but it seems a bit crude having to bend something manually, and am not sure if I’ve done it correctly. Will take second carb apart too and see if any major issues with that.
I spoke to a local LR specialist today who seemed to think that 3 psi wasn’t high enough for the Strombergs and that it should be higher, and suggested buying a proper Facet silver top pump, rather than one of the Facet type pumps that I’ve currently got. Going to completely strip the FilterKing tomorrow as I’ve bought new parts for that too.
Plus, I think my battery is knackered as it reads 12,7v output but this morning when trying to start the engine with the new carb on, it just slowly came to a stop and would only just turn over after 7/8 turns. I’m assuming that’s not right and a battery in good health would keep turning over for much longer than that?
Weirdly, the car did start when I put the new carb on, but only for about 10 seconds, and then died very quickly and now won’t start at all!
Ugh - SO much to do.
Ah sorry, do you mean the yellow pipe that goes over the top of the carbs that joins the two? If you mean that one, I’ve no idea. I don’t really know what pipes I should/shouldn’t have, or where they should all connect up to!!
