OHV running issue and changing from solex carb

[Thomas77GR]

Hi all

this is about my kadett again, 1.1 oHV engine. the car starts on choke and runs on choke but as soon as I take the choke off, the engine dies immediately. Is this a carburettor issue? the plugs were new but after a several tries with starting and restarting the car I noticed they got quite sooty. The carb is a solex. I've redone the leads using firing order 1-4-3-2, I counted the cylinders from the front end of the car (radiator side), the car is also fitted with an electronic ignition kit (the one that replaces the condenser/points only and sits inside the distributor), mechanical fuel pump is new. distributor cap is also new. The car has been sitting outside for a quite a while. I do have a newish weber carburettor correct for the inlet manifold however the throttle linkage is different so would need to modify, anyone has done such a mod and has just some tips to share? thanks

[H-400]

Hi Thomas, 

First of all: The firing order is 1342, as most 4-cilinders. I remember the small old Ford's had something else😄, but your Kadett has got the normal one. That the sparks look sooty is probably cause it runs only with choke on, your mixture is very rich than. I would open the carb and clean it with compressed air and carb cleaner or feul. Beware there are some parts you don't want to damage with compressed air, carbs have diafragm's and small springs... Clean all the jets etc...

Looks like the coldstart system (choke) works but as most carbs this is another supply of feul so maybe the idling circuit that supply's feul is blocked. Another possible problem is the feul cut off, it is a small solenoid electrical powered somewhere on the side of carbs, that blocks the feul supply of the idling circuit so the engine stops when you cut the contact key. If your engine has got a feul cut off you must hear a "click" in this little round device when you switch on & off your contact. The same when you pull of and on the spade connection of the cable. Keep us updated. 

Succes, Herman

[eldoradoCoupe]

Hi Thomas,

You mention the electronic conversion. Has the timing been reset since it was installed? You don't mention it so if not already done I'd get a timing light and check the timing is right as it being out can also cause idle to drop off (probably too retarded) which might be masked by pulling the choke. If you can't get a timing light try loosening the bolt and rotating the dizzy anticlockwise a little - mark it first so you can go back if it doesn't help. I'd do this first as its easy to do and timing can easily be way off if not done right. Once its right the carb is you main suspect although you didn't mention if the car drives ok when on the move?

 

I've used a weber 34ICT which I bought new in the late 90's and has been on several engines over the years. Much better job than the solex in that the jets are easily changed and you can get parts for it. There's 2 types of linkage for it though, one for the cable type on FWD engines and one for the pushrod type on RWD engines. My carb came with both way back and they are interchangeable so should just be a matter of fitting the right one. You can probably buy from eurocarb or the like if you don't have it. I have a parts list if you need me to scan it.

Hope this is useful

 

Roger

 

 

[Thomas77GR]

thanks for the replies so far. Apologies, I rechecked my leads (luckily I remembered to mark them) and the firing order is 1342. My typo earlier.

Now, when I fitted the electronic ignition kit what I did was the following, I aligned the marks on the timing pulleys, assumed the rotor was pointing to no.1 cylinger, I numbered my leads and plugged into distributor cap counting clockwise (from 1 to 3 clockwise to 4 to 2), I then refitted the distributor cap. The car is a 1968 kadett B, it starts with the choke on, revs high but without hickups like that. I did take it around the block with the choke on but as soon as I take the choke off (it is a manual one) it dies. With the choke back full on and a couple presses on the gas pedal it starts again.. I've got the carb in bits and will give it a clean with carb spray.

[Jessopia74]

It could be poor fuelling during idle or timing could be very retarded - it needs checking with a strobe.

[H-400]

Check also the basic opening of the throttle valve, if you use the choke on the most carbu's there is a link to the throttle valve that opens it a bit more. So maybe you close the throttle valve when you take off the choke and closes without wanting the main throttle valve. 

[LewisKnowles]

How easy is it to get to the jets on a Weber carb to clean them? I’ve given mine a quick clean with some spray but not to the point of taking jets out. I’ve seen an exploded diagram of the carb and my god there’s a lot of little pieces!

[Jessopia74]

They just unscrew, Webber are pretty straightforward to disassemble, just remember to catalog where each jet goes as the numbers stamped on them are the jet size, emulsification jet etc.