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Hi, Don May... 1. The missing hose from the carb. to the charcoal cannister MAY be for the fuel bowls with respect to an "anti- runon" valve feature. This is a guess on my part. What this did was create a vacuum at the fuel bowls when oil pressure fell to zero through a solenoid switch when the ignition was switched off. The fuel bowls were vented to the charcoal cannister as part of the closed loop fuel system. The solenoid switch was wired "hot" which is why the PO MAY have disconnected this. 2. The line off your... MORE
I very much doubt if twin HIF 1 carbs were ever fitted to a production car as the philosophy of extra performance using twin carbs had been replaced by using a big single one, by the time HIFs were being used on performance A series engines.This being so, you'd need to find left and right handed individual carbs to make up a set. (was the HIF carb even made in this size?!) You'd do better swapping to twin 1s and modifying the backplate of your filter case to suit, if you're desperate to keep it. David "David Jacobs" 22773... MORE
Once again faced with mystery PO modifications. These have to do with the emission controls. First, particularly on California cars, one must find a proper diagram of the system, something the weak of heart should not attempt from a Haynes Manual. The car in question is a 74 Midget I assume with a stock 1275 First discrepancy . . . The manual, if correct, shows a hose from the valve cover to one of three hose connections on top of the evaporation canister, check . . . that is there. Another hose goes to the gas tank vapor collection... MORE
"Waxstat" devici. I guess they came up with a better way of fuel temperature compensation in the HIF series....like they've got some sort of a fuel temperature sensitive "disc" in there which basically does the same thing? Even so, Vizard states the carb. has a tendency to intially run "lean" when you put your foot in it, after engine compartment temps. have gotten really hot....as in slow travel in heavy traffic, etc. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 22772... MORE
Nelson... Easier job basically but.... the new Unipart and K&N spin-on filters (and I am sure, others as well) also have an anti-drainback feature which makes cold starts less "oil-less" for those very important initial few seconds after the engine fires....IOW, more immediate lubrication to the parts. Since it is advertised that 50% of engine wear over time ocurrs during the intial few seconds after a cold star...this alone makes the conversion worth consideration. As a matter of fact, this factor is normally one of the priorities for those who decide to convert to synthetic oils, as well.... Cap'n.... MORE
I'm considering getting a spin on oil filter adapter for my 948 Sprite engine. My question is - Is this simply a matter of making the future filter changes less messy and inconvenient or do the cartridge filters do a more efficient job of cleaning the oil than the felt or paper filters? Nelson '62 Mk 2 "witstock7" 22767... MORE
Rob C. ..... If he double 1.5 SU's were standard for the same engine in European trim, I'd do it and put the Zenith on Ebay in a heartbeat! I think Larry Macy did this with his 1500? Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 22757... MORE
"Thanks Bob & Allen for the education" (You owe me big time, Don May!!:):) Assuming it's a stock 1275 you are looking at Don, the correct model of the 45DCOE for the set-up is 45DCOE13. The DCOE is my favorite performance carb. I got mine initially when the shafts of the stock SU's my PO'd '74 started leaking air and needed rebuilding. I figured what the hell and sprung for the 45DCOE tuned for the stock 1275, instead. Glad I did. Worked just fine right out of the box, with the addition of a "deep" K&N filter. Subsequently, the... MORE
I've just cleaned up my '68 midget engine parts prior to putting it back together. I checked the oil separator to see what it comprised. It is packed with very coarse steel wool. I did not note any deterioration after probably 60k miles and I just flushed it to get it ready to go back on Jim Lundgren gztracker@... 22741... MORE
Believe me, I am no fan of Japanese cars in general but... I now own both a Midget and and Miata. And I lap about seven seconds slower in the Midget. And for the $3k that APT wants for a "warm" 1275 I can buy another Miata or a supercharger. Sure, you throw enough money in a Midget and it could beat a Boxster, but the point for me is bang for the buck. A $4k Miata will beat a $4K Midget. BTW both are a kick to drive. Jay Shaffer 22743... MORE
Thanks Bob and Allen for the education. Reason I asked is I am looking for a bugeye and saw one that had a 1275 engine with a Weber on it and did not know the pro an cons of them at all. Don "Don May" 22733... MORE
Ah...congrats on the "new" car! "Late for work"...yes...of course! :) Yes...humidity could be the culprit..maybe. If you just got the car, then a major tune-up when you can get around to it is most definitely in order to start owner-ship "fresh" so to speak, with the engine running as best it can. This way you know what you've truly got and where it's at when you "began". Now we're just grasping at straws. It could be connections, distributor cap, etc.,etc.,etc. or a "combo" of same. In the meantime, simply renewing the wires may or may not help but it's... MORE
Don... Dave Vizard's excellent book goes into the "differences" in good detail. Usually, the Weber sidedraught carbs. are utilized along with other performance upgrades such as cam, inlet valve size increase, flowed heads, etc., though they can be used on the stock mechanically sound motor, the benefit in the latter case mostly confined to more "quick response" rather than a true "power" increase due to scads more aiflow available by larger throats. The operative word in the foregoing is "mechanically sound". The engine in question has got to be developing good vacuum for the Weber is a "fixed venturi"... MORE
Ketil.. Fires a couple of times: Does this occur more in wet rather than dry weather? Fr'instance, when was the last time you renewed ignition wires, etc. If it is not humidity related but rather temperature related, then amount of "choke" may require adjustment. Consider: Not continuing to run for the initial start can often be a blessing in disguise with respect to initial oil pressure, whether the filter you are using is equipped with an anti-drainback valve or not. Rate of turnover: There is a certain amount of drag associated with starting with the clutch disengaged in the... MORE
Having installed power windows in multiple LBC's I can tell you there is only one type of power mechanism out there that will fit the door. And that IS NOT INSIDE the door. It's a power 'pod' that attaches on the door panel and drives the original crank handle. "ptegler@cablespeed" 22712... MORE
Early gearboxes on these cars have plain rather than needle bearings on first gear. If you want to keep things original then you can either get the box rebuilt for a few hundred $ (or do it yourself). Or with a few very minor and reversable mods you can fit a so called ribcase (for obvious reasons) box from the later Sprites and Midgets up to '74. Essentially the same box but with a stronger casing and better internals. If you are going to keep the power more or less std and only use it a few thousand miles... MORE
Michael...BTDT....bad feeling...$$$$$$$ How would you like it if basically, you would never have to worry about this again, especially in consideration of today's prices on rebuilt LBC gearboxi? Datsun 210 5 speed: Better ratios, especially for a 948/1098 Better acceleration & better cruise Synchro. on First Very much more quiet running And when and if you do have a problem (not likely), rebuilts are $500 instead of $1.000. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 22683... MORE
Well there are really good reasons to try and get the car down to the level of a 1275 car, one is the centre of gravity is lower, and thus the car will tend to roll less. The cause of the 1500RB cars bad handling (in relative terms!) is not its extra weight although this is a contributory factor, but its 1.5" extra ride height, this I would like to loose. At the front I can't actually see anything different to even my frogeye, so it must be the springs that are different, even if the lower wishbones are... MORE
The rubber bumpers were required to pass US legislation that required a car suffer no damage in a 5 or 15 MPH impact IIRC, However the ride height was raised because at about the same tine US legislation required the headligh ts to be above a certain height, this being the second time the spridgets h eadlights fell foul of US law makers! As for the wings the front arch is different on a 1500 wing to the earlier car. The 1275 wings I have are original BMC items (not pattern or Heritage) I also have a pair of... MORE
Origainal to the 1275.. it handles a lot better for one thing!, the loss in road holding is not really down to the weight of the bumpers, but more down to the raised ride height forced on the car by american leglation about the heiaght of he headlights IIRC. although they are damned heavy as anyone who has lifted a pair of ruber bumpers will testify! One other reason is that the front wings I have for it are in fact 1275 items, adn these look very odd as not only are they diferent round the indicator mountings but... MORE
Yes the rubber bumpers are going back on, too expensive ATM to fit the chrome ones, nit to mention the sheer amount of angle grinding that would bees to be done at the front just to remove the front bumper mountings!, But the 1275 springs are cheaper than the 1500 items and the rear springs certainly need replacement, when I took them off there was a huge amount of rust between each leaf, in fat the 'straps' that hold them together to the rear of the spring had been split by the rust (although I suppose it could have... MORE
Been looking at the 1500 shell, and I now remember why wor stalled on it about 10 years ago! the rear arches are shot, and to add to this the boot floor where it meets the inner arch under teh 'chasis' rail that runs round the inner rear arch has evapoarated , the chrassis section is fine, but the floor part of it is just not there. To add to this the small pices atht sits beween the boot floor at the back and the rea sectio of the rear wing has rotted away toatlly, there just is nothing... MORE
