Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

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Broccoli
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by Broccoli »

No, cars aren’t plugged in overnight. Perhaps if they had to be out, I would have moved in that direction, but for now I’m lucky enough to have an insulated and ‘heated’ garage (but once the garage double door is open to let cars in and out, all bets are off.

It would be great if I could get another 6 months out of the WReX, but even keeping it warm over night, I still have to start it from cold in the evening as I leave work. I think it’s time to get something newer…

I think the carbs are way overkill. I had some ported heads adding before it left, but other than that it’s a stock ish 1600.
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by Scruffy Bodger »

The bloke who built my 2.1 Pinto reckoned the standard Weber 32/36 DGAV was good for 150bhp iirc and that you only needed to go to twins after that? They do sound good tho :mrgreen:
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by Broccoli »

Scruffy Bodger wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 11:19 pm The bloke who built my 2.1 Pinto reckoned the standard Weber 32/36 DGAV was good for 150bhp iirc and that you only needed to go to twins after that? They do sound good tho :mrgreen:
I think mine should be good for around 120bhp (downhill, high air pressure and great fuel) so it’s overkill, but I won’t be worried about taking them off for something smaller. Not spending on it if I don’t have to. :P

Like you say, they sound mean.

Next weekend I should get to seeing if I can start it again.
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by LynehamHerc »

This is probably decades out of date but wasn't David Vizard a guru on tuning these? Along with A Series etc.etc..
I remember all the articles in Car and Car Conversions and still have some of the magazines that survived several house moves.

Completely irrelevantly I think that he ended up in the States.
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by Scruffy Bodger »

Vizard wrote the book on Pintos and was a mini guru. Guessing this is a Xflow as the manifold and carbs are on the wrong side to be a Pinto.
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by paulplom »

I had his book on the A series but can I fuck find it.
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by LynehamHerc »

I've just checked my old copies. I remember 1760 cc being mentioned and assumed that it was a X-Flow, it looks like it was from his Twin Cam tuning series in the early 70s.
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by Scruffy Bodger »

There's still a lot you can apply today with the knowledge learned back then. It must be getting on for 25 years since I bought my first copy? The bloke who built my 2.1 used to work with him a very long time ago apparently, in the British Leyland development dept iirc?
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Looks like it's out of print again? Second hand prices seem to have increased a bit. He was in the States when he wrote that so al the kit used is American.
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by Broccoli »

Didn’t David Vizard used to write for Fast Car as well (before it went all ‘Max Power’).

I seem to remember a few of his experiences columns and tuning guides in there.

The Mrs is off this weekend, so fingers crossed I’ll be able to drag the car out and get to the carbs! :)
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Re: Dellorto Carb help on the Caterham

Post by Broccoli »

So I finally got it started today, after recharging the battery and trying to carefully tighten the manifold to carb bolts.
The thing went mental, running up to max revs and I think I saw a flash in one of the air filters.

Looks like something is stuck in the open position.
Wish I had more space around the damn thing. Took me an hour to do thirty minutes worth of tinkering.
Think I’m going to have to pull it out so I can get some space to strip down the carb.

Any thoughts on where I need to look inside? Maybe I’ll get lucky and it will be obvious from just pulling the air filter - but I’m not holding my breath!
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