White/Blue Trials and Tribulations

[dasadrew]

Yep, the good old White/Blue Stag is still with us. With early retirement I'm finally finding time to pursue the odd niggle here and there.

As I'd mentioned once or twice, I have a problem in that the engine doesn't really run smooth and is very sensitive, sometimes dying when pulling out at a junction. I've been narrowing this down to the carbs - and not just the fact that I eat too many.

As some may remember, I got my overhauled carbs 'ready to use' from a dealer with good reputation. At that time (a few years back) I noticed that the float chambers were missing their bungs. I guess I'd have noticed that pretty quickly if I'd have fitted them. Bungs came in the post and I fitted the carbs, only to find fuel pi$$ing out of the float chambers. Taking them apart, I saw that new gaskets had simply been fitted on top of the remnants of old gaskets. Whilst I was in there, I checked the float heights - they were way different LH to RH.

I guess you can now understand why I don't 'trust' my carbs!

Tonight, I decided to delve in to the matter more deeply and remove them. One of the dashpots had been continuously losing dashpot oil pretty quickly. I now know why - one of the 'O' rings on the needle adjustment collar isn't correct - you can see from the (bad) photo that it doesn't protrude beyond the brass collar (the lower collar in the pic). Now I've gone further and looked at the jet heights - one is recessed 1.65mm and the other 2.2mm. All in all, I'm now getting very optimistic about being able to improve the Stag's running!

DSC02409 (Custom).JPG

[dasadrew]

Well, I did entitle the thread in the plural form, so here goes tribulation 2:

Removing the carbs, I discovered this horror waiting to happen on the fuel supply hose:

DSC02410 (Custom).JPG

[dasadrew]

OK, so that second one wasn't really extensive, so let's try N°3.

Getting prepared for ever increasing radius runs around the garage, I was going through the usual pre-flight checks on the cooling system and noticed that it seemed to have a really high pressure although I'd only driven about 2 miles from its winter quarters. I left the whole thing cool down but, even after several hours, when I eased the filler plug open, water sprayed in all directions. I noticed also that the overflow pipe from the (Supergill) radiator to the overflow bottle had no coolant in it. This is normally blue-green with coolant.

Oh well, what the hell; let's go for a bit of a run ..... then all hell broke loose. A noise like a champagne cork flying out of the bottle and the whole car was engulfed in steam. Limping back home keeping the rad topped up with bottles of Volvic (don't ask!) I got the car on the ramp, only to find that one of the cylinder head core plugs had shot out. Whilst unscrewing the radiator plug on one of the occasions whilst filling in water to see where the leak was, the whole filler neck 'came off in me hands, sir'.
Damn!

So, off to the local radiator repair shop to get the filler neck brazed on again. The repair went ok but, when I went to collect it, the chap mentioned 'Oh, I guess you know that the radiator leaks over the whole matrix?' I didn't really know how this had been determined until he showed me that anti-freeze coloured fins meant bad news.

Supergill 01 (Custom).jpg

Supergill 02 (Custom).jpg







































































Oh well, the Supergill is now in the naughty corner of the garage and I've fitted a new standard aftermarket one and a Revotec fan. Just need to sort out the carbs now!

Cheers

Drew

[tonypy1]

I've just dealt with the leaking dashpot problem on mine but it was this o ring that was at fault:

needle_adj.png

as per the following link:

http://bowtie6.com/other/zenith-stromberg-carburetter-repair/

I don't remember seeing a part like the one in your image above...

[wilf]

In 'Drews picture, there are two of the same items that you have pictured, one sitting atop the other.

[Klaus Schlueter]

I'm glad that you now find the time to do it your way: detailled and pingelig - and I mean it positive!

Some thoughts:
1) Check that both needles are the correct type B1AQ, not worn or bent. Use the attached table to take the diameters.

IMG_4828.jpg

2) Adjust the float vent system. Buckeye has published the test and adjustment procedure which worked perfectly for me. I find it extremely important that the setting is correct and a lot of calls for help concerning stalling and poor running and starting when hot are related to incorrect vent valve setting (don't aske me how I know).

Float Vent Valve.jpg

3) If you find some additional time change the plug at the bottom of the float chamber from plastic with O-ring to metal with thread M22x1,5. You can use my the thread cutter. The core diameter is already the correct one-no drilling necessary.

K1600_DSC03055.jpgK1600_IMG_1063.jpgK1600_IMG_1066.jpg

Klaus

[Klaus Schlueter]

Some more pics:

K1600_IMG_1072.jpgIMG_1073.jpg

[dasadrew]

Thanks for the info Klaus. I just checked the float vent valves - they are a slightly modified design and it seems to back up your observations as the new design can be very easily finely adjusted with a screw and without the lock nut stuff.

I just measured the jets and must admit to having made an error above in the garage. They are both at the same height albeit a tad less than Burlens propose (2,4mm as opposed to 2,54). I've decided to live with that!

New stuff today was finding that the choke cam and accelerator lever which it operates against were bent and didn't 'mate' over the whole sweep which the choke cam makes.

One of the cold start devices had a cross-threaded nut holding it only very loosely together. Don't think that is significant though.

Now waiting for a gasket set from Burlen to continue re-assembly.

Drew

[dasadrew]

In 'Drews picture, there are two of the same items that you have pictured, one sitting atop the other.

Well done! You get this:

Coconut.jpg

[wilf]

Always room for some nice fresh coconut, lol.

[Manuel]

Here a very nice Training Video from Volvo
Ok, Ok, it is in Swedisch but good
Part 1+2 together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPGsXdLBrcI

Manuel

[dasadrew]

Nice find Manuel!

I recognise the commentator ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7UmUX68KtE

[Klaus Schlueter]

Quote: Well, I did entitle the thread in the plural form, so here goes tribulation 2:
Removing the carbs, I discovered this horror waiting to happen on the fuel supply hose

Drew,
when you fit a new petrol hose between filter and carb don't forget to flush it with petrol after cutting to length. There will definitely be some rubber debris left in the hose. It's likely to find them in the float valves. Don't ask me how I know this.

Klaus

[dasadrew]

Too late Klaus!

Well, all's together now and the engine is running smoother than ever before!

The last two tweaks were:
- the temperature compensator valves - one was so gummed up with corrosion and WHY that it wasn't budging at all. Stripped both down and recalibrated following Buckey and Grampian Stags guides.
- one of the carb needle 'retaining screws' which stop the needle rotating when adjusting the height was holding the needle clamped, and turning the adjustment screw just seemed to have been moving the adjustment screw itself up or down and wasn't changing the needle height. Freed this up and set the needle height at the Buckey 'initial set up' height

I think I've also seen the reason why the coolant system seems to have overpressurised - the overflow pipe into the overflow bottle from the radiator had got a kink in it as it went into the bottom of the bottle. This (I hope) may have prevented coolant getting into the bottle from the radiator thus over-pressurising the system and causing the blow-out of the core plug. I'd just used a 'normal' plastic tube for this; will now see if I can get a reinforced one which can't kink.

Drew

[StagManiac]

That all sounds good, Drew.

Paul