1.4 340 running shakey? READ ME FIRST FFS!

Post by **redline** » 14 Jan 2005 02:01 pm

yeh as i said before it was replced in 1999 how do I find out what size barrels it has , is it stamped on there somewhere ?

Post by **foggyjames** » 14 Jan 2005 02:33 pm

Take the airbox off, and measure the tubes

cheers

James

Post by **redline** » 14 Jan 2005 06:36 pm

oh but that means getting dirty, I only had the car washed today (all stickers survived Tom LOL )

Post by **special** » 14 Jan 2005 07:45 pm

is this the carb that the sticky refers to
and before anyone says it yes i do need a new down pipe

Post by **foggyjames** » 14 Jan 2005 11:27 pm

Mick - just the cover will do, like in Special's picture! C'mon....no oil involved!

Special - your picture is tiny dude, but yeah, that looks like a Weber DIR32 (32mm/32mm barrels). I forgot those things have square barrel openings - that makes measuring them a little more interesting.

As far as I know the replacement for the 1.7 carb isn't a DIR32.

cheers

James

Post by **pettaw** » 15 Jan 2005 11:49 am

There should be a number stamped on the side of the carb if its a Weber, and if its a Solex, there should be a Solex label, with a code number and a brief description.

EDIT: we thought about the Weber replacement but decided to keep the car OEM, so plumped for the Solex. The inlet manifold had also warped slightly, but I managed to cure that by filing carefully until it was flat.

Erm definitely agree with checking the carb nuts, I'm a but anal about it so I use a torque wrench on the manifold bolts and tighten to factory spec, 14nM. The 1.4 I use hand spanners, but don't overdo it, because you can warp the bases by overtightening.

Post by **wjp01908** » 29 Jan 2005 09:08 pm

Nothing anal about using a torque wrench - I figure that if the manufacturers can be bothered developing specs. for various fasteners and components and bearing the costs for this, there must be sound engineering reasons for doing it.

Will

Post by **Ali** » 08 Feb 2005 09:26 pm

don't know if this subject comes into this thread but i have noticed a small 1/2sec loss of power when flooring the gas but my main problem is cutting out. The car can drive normally for miles and miles and then suddenly i get a lack of power and the exhaust makes a spitting kind of noise, works fine if you put the pedal to the floor an so opens the secondary chamber of the carb up. If knocked into neutral the car will just drop revs until it finally cuts out, makes gettin to a safe place to stop a heel and toe job just to keep it running. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same problem, its a 1.4, am i right in thinking its a jet getting blocked in the primary chamber of the carb just stopping fuel getting through?? Also fitted an aftermarket induction kit so a bit worried my initial bodge job enabled some dirt to get into the system but even after stripping the carb down and cleaning it I have put the performance air filter back and siliconed it sealed in every possible place, still the same problem! any help would be great
Ali

Post by **5lab** » 08 Feb 2005 09:31 pm

Ali wrote:don't know if this subject comes into this thread but i have noticed a small 1/2sec loss of power when flooring the gas but my main problem is cutting out. The car can drive normally for miles and miles and then suddenly i get a lack of power and the exhaust makes a spitting kind of noise, works fine if you put the pedal to the floor an so opens the secondary chamber of the carb up. If knocked into neutral the car will just drop revs until it finally cuts out, makes gettin to a safe place to stop a heel and toe job just to keep it running. Ali

this all sounds very like a loose carb - particularly the 1/2 sec cutting out - this is the vacume sucking the carb closed before any fuel gets in..

Post by **foggyjames** » 08 Feb 2005 11:00 pm

I agree with Hugh, although you should also get the carb re-jetted for that air filter. 'High flow' air filters are only really plug-and-play mods on cars with lambda sensors, something max power (or the retailers!) conveniently forget to tell you!

cheers

James

Post by **Ali** » 08 Feb 2005 11:17 pm

Last nite i took the filter housing off and checked the four visible bolts were tight so no problems there, just seems to happen randomly, i changed the performance filter for the standard one and it ran ok for about 3weeks with the odd spit from the exhaust but has only really cut out when iv had the performance filter on, maybe just coincidence? Another thing thats worked is when it started to spit i popped it into neutral and gave it a blast to about 6000rpm to see if it would unblock any dirt and then it ran fine for the rest of the day, unfortunately that trick didnt work today so i gave up and headed home! looks like i'll be on the train to uni for the rest of the week

might just have a look round some scrap yards for a new carb, any ideas how much i be looking to pay?
Ali

Post by **5lab** » 08 Feb 2005 11:18 pm

not nessesarily - the jet might be able to cope with more air than ever went past it - a new air filter will only provide maybe 10% more airflow, so its possible that the jet was built to cope with this kind of difference.

Post by **5lab** » 08 Feb 2005 11:19 pm

Ali wrote:Last nite i took the filter housing off and checked the four visible bolts were tight so no problems there, just seems to happen randomly, i changed the performance filter for the standard one and it ran ok for about 3weeks with the odd spit from the exhaust but has only really cut out when iv had the performance filter on, maybe just coincidence? Another thing thats worked is when it started to spit i popped it into neutral and gave it a blast to about 6000rpm to see if it would unblock any dirt and then it ran fine for the rest of the day, unfortunately that trick didnt work today so i gave up and headed home! looks like i'll be on the train to uni for the rest of the week might just have a look round some scrap yards for a new carb, any ideas how much i be looking to pay?
Ali

if you grab the filter, and wiggle it, is there any play in the carb (ie does it move without the whole engine moving)??

new carb = £30ish i recon

Post by **Ali** » 08 Feb 2005 11:30 pm

i'll have to check tomorrow in the light really, iv had the carb apart several times before for problems like the cutting out on idle, did replace the gasket set but does look a bit wet round the edges of the carb and the occasional strong smell of petrol when leaving the car after a drive so all does sound likely to be lose, couldn't see any movement just by pushing at the carb without the filter on but didnt really apply much force, my dad is convinced its that ive got some dirt in the carb when messing with the new filter, if the carb was loose then why would it run ok on full throttle?
Ali

Post by **pettaw** » 08 Feb 2005 11:44 pm

A performance air filter won't make THAT much difference that you'd need to get the carb re-jetted. IMO. Check that all the screws are tight and all the jets are tight. Is it possible you might have a fuel pressure problem? The fuel pump may be worn, but TBH if you're getting problems I would suggest the carb has worn out.

How does the car idle. Is it erratic? If so, then leave off the air filter completely, and wave an unlit blowlamp round the carb body and baseplate and see if it improves. If no change then wave around the inlet manifold where it joins the cylinder head and see if idling changes in any way.

On one of ours, there was no change but it did suddenly improve when it was waved around the throttle linkage. Indicating an air leak round the primary throttle butterfly. I could have sent it off to be rebuilt, but a new genuine Weber is only about 170quid from Eurocarparts, and I bet reaming the carb and fitting new throttle assemblies would have been almost that so I bought a new carb. The car has less than 90,000 miles on it. The new carb cured all the probs.

Confirm where the problem lies first though before parting with any hard cash.

Andy