Any recommendations for tuning around Reading/Wokingham ?

[Sidecarbod]

Originally Posted by dbsmith

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the offer, I'm heading up North tonight to pick up another new car & will be back next Tuesday, i'll take you up on your offer after next week if that's OK with you, looks like I'd better start printing some beer tokens out ! (BTW, the Sumo is not a new build, just a factory refurb, so engine components are reasonably old, 3-7 years).

To be honest, I'm reasonably OK with electrics (I'm an electrical engineer twice removed so figuring that stuff out is not so bad). Interesting about the Pilgrim fans though & the fact your charging lights stay on till the throttle is blipped (my charging voltage hits 12.8V under throttle blip), that is a pretty high current drain for a couple of fans. Looking at my alternator, it looks like a weeny Ford one (plus no spade conector, just some sort of plastic clip), so I may just replace it anyway for something reasonably heavy duty.

OK, onto the fuel side. I've not had a chance to disassemble the air filter & teach myself EdelBrock 500 carbs as yet (the manual is scary enough & the last experience I had with carbs was on my MGB 20 years ago!), but in answer to some of your questions :

Its got a Mallory Distributor on it (Part 2764301H) : Red ! Pic attached.

Carb: haven't been able to suss it out yet. However, from some old receipts provided with the car, it seems to have the following (or at least this was the last receipt bought):
Needles : 62 52
Jets: Weber 80
Offenhauser Dual Port Manifold
1 x Fuel Banjo, Edelbrock.

I can't see a fuel pump or regulator under the bonnet, unless the fuel pump is in the back somewhere (the fuel hose seems to come straight from the passenger front side bulkhead directly into the carb, although its hard to see without taking the air filter off).

Exhausts: these are Custom Chrome sidepipes, not standard Sumo. I've seen them before they went on, pretty good quality IMHO.

Thanks Pete

Dave

Hi Dave,

The amps for the fans that I quoted are from the pacet website, I guess that if you need to shift some air the power has got to come from somewhere! I don't think your fans are the issue at the moment unless they are stuck on!

Don't worry about the Webber manual, even Steven Hawkin's would be confused by the bloody thing!....I'll tell you how the carb works next week, its a piece of piddle.

The needle that you've got will make the cruise MEGA rich. (This is the 62 bit, its the diameter in thou). Well it would be mega rich if you are running a standard primary jet. I can not see your jet "80" listed on the Edelbrock website but that does not mean that you can't get one. The standard jet is 86, the next size down is 83. I guess that you need to have a look at one of the jets, be warned that the numbers are a real bast' to read!

Even then the guy that bought the could have stuck it in as a secondary!

This is why you must pull the carb apart and make a note of everything, including the colour of the needle springs.

The 52 part of the needle is the power step, again in thou. The standard needle is 65-52. I can suggest a setup for your carb but its best if we have a chat as it depends on what you want to achieve. (You can just bung in a needle with all the rest being standard and it will run very well, however if you want to squeeze every last BHP out of the lump at the expensive of using more fuel that's a bit more to do on the carb).

If you can't find a fuel regulator then there probably isn't one!

As to your dizzy, well I don't know the details of it although someone will or you can Google it. As long as it's not got points then you will be OK. If its a twin points Mallory unit then in MY OPINION it's crap! It could have been a points one that's been converted to electronic which is OK.

Anyway even if its a good one it still needs to be setup properly or you will loose loads of BHP. A setup that I know works well is 14 degrees static, 32-34 total advance all in by 3k RPM and no vac advance at all. Hopefully yours can be setup like that.

Your exhausts will be fine as they are not Pilgrim jobbies! (I use the term "jobbies" as in both meanings of the word!)

Anyway, give us a shout when your working on the car and I'll come round to anoy you!

Pete

[dbsmith]

Originally Posted by Sidecarbod

Anyway, give us a shout when your working on the car and I'll come round to anoy you!

Pete

Thanks Pete, i'll be around Weds-Fri next week & early the week after as well. I'll drop you a line when I return. Much appreciated.

Dave

[Sidecarbod]

Originally Posted by dbsmith

Thanks Pete, i'll be around Weds-Fri next week & early the week after as well. I'll drop you a line when I return. Much appreciated.

Dave

Bad news!

Your dizzy appears to be a Mallory Duel points! IMHO one set of points is crap, two sets is crap squared!

The condensers apparantley only last five minutes too!

If it's not been converted it might be an idea to talk to JRV8 about getting a 35DML8 lucas dizzy. Or at least someone about a conversion.

Pete

[dbsmith]

Originally Posted by Sidecarbod

Bad news!

Your dizzy appears to be a Mallory Duel points! IMHO one set of points is crap, two sets is crap squared!

The condensers apparantley only last five minutes too!

If it's not been converted it might be an idea to talk to JRV8 about getting a 35DML8 lucas dizzy. Or at least someone about a conversion.

Pete

Originally Posted by Purple AK

Dave. Charging issues aside. I'd lay money on your bad running being down to the Mallory Dual Point Dizzy! They really are a pain. Before you do anything else either get a new set x 2 of points and a new condenser and set them up with a dwell meter, Or invest in a Pertronix conversion. The Pertronix is only about £60 and will mean you never have a points/condenser problem again. I would do this before you even look at the carb as without a proper spark you will be wasting your time

Thanks Chris, Pete, I thing I get the gist that this isn't the most popular setup ! . There's definitely points under the cap as well, no electronics, coil is also a Lucas DLB 198. If it's definitely worth upgrading/going electronic i'll get it done. What in your opinions is the optimal way of doing this ? Is it stillthe Pertronix route ? If so, where's the best place to get it ?

Cheers

Dave

[Sidecarbod]

Originally Posted by dbsmith

If it's definitely worth upgrading/going electronic i'll get it done.

Hi Dave,

In answer to the question above...YES!

I'm not sure where you get the conversion from as I only know about the Lucas dizzy. Someone will know. You could put up a post on the V8 forum too, again someone will know.

Jim of JRV8 who is on both forums might know and could also give you a price for a 35DLM8 dizzy and a coil if you need a new one to suit. (It might come to more than 60 quid though!).

Check out flea bay, dizzies come up now and again but post up what it is if you find one as there are a few "not so good" ones that Rover used!

I totally agree with Chris that you are wasting your time messing about with anything else until the sparks are right but I will also bet the your carb is still miles out! (Easy to sort out though).

Pete

[Purple AK]

Retro Rockets is a good outlet for Pertronix Mallory

As far as I know you pay Dollar prices but it is shipped from a UK warehouse

[craggle]

I believe Lumenition also do a kit as I have one fitted to an old Mallory dual point distributor I have lying in the garage at the moment.

Not sure what it's like, what it costs or if it's even worth considering but it may be another alternative to look at.

::: Autocar Electrical Equipment :::

Craig.

[Sidecarbod]

Originally Posted by craggle

I believe Lumenition also do a kit as I have one fitted to an old Mallory dual point distributor I have lying in the garage at the moment.

Not sure what it's like, what it costs or if it's even worth considering but it may be another alternative to look at.

::: Autocar Electrical Equipment :::

Craig.

Is there anything that's not in your garage!

[craggle]

I have most things lying about in there. Got a spare front axle for my Range Rover now as well to fall over.

The distributor was on an old SD1 engine I brought from a friend to fit into my old Land Rover that now belongs to another friend. Unfortunately I dont have the Lumenition box to go with it. Should ask the chap I got it from if he still has it.

Craig.

[Cobmonster]

Originally Posted by dbsmith

Hi All,

Picked up my Cobra yesterday and although no expert currently on these things, I think the RV8 is not exactly running optimally - seems to have a few flatspots & startup is awfully black-smoky (not oil though). Any recommendations for anyone around the area who could look at it & possibly give it a tuning-up at a reasonable price since I am not familiar with these RV8 lumps at all !

Thanks

Dave

Hi Dave I dont know if you remember I told you about Automotive Solutions at Dunsden ? The phone is 01189484868.
He is busy at the moment with the only LeMans Tiger in this country getting it ready for Goodwood. Thats worth a look on its own!
He works on all kinds of car and will make things if they cant be bought.
Tony