Firstly I would like to thank everyone who contributed advice on my thread 'Help My Motor Won't Run'.
Unfortunately I am no further forward as i have checked everythjing suggested and nothing has worked!!!
As I have more experience with SU carbs I decided to convert to 1 3/4 inch HS6's. I was advised that this could be done by fitting the inlet manifold form
a 2500s.
However I have subsequesntly found out that this will only work on a MK2 where the inlets are raised above the exhaust.
So my questions are these:
1. Does anyone know of a fairly quick and inexpensive way of converting the car with the current cylinder head.
2. Would it be easier / possible to fit a MK2 cylinder head and overcome the problem this way?
Any advice is gratefully received as I have spent out on the carbs (short dash pot ones form a Dolly Sprint) and a manifold.
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Posted By : Andrew Lewis, 16-Feb-2005,
02:18pm
Cheapest solution I would think would be to buy adaptor plates from Moss/Triumphtune or similar to allow the fitting of the SUs to the MK1 inlet
manifold.
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Posted By : Jonathan Horn, 16-Feb-2005,
05:29pm
Many thanks for the input.
As I am planning to uprate the engine, suspension, transmission etc. in due course I think I will go for what seems to be the cheapest / quickest
option.
I phoned Sports Car Supplies and they can supply a complete adaption kit so that is the route I will take for now.
Again, thanks to all for their help with this.
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Posted By : Adrian Lee, 16-Feb-2005,
07:22pm
In Kas Kastners book"Triumph preparation",i'm sure he says that tuning the MK 1 is a bit of waste of time as the cylinder head is so poor due
to its inability to breathe properly,again,i stand to be corrected by more knowledgable people than i( and there are many on here).If i can
find the page i'll expand on what he actually says.
cheers
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Posted By : John Davies, 16-Feb-2005,
02:29pm
Jonathan,
1/ I can't remember if I contributed to your previous thread, but this seems a drastic solution to the problem. Moss(TriumphTune) used to sell SU
adaptors for the Stromberg-style manifold. Your HS6s might fit with those.
2/ A Mk.2 cylinder head has the same spacing of studs, but bigger holes, as the studs were bigger, later. If you go this way, fit the larger studs,
BUT
a/ get a machine shop to re-drill and thread the holes to make certain they are vertical.
b/ get them to remove the first turn of the new thread, or else it will bulge upwards and ruin your seal.
3/ I'm not familar with Dolomite HS6s. 2500 HS6s were built to run at a slight angle to the horizontal, as the 2.5 engine was canted. The float chamber
was attached to the body by a single bolt, so that it could be swiveled to be vertical. Various lands on the faccing surfaces confined it to one
position, but you could easily grind those away if you run such a carb in a horizontal position. Having said that, I ran them without this mod for some
time with no probs!
Oh, and if you are spending all this time and money, don't forget to match the inlet and exhaust ports of the manifold to the head.
John
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Posted By : Adrian Lee, 16-Feb-2005,
02:57pm
You can get adapter plates that attach to your MK1 stromberg manifold and allow HS6's to be attached that way.
The adapter plates on my MK1 engine were purchased from Sports Car Supplies but i suppose other places do them.
Mk 2 heads wo'nt fit MK1 blocks.Oil and water ways don't line up,though i stand to be corrected on this point.
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Posted By : David Rumens, 16-Feb-2005,
08:04pm
To answer the carb question. Use the standard Vitesse inlet manifold with Triumph Tune adaptor plates - TT1656.
Use the short Dolomite Sprint HS6 SU's. Use BAE needles with either yellow or green springs. The green springs should be fitted if you are using free
flow air filters.
You will need to move the starter solenoid as the rear SU carb float chamber needs the space.
You will need to make up yopur own carb linkage.
I would keep your Mk1 head.
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Posted By : Lee Buesing, 09-Mar-2005,
09:40pm
I have a '64 Vitesse Sports Six convertible with a 2 litre GT6 engine. I replaced the original Stromberg/Zenith carbs with 1.5" SU's. I think that
my 1.5" SU's are too much carb, at 5500 feet altitude, for the GT6 engine. The plugs fowl out regularly because of being over-rich and the fuel
mileage is abysmal (about 10 MPG). Thinking about going to 1.25" SU's to see if it'll run better. Of course, the altitude here in Denver may have
something to do with it.
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Posted By : David Rumens,
10-Mar-2005, 07:20pm
1.25" could make it run richer as the gas speed will be faster at low RPM.
Sounds like the wrong needles or springs or blocked air filters.
I would check the air filters first. Then springs and needles. The springs should be red and the needles ABU.
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Posted By : Tim Peacock,
05-May-2005, 10:20am
I was going to post a seperate message on this but my question seems to fit in nicely with this thread;
The 1965 MkI 1600 I have for a brief time at the moment has twin inch and a quarter SU's fitted. The previous owner told me that these were
fitted when he bought the car in 1968 so the car has had them for nearly all it's life. He also told me that when the car was running (last
time was in 1985) it went really well with no running problems.
Was the inch and a quarter SU a common modification on the 1600 engine? The carbs are mounted on an inlet manifold which means they are set
at an angle of approximately 40 degrees. Is this the standard manifold?
Thanks.
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Posted By : Chris Taylor,
09-May-2005, 06:39pm
While I think it was more common to fit CD125 Strombergs (also 1.25") rather than SUs, it was not uncommon to ditch the Solex carbs on
1600s. Owners got fed up with hot start problems, although I have to say my 1600 was fine on Solex carbs, and with a VERY smooth
tickover. However the breathing ability of the Solex and original manifold is poor.
By the sounds of it you still have the original Solex carb manifold.
However the best conversion is what Triumph did. The 1.5" CD150 carbs on the later manifold (same as 2l Mk1) is MUCH better. The
combination of better manifold and better carbs gave the engine 12 or 13 bhp more WITH NO OTHER ENGINE CHANGES. And, believe it or not,
with no increase in fuel consumption. This brought 0-60 time down by over 2 seconds, BUT TRIUMPH NEVER ADVERTISED THE FACT!!!!!
These changes were made mid 1965 and lasted till the end of 1600 production.
Just as the car should (IMHO) have had a swing spring from the start, it should also have had the Stromberg carbs much sooner. The
carbs and basic manifold design was available from the launch of the Triumph 2000 in 1963. It would have made the Vitesse more
competitive with the other sports saloons.
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Posted By : Peter Lewis,
01-Feb-2006, 04:24pm
we have converted our 1600 from a fine pair of rebuilt solex to twin 1.5" strombergs just as
Chris has suggested as I found some small print in a restoration book about the extra oomph
we kept the early header tank and the rod throttle connection was the easy part
it has a jigsaw 631 manifold and club bell silencer,, sounds good and performance is much more acceptable
have shortened and moved battery tray to accomadate a servo to help me stop her
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Posted By : David
Rumens, 01-Feb-2006, 06:38pm
You need a 1600/Mk1 2 Litre Stromberg inlet manifold and adaptor plates. The Moss adaptor part number is TT1656.
Keep the Mk1 head.