Posted By : Chris Taylor, 07-Jun-2006,
10:51pm
Taken from a funny angle, but looks to me like a standard pair of SU's lying on the back of the air filters. The pipe to the left is the rubber hose to
connect to the water pump housing to heat the inlet manifold.
No use on a Vitesse I'm afraid.
BUT,
the solution I think you seek to improve acceleration AND fuel consumption was the one adopted by Triumph in 1965. Fit the twin 150CD Strombergs ON THE
1600 Stromberg inlet manifold, or if you can't find one, with the Vitesse 2 litre MK1 inlet manifold (or GT6 Mk1, but NOT the Mk1 2000 saloon) which is
just about the same thing but with an extra hole in the top to take the rubber pipe for the crankcase ventilation system (which you need to block off).
Adaptors were available to fit Strombergs (125's but I have seen 150's fitted in the same way) to the Solex inlet manifold, but while they are better
carbs, the better airflow comes from the carbs aAND manifolds together.
It was suggested that this would give an extra 12 or 13 bhp to the 1600, and knocked a good 2 seconds off the 0-60 time. Having driven both, I can
vouch for the difference in performance, and that (amazing but true) the Stromberg fitted car uses no more, and perhaps even less fuel!!!
What I have never been able to understand is why Triumph never advertised the fact. While they probably knew the 2 litre was on its way (the obvious
answer to improving Vitesse performance, and probably only waiting for a suitably strengthened gearbox), the later 1600's were sold for over 12 months
with these batter carbs and the clearly improved performace would surely have made SOME improvement to sales. At least one motoring magazine did a road
test of the later car (which is where the improved acceleration figures came from) so perhaps Triumph assumed or hoped that the keen motorist would
glean the necessary information about the new carbs and improved performance without actually having to spend any money on advertising!!!!!! The world
was a more innocent place then.................
The other obvious solution to improving fuel consumption (if you don't have one) is an overdrive.
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Posted By : Jonathan Reed, 07-Jun-2006,
11:06pm
Very comprehensive !
She's had an overdrive fitted, but with mostly country lane driving the mpg has gone down third. flick. overdrive fourth . corner. flick.
third.....
Even with only a 1600 overdrive is a must.
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Posted By : Andrew Dann, 08-Jun-2006,
06:35am
hi jonathan
i have a set of cd125 stromberg carbs on a 1600 manifold sitting in my garage off a 1962 vitesse if they are any good to you
cheers andy
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Posted By : Jonathan Reed,
08-Jun-2006, 11:57pm
Terms ?! Or is meeting SEJ payment enough?
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Posted By : Andrew Dann,
09-Jun-2006, 08:43am
if you want to come and get them you are welcome to them
cheers andy
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Posted By : Jonathan Reed,
09-Jun-2006, 06:06pm
How kind, but I might look at the 150s below if they are available.
This is how a club should be, thanks lads.
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Posted By : Chris Taylor,
09-Jun-2006, 09:27am
The Strombergs on adaptors on the original Solex manifold may give you some better fuel consumption, but you won't get much more power.
The 12/13 bhp increase for the later 1600 engine comes from both the bigger carbs (1.5" which will flow more than either 1.25"
Strombergs or 30mm Solex's) AND the rather better inlet manifold, same design as the 2 litre mk1.
This was fitted to the later 1600, Mk1 Vitesse 2l and GT6 mk1. The 2000 mk1 saloon is similar but slightly angled (the saloon engine is
canted over to the right in the engine bay) so while it will fit, may well foul the bonnet.
