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Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:37 pm

Okay I am just about through with all the problems I am having. I did everything right as what everyone has told me to do, the dellorto book and shop manual. What the heck is wrong with this? Things I have done are:

1- Adjusted the valves
2- Adjusted the points
3- static timed engine
4- cleaned carbs and adjusted floats
5- checked for vac leaks - none
6- checked fuel pressure 3.5psi
7- changed oil
8- checked plugs
9- synced carbs together around 7
10- doesnt have the "dell drip" anymore
11- wires, coil, rotor, and cap are great
12- plugs are like new 2 days old
13- dizzy drive gear is set to 60 deg

What more could be missing? I mean it starts right up and I can get it to idle but backfires though the carbs still. Could it be a sticky valve or so? 2 years I been working on it and i am so tired already. Can someone help me out on what am I doing wrong? Or what is going on with the engine. I am seriously thinking about buying another case and new heads and starting from there piece by piece. Any ideas will be awesome. Thanks for the help.

Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:41 pm

LEAN LEAN LEAN LEAN

Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:43 pm

"Static timed engine". Which engine, to which spec? Got an engine number? Which distributor? 009?

Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:52 pm

Well on the dellorto manual it says to start out 1 1/4 turn out on the mixture screw on the FRD 34s and I did that and a idle gap start out at .004 in between the butterfly and carb bore. Turned them out more and still was no change as the engine stalled out after too many turns in the mixture screw. Statc timed it Tram to 0 degrees TDC. I took out the 009 and got different dizzy that is dizzy number 311905205 A-B Jfurx. Took the trigger points out since car isnt FI.

Fri Jul 11, 2014 3:12 pm

imz8478 wrote: Well on the dellorto manual it says to start out 1 1/4 turn out on the mixture screw on the FRD 34s and I did that and a idle gap start out at .004 in between the butterfly and carb bore. Turned them out more and still was no change as the engine stalled out after too many turns in the mixture screw. Statc timed it Tram to 0 degrees TDC. I took out the 009 and got different dizzy that is dizzy number 311905205 A-B Jfurx. Took the trigger points out since car isnt FI.

Are you sure the advances on your distributor are working?

Fri Jul 11, 2014 3:27 pm

Well How can I tell if they work? When I take the hose off the can that is hooked up to the carb? I did that and nothing changed also. Plus when I would rev it, sounded like a couple cylinders where not firing. The only thing I changed on this engine was the progressive carb to dual carbs. When I have the progressive it ran good but rich as hell. But seems dual carbs are a pain.

Fri Jul 11, 2014 4:01 pm

What color are the plugs? With a timing light, is there movement on the timing marks as you rev it up? How is the compression in the cylinders?

Fri Jul 11, 2014 5:32 pm

imz8478 wrote: Well How can I tell if they work? When I take the hose off the can that is hooked up to the carb? I did that and nothing changed also. Plus when I would rev it, sounded like a couple cylinders where not firing. The only thing I changed on this engine was the progressive carb to dual carbs. When I have the progressive it ran good but rich as hell. But seems dual carbs are a pain.

What spark plugs are you running?

Fri Jul 11, 2014 5:59 pm

Sounds to me like your distributor is not advancing. things you should check: vacuum to the dist., From the driver side carbs and get yourself a timing light. That way you can see if the timing marks advance when you rev up the engine. Good luck and don't give up. It's the way we learn.

Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:28 pm

This thread interests me because I'll be setting up my own Dellortos soon and I clearly don't want to run into problems.

Mine are recently recoed 40drla Dells off a 1915 that was fully functional. He only tore them off to go turbo EFI.

Anyhow the manifolds are tapped for vacuum. PO said it was necessary for vac advance dizzy if I was to use one. Haven't decided. Will plug them or use a different set without the nipples if I use a different dizzy.

I don't know if it helps but here are pics of the manifolds with air line fittings tapped in. If you don't have them they may be the trick to getting consistent vacuum.

Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:50 pm

OK, different subject there altogether, Paolo...
The OP is using FRDs a.k.a. "Baby Dells" - one barrel each.

FWIW, tapping the manifold like that won't produce the strong signal that a can on a distributor wants.
Distributors get throttle plate vacuum.
Those are for a power brake booster, to signal some kind of control unit, or are some kind of mistake.

Anyhow,
to the OP:
I would get a timing light and see the advance curve in action,
And try moving the timing around a bit after you see it working correctly.

Also, a compression check is in order.

Does the linkage open both carbs at the same time, the same amount?

Where are you located?

Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:58 pm

Clatter, I msg's the PO. Turns out it was for a map sensor. PO was using an ECU before removing the manifold and selling it with the Dells. I thought he said he was using the taps for dizzy vacuum but I must have been mistaken.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:42 am

Quote: What more could be missing? I mean it starts right up and I can get it to idle but backfires though the carbs still. Could it be a sticky valve or so? 2 years I been working on it and i am so tired already.

If it barks and farts on startup with carbs that don't have chokes you are fine. If you were to hook up an AFR meter to the exhaust and watch a properly jetted carb engine from startup you would see something like 15 AFR on starting and as it warms up settling down to 13AFR on the idle circuit.

If i put 55 idles in my 36 dells it will not idle for more than half my drive to work and bucks when cruising on the idles the AFR reads 16-17

Now if its barking out one or both carbs while driving, you either have a clogged idle jet or you are too lean and need to re-jet the carbs.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:34 am

Ok good morning to all. Well another day so back on here. The plugs I have are NGK plugs Tram. And the color was like a black color with a fluid or something. so they are fouled now I can see. And for the timing, How can I tell if it is advancing....timing light? Well dont have 1 of those. Compression is great 105-110 all the way around. I do have a balance tube to both carbs. But Tram it probably isnt advancing. Because when I took the hose off the can that went to the drivers side carb, shouldnt it of dropped or changed? Well nothing happened. Uh what else, And with the rejetting. How will I know what size jets I have for my Baby Dells W1K1? And I am located in Charlotte NC. Wish I was back in Cali as I could just go down the street and get the stuff I need right away :(

Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:39 am

The best person to talk to about jetting would be John at aircooled.net. If the plugs are black you are waaaay to rich.

You need to check your jet sizes, write them down and e-mail aircooled.net for a recomendation on a change. Give them all the specs on the engine as well.

Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:42 am

If your carbs are set right at idle there should be no change in idle speed because there is no vacuum signal at that point.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 9:18 am

Okay what specs from the engine as it is a donor motor. I bought the carbs which were n the box. And how can I find the jet size. All new level for me now. Lol. Was hoping I could of avoided the ost technical stuff but nevermind. Lol. Ok ill have to check with them and see what they say. Well on the plugs. When t runs it isnt black smoke coming out. It looks like a very little white or something. I mean it idles but not rich to where the smell burns my eyes. Not at all. But I did have a hose hooked up from the can to the carb and when I changed the idle a bit to lower it nothing changed at all as it idled fast as per the dellorto manual. Ill check all this starting Wednesday morning all the way to friday night. Thx everyone for your advice.

Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:38 am

You can disassemble 1 carburetor at a time in a clean drain pan. Use gas,paint brush,air to clean them up good. You might find some crud in on of the jets etc. Write down all the jetting sizes while you have it disassembled. Then do the second carburetor the same way. Then you will be familiar with your carburetors & ready to tell aircooled.net what you have.

Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:57 am

imz8478 wrote: Okay what specs from the engine as it is a donor motor. I bought the carbs which were n the box. And how can I find the jet size. All new level for me now. Lol. Was hoping I could of avoided the ost technical stuff but nevermind. Lol. Ok ill have to check with them and see what they say. Well on the plugs. When t runs it isnt black smoke coming out. It looks like a very little white or something. I mean it idles but not rich to where the smell burns my eyes. Not at all. But I did have a hose hooked up from the can to the carb and when I changed the idle a bit to lower it nothing changed at all as it idled fast as per the dellorto manual. Ill check all this starting Wednesday morning all the way to friday night. Thx everyone for your advice.

It idleing high sounds like a vacuum leak.
You really need to get a timing light on this engine. You can get a cheap one with dial back/forward timing adjustment, and digital read out from harbour Freight. They do work pretty good, and you should have 1 anyway.
As for what seems to be running rich, but not hurting the eyes rich is normal for non-choke carbs. They are set up to run this way (at least the Weber ICTs are).

Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:53 am

Okay sorry havent got back but will go and get one. But I just need to get rid of the popping sound in the carbs. I mean when they are rich it still does that. So starting tomorrow I will do all again and let you all know the outcome. Thanks again.