Australian made: Monaro Motors dual SU carburetor kit

[Boonies]

Hello All

Over the last few months we have been spending some time restoring a really beat Monaro Motors kit and though it was time for a little “show and tell” While making this little kit work again we have also been collecting pictures and what little information that is available on the internet that relates to this company and in specific this carburetor kit.

This is the dual SU carbs that we picked up from Shorrock last year and it was ROUGH. The carburetors had to be cut off the manifolds, which destroyed the studs, the air cleaners were just rust and what appeared to be a bad chroming job basically buffed off when we took a fine cleaning wheel to her. So this basically left us with a manifold/linkage and pile of rusty carburetor. So we took the time to sourced some early H1 SU carburetors that were fully rebuilt, ready to bolt on.

Here is the kit before we started working on it.

Next we decided to work on the linkage, this involved replacing the cross bar with a piece of 5/16 A2 bar stock cut to the proper length, replacing the old brass ball sockets linkage with something with a little better/smoother action(ball joint, clevis SS barrel nut) that will easily attach to the throttle cable.

Also took the time to find some nice air cleaners made up, as the cheap chromed units just seemed like a waist after all the work.

Here are some pictures and I’ll post an article from Modern Motors later this evening.

These are of a Gentleman named Dean H. from Oz

As you may be able to tell many of these manifolds have been modified over time to fit there owners needs. The set that we rebuilt had brazing on the manifolds, linkage and a “nub” brazed onto the balance tube(not sure why) along with having 3/8” chunk of the balance tube cut out. We can only assume that the cutting of the balance tube was to fit it on a 40hp motor, though when installed on a 36hp the tube ends to not touch.

If you have any information or picture of this 36hp/40hp kit please feel free to share.

Will post some after pictures when the work is complete.
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The Old Speed Shack

[John Moxon]

That's an interesting set up Boonies...was it you selling some Monaro manifolds on my site recently?

Be interested to read the "Modern Motors" test on the kit if you have it to post.
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John.
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[Boonies]

Nope, John i think that was Vintage fiberglass that was selling the manifolds, if i remember correct. They were for a 40hp, so the cross over tube is a bit longer.

I'll get the article up here soon, been having some trouble with the resolution on the scanner. I have a few old ads for the kit and seem to remember one of them saying it produced 41hp, though i can no longer find the file.

Not that you can really read it but here is an ad for the same kit from Automotive Carburetor CO, one of 3 companies that appears to have sold this kit.

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The Old Speed Shack

[Boonies]

Had the time to get some decent scans so for your reading pleasure: Modern Motor December 1955

John if you like you can put these in the history of 36hp archive.

ccp
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The Old Speed Shack

[Boonies]

Here is a couple of pictures of the air cleaners for the H1 SU carburetors that are on the Monaro Kit.

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The Old Speed Shack

[krusher]

Very cool, very similar to the speedwell kit.

I was always surprised that the speedwell used stromburgs as most of the cars they build performance parts for were using SU's
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[oldbusboy]

This set-up looks nice. I wonder how it compares to other similar set-ups of the same period?
I had an English car that was super frustrating to work on.. one of the PITA things was adding oil to the SU carbs.

Love to see video once this is up and running.
Trevor
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[Boonies]

Here are some after pictures of the Monaro kit. I have not found an acceptable option for the clear rubber that is connecting the balance tubes and am still working that one out. There is a close up of the linkage and the air cleaners installed

As of now i am not sure if it will throw it on the OG 58 36hp that is going to power the beetle for the summer or not. May do it as that motor sounds very healthy, much to my surprise.

There is currently a 1300cc 36hp based motor being assembled for this dual carb kit to run on. The heads will be worked over by Jeff Denham with stock valves and HD springs, short block by Mr. Motorhead(69.5mm stroker crank by DPR) and guessing i will have Tiger wipe up a merged header(1 3/8 ) to handle the exhaust. This motor will be the one that i use to in the planned drive from VT to OR via US route roads next summer/fall. At 1300cc the H1 SU carbs will be pushed to there breathing limits and from there one would need to go up to the H2 carburetor, which does not have the same base as the H1 and will not bolt on. I will be talking to the gent that rebuilt the carb this winter about some custom manifolds to support the H2 carbs.

Would love to get the kit installed on both motors and dyno them to see what it can pull in stock from and as a stroker motor. Guess i should look around VT area for a dyno.

Mr. Motorhead will be posting build pics when he gets started.

If/when i get the beetle back on the road ill take the time to make a video of these running on the stock motor.
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The Old Speed Shack

[BUGBOY1976]

WOW it looks really nice now! You have done a great job

[henry roberts]

does anyone know the bolt spacing side to side for the different monaro motors SU kits?

mine arrived today, i think it is a 40hp kit as it has straight pipes not banjo fittings on the carbs, but i'm not sure. i don't have a complete 36 or 40hp motor or either manifold handy to compare it to?

it measures approx 592mm between the centres of the manifold mount studs.

thanks.

[henry roberts]

to my surprise i do have a 40hp manifold here. it measures at about 598mm between the holes.

what i have is still as clear as mud. it has been a long time since i compared the two types but i thought that a 36hp manifold was +/- 20mm narrower than a 40hp. edit, it's not.

maybe i'll just have to seriously flycut the snot out of the heads


edit. slipped together a 36hp and it is a perfect fit. this is the first time i have not been excited to find out something is for a 36hp. i guess i'll have to see what can be done with cutting the heads, shaving the piston crowns and shortening the barrels to get it to work on a 40.

now i just need to find some aircleaners.

[greasemagnet]

in general parts section
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1221213

[chthemonkey]

does anyone repop the lukey exhaust it would look good on my split

[henry roberts]

not that i have seen.

lukey did (at least) two styles of 4 tip 36hp exhausts, the pic is the only example of that style i've seen, the more common one is a 4 tip that looks like an abarth.

for the later motors they did a "swivel tip" which looks like a stock exhaust but the tailpipes are on a ball fitting so they can swivel. they also did an extractor marketed as the "lukey brabham".

[Davince]

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but can anyone explain the need for the balance tube please? Don't think I've seen one on other twin carb setups have I?

[mrbigmax]

From CB Performance's 34ICT installation page:
"When installing dual single throat carburetors such as Weber ICT's they operate a lot smoother at slow engine speeds when a balance tube is installed between the manifolds. The balance tube allows equalization of pressures and provides a balancing effect during idle and mid range RPM."
http://www.cbperformance.com/weberict.asp

[Davince]

many thanks rbigmax! (sorry for delay, for some reason I didn't get a notification through of a reply!)

I'm looking more and more likely to try a twin SU setup. Struggling to get any info on final jetting and needles people have used successfully yet mind.

[henry roberts]

after only 3 years I finally have a motor to put my Monaro Motors kit on. any suggestion as to which distributor to run it with? it's going onto an otherwise stock rebuilt 36hp, in a stock 58 beetle.

I have a VJ4 BR8, VJ4 BR25, and a modified top plate for a VJU4 BR8 to convert it to mech advance only.
the weights in a VJU4 are the same as the VJ4 BR8, there was an australian company (Jaybee Motors, Sydney / jack bono) that offered this modification in the 60's, I have no idea if the one I have was one converted by them or is a home job.

[borninabus]

the BR25 (o1o) would be the more "correct" option in my opinion.
the BR8 (o19) will offer a smoother advance and be less touchy in lower (1/2) gears.

try them both and see which one you like best
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[Brian_1952]

I have a set of these carburetors if anybody is interested
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