swiftt

What are you running the Webber on? What part of town are you in?

Yup. I agree. Sounds like timing is too far advanced. That causes pinging and backfiring like you describe.

Maybe carb base or intake gaskets? Racing idle sounds like vacuum leak and white smoke sounds like coolant in the combustion chamber. Perhaps a gasket that's begining to fail and only displays the symptoms after warm up? Maybe head gaskets too, but unlikely as this would not explain the idle you describe.

I've a lot of experience with S.U.'s since I've owned british cars all my life. If those carbs are used, be sure to closely inspect the throttle shafts. The throttle shaft is steel and the carb body is aluminum. They are prone to wear and cause vacuum leaks. If they are worn, you can either buy oversized throttle shafts and have the carb body machined to accept them or you can have the carbs machined and insert a brass bushing for the shaft to mount in. The latter is the preference as it will provide longer life and can be easily serviced into the future with the replacement of the bushings. FYI, I'm guessing, but it sounds like you have HS6's. If you want to run dual carbs, these are pretty large for a < 2.0litre application. It's definately do-able, and even preferred, if you have a hot motor. It may be difficult to tune with a stock engine though. You may want to consider running only a single HS6. If you go to the later, HIF4's, they have the brass bushing already installed. In a dual application, the size of these is more appropriate for a stock 1.8 application too. HIF4's also have an attached float bowl which may prove an advantage when mounting...? Also note that twin S.U. carbs are not the same as twin DCOE carbs. While DCOE's can be setup and almost forgotten, be prepared to continually tinker with your S.U.'s to keep them synced and running efficiently. This could prove a pain if it's your daily driver. Some trivia: HS2, HS4, HS6, HIF4, etc are all S.U. carb models. The number in the model represents the throat size, in 1/8ths of an inch + 1. For example: HS2: 1 + 2(1/8)=1.25" throat HS4: 1 + 4(1/8)=1.5" throat HS6: 1 + 6(1/8)=1.75" throat Have fun with it!

Double check your distributor and firing order. Could be 180* out and/or have a botched firing order. With the passenger side valve cover off, rotate the engine until both valves on #1 cylinder are closed (you'll be able to wiggle both rocker arms with your hands) and install distributor with rotor pointed toward #1. This shouold be a good static timing to get you up and going... Good luck.

Have you tried an 'anti run-on valve' to eliminate your dieseling? Simple to install. You use the valve to replace the primary idle jet and hook up an ignition hot lead to it. When the ignition is turned off, the valve closes and no more fuel. No more fuel, no more run-on...

You may have checked some, or all of the following, but I'll ramble: It sounds to me like it's running too lean. Perhaps a fuel obstruction somewhere? Also check for vacuum leaks. If it won't idle, misses when it is running, and dies when you open the choke up, it all points to running very lean. Check all the vacuum lines as they are the most likely to break "instantly" as you describe (I'm picturing the spare tire bouncing and landing on the vacuum lines that run to the charcoal canister). Have you removed and cleaned the needle and seat? If they are gummed up with crud or tarnish, you will get inconsistent tuning results. Also prudent to check the float level while you have it apart. I once had a VW beetle with a Solex 34PICT carb. Pulling the top and cleaning the gummed needle and seat was an annual maintenance chore or it would cease to idle. Check the fuel filter and the screen filter that's located in the inlet of the carb. They are both cheap so it wouldn't be a bad idea to just replace them and eliminate them as the fault. Remove the inlet fuel line from the fuel pump and blow compressed air through it, back to the tank, to clear anything that may be blocking the tank outlet. Don't give up on those jets. Symptoms point to idle jets, in particular. If it runs at higher RPM, fuel will go through them but only when the volume is high enough. With this knowledge, we can conclude the jet of carb cleaner will go through too but may not be under enough pressure to release the obstruction (gasoline varnish is a VERY good glue). Another option for cleaning them would be to remove them and soak them for a day in a bucket of carb parts cleaner, followed by nice shot of compressed air.

I'm running a Weber 32/36 on my Gen1 Brat with stock exhaust, on a hydraulic lifter EA71. I had to lean out the secondary circuit and advance the timing two degrees to get rid of a 'stumble' under sudden, hard acceleration from stop. It's since passed DEQ with flying colors and is a pleasure to drive. I initially noticed a little pinging when running 87 octane and accelerating up hills and such, so I switched up to mid-grade 89 and it seems to have done the trick. If I keep my foot out of it and refrain from opening the second barrel up too often, I can consistently get 32mpg (I have a topper that sits flush with the cab roof and I'm sure this helps a bit too). If you go with a bigger exhaust, be aware that even though you can get more horsepower, your peak torque is going to move higher into the power band. In my opinion, to have torque on the low end of the power band is a great advantage for off road vehicles as you can power over, and through, obstacles without raising the RPM and spinning the tires in limited traction conditions (especially in my Gen1 that's lacking a low range and has only 13" passenger car tires). I also agree that carb setup is key with a Weber! I've run these carbs in different applications and have grown pretty familiar with them. I've run one on my MGB before and I have always run one on my BMW 2002. If there is an achilles heal, I would also say they are finicky when you drive at radically different elevation. I drove my beautifully running BMW 2002 from Portland, OR @ about 200ft above sea level, down to SLC, UT @ about 4400ft above sea level a couple years ago. When I got to SLC, it wouldn't even idle without a foot on the gas pedal. After readjusting the mixture, it was fine and caused little more than minor inconvenience. This could cause someone headaches if they make some dramatic (I would define dramatic as being something > 2500ft) elevation changes during the course of their daily commute though! It's all give and take with compromise(s) based on what you're biulding your car up to do. Regards,

If your timing is set to 20* BTDC, the rotor should point to #1 on the cap when this timing mark is lined up. In other words, when the #1 piston is 20* BTDC, the #1 spark plug should be firing. -Dave

When you replaced the cap and rotor, did you make sure all the wires went back where they came from? I can only think that the firing order is screwed up...?

Vacuum leak in the brake booster...?

You should run the hot for the choke off of a switched ignition source so there's only power when the ignition is on. If there's not one readily available, the + side of the coil is a handy place to find what you'll need. If it is run straight from the battery, the choke will always have power and your car will be hard to start. I live in PDX. PM me and maybe I can help... Good luck.

I'm leaning toward a vacuum leak based on the symptoms. Sounds like your vacuum hoses and vacuum advance are probably OK since they've been swapped. Check the carb base gasket, carb throttle shaft, EGR system, and intake gasket areas. Also check the brake booster and the inline check valve if equipped. Good luck!

I will conditionally agree with you that a vacuum leak raises idle. The condition being that this happens if the vacuum leak is small and the carb was previously adjusted properly. If the carb is set too lean to begin with or there are large and/or multiple vacuum leaks, the engine will begin to lean misfire. The driveability will be poor with little power and rough idle. Perhaps some backfiring too. I also agree the EGR is a likely fault. Speaking of all these details, I should take a step back and suggest starting with the basics such as, checking ignition components (cap, rotor, wires, plugs, points, condensor, etc), timing, plug gaps, valve clearance (solid lifter engines), carb mixture and idle adjustments. If you're not certain all those things are right, it will be difficult to diagnose other faults.

I agree with your vacuum leak diagnosis. You'll have to do the work of tracking it down. Larger leaks can be found with a water filled mist bottle. Spray water around any potential vacuum leak and listen for a change in the idle. If there is a leak, it will draw the water into the engine and the idle will drop. This method doesn't always work for smaller leaks though. Additionally, all your lines can be checked by removing their connections one by one and replacing them, on the intake side, with a rubber vacuum cap. Again, listen for a change in the idle with the vacuum circuit disconnected. Note: If your distributor has a vacuum retard machanism, the idle will change when this connection is checked. Areas to check: Carb base gasket Intake gasket EGR valve and piping Carb throttle shaft All vacuum lines and connections Brake booster Vacuum advance unit Good luck!

There's Mountain Tech Subaru in Oregon City. I've never taken anything there, as I do my own stuff, but I did buy a Japanese import EA71 from them. The owner was very friendly and pleasant to deal with. I'm very satisfied with the engine he sold me too.

I'm running a Weber on an EA71 too. I had to jet the secondary circuit leaner than what it came out of the box and advance the timing 2* but it runs well.

Does your Brat have a Weber? There is a water port that runs to the bottom of the Hitachi and, indeed, this needs to be blocked off if you run a Weber. When the carb is removed, it becomes obvious which water port is being referred to. When I installed a Weber on my '79, I used a 3/8" NC16 tap to tap the water jacket hole in the intake and then I installed a 1" long 3/8" NC16 allen head setscrew with teflon tape wrapped around it. Only one of many possibilitities...

Maybe your throttle cable is wrapped like a spaghetti noodle, around your 4wd selector lever and the steering linkage, on its way to the carb...? :-p

Although I haven't tried the D4-ATF, I've used Redline MTL in a couple applications and it has worked beautifully. The viscosity remains fairly constant throughout the temperature range so shifts will feel the same regardless of how warm the tranny oil is. As suggested, you should go to Redline's website and read up on their products. They have my endorsement. Good luck.

I don't know of any magic bullets to fix blown head gaskets short of doing the work. Head gasket set > $100.00 *optional* Resurface 2 heads > $80.00 Go on the shoestring budget without any machine work. Not ideal, especially with aluminum heads that were run hot, but if you are able to get another 50,000 miles out of it this way, sounds like it will outlast the body. Good luck.

If you find broken traces on the rear window with your ohm meter, you can fix them using a conductive pen. I use masking tape on the glass right along the sides of the element and just draw over it with the pen. The 'ink' has some sort of metal in it (aluminum I think) so it will complete the broken circuit.

Why are you getting a lot of blowby in a new engine? I'd look for the warranty paperwork! Check that the timing is advancing as you accelerate. Hook up the timing light and rev the engine while watching the timing marks. The marks should advance right out of the sight window. If the advance is not working, check to ensure the vacuum line is properly connected. If your disty has a retard mechanism too, make sure it's hooked up properly and the lines are not crossed. Advance side goes to port vacuum and retard side goes to manifold vacuum. Fuel pumps can get tired but if your car is carburated, it doesn't take much pressure to make it work. Typically, if it fails, you'll know right away. Fuel injection can suffer from a tired pump as the requirements placed on the pump are much greater. If a system is needing 60psi and the pump can only deliver 55, it will probably still start up and idle but the driveability will suffer. You may also want to remove that big aluminum wing bolted to the rear. I know they look cool but that's a lot of drag.

Hmmm... How re the boots on the rear halfshaft CV's? I wonder if one of those CV joints are binding...?

I think that's right down the street. Is it by Thrifty Auto and Taco Bell on Powell? PM me and maybe we can get together.