ABF 16v engine + ZXR750 bike carbs into mk2 1.6 driver

Everyone will probably go against re-spacing the carbs, if you're getting a manifold made up it should be okay and easier.
It would be difficult to re-space for many factors.Fuel delivery, carb to carb springs etc

It did seem difficult to return the pedal back up too, got a helper spring to return the throttle and a hefty elastic band to pull the pedal back up.

Think I'll do the same and re-position the pedal end of the cable so the full travel of the pedal is the same as the throttle. OR somehow add a lever style extension to the throttle so it equals the full original pedal travel...



Have rewired the fuel pump to coil + and battery earth.

No joy in regards to start up problems...

BUT the car will fire up first time everytime when cranking on WOT, pulling choke and after the engine has already been warmed up.

So seems to be an AIR/FUEL problem not electrical.


Awful from dead cold.............


Been trying to sort the sticking revs and have now eliminated, silicone hose stopping springs, non return of cable and pedal etc, helper springs.
seems to be carb balancing
which I will have a problem sorting with conventional instrument as I am not using the bike's carb rubber manifold connectors so they don't have the 'take off nipples'. Tried to do 'by ear' adjusting the loudest whistle etc . . .but not really getting anywhere.

 

could it be dirty earth terminals preventing a good spark?

 

Gave most of the earth terminals a good clean down prior to conversion.

Got to be at Bogg Brothers tomorrow morning at 9am (630start- 2 hours drive)

 

Well I'm a happy lad.

Spent Saturday morning with Dave Bogg over in West Yorkshire.

Got there at 9 ish and left just after 1.

Did some testing and measuring etc etc

We used a spherical tool with a gauge on it and you just place it into the intake and it provides measurements, can't remember the type but it read something like 5,2,4,7....they were seriously out of balance.

This was sorted.


next up we rejetted, cant remember what 180 or 190 I think.

The main needles weren't adjustable so we used small washers to raise up the needles a touch so that less taper was showing, you know what I mean.

Then we messed about with return springs, pedal return springs, idle screws mixture and all that shiz.

We did a few power runs during this.

Initially it was around 120-130

after messing etc we got the timing to about 30' advance (prev running 45+')

we got 140-150 and just short of 160 with the raised needles.

apparently it was slipping on the rollers too (15 x 7.5 wheels) but the kitcar after me was also so might have been the rollers?

Al in all had an awesome morning and the car has been totally transformed and is a treat to drive now the idle problem is more or less sorted.

He said the idle problems I had may be down to the manifold inlets being on angles to the carbs (although they sit straight and flush) so it's trying to bend the carbs slightly... and causing the butterflies to struggle to get back to fully closed..

= result!

 

Excellent news there Dan.

It just shows it is all the small things that make a difference to getting it running right. Hope you are chuffed with your efforts, you should be, as it was mostly all done by yourself.
Well done.

 

Cheers bud, like I said before couldn't have done it without help from here though! Considering it's my first thing like this I am UBER chuffed!

It drives so well now and the power comes after 4k and just keeps coming!

I haven't hit the limiter yet, where would it come in?

 

geneticmaterial do you attend any meets, would like to see this as its what i am planning for my mk2. im only in manchester so not a million miles away from you.

cheers

Rick

 

Hey all been a bit distant recently...

Don't really get round to any meets TBH. Need to though. Give us a msg if you're this way and pop round!



As I may have mentioned before this is my daily, about 10 miles per day. And it really is awesome with the driver gearbox and is holding up really well.

Getting up on the motorways, 70mph I'm getting maybe 60-65 miles to 10.....


Few mods added such as a straight through front pipe from the downpipe and it's running 2" right through to match the d/pipe.


PROBLEM

The carbs severely struggle with cold starts.

Maybe sometimes 30 seconds of turnover before it will fire.

This is with the choke pulled open too.

Once the engine has been warmed it will more or less start up fine without choke.


What would cause this?
Is it just under fuelling at cold start-up?

 

It does sound like it could use a little more fuel for the cold starts.
There is maybe the option of larger jets for the choke fueling. Or they could be drilled slightly too. I am not normally a fan of drilling jets, but the choke ones are only used for start up so if it helps it may well be worth doing.

 

Seems to start a lot easier if I pull and release the choke a few times before starting......
maybe upon the first pull it pumps a small amount in.....like priming a small aircraft engine..

 

sick of tinkering with these carbs now.

Tired of the throttle, idle sticking open at 2k and the hard 'go' pedal.

No amount of adjustments can find the balance between a suitable idle then idling after using the blummin throttle.

Can get it to idle nicely at 1k, then use throttle either very slightly of WOT then the revs either stick wide open and really slowly come down or if I quickly release the throttle it will come down quickly to 2k, 1200 or <800............... or trying to stall

Could the fact that I'm using the fuel rail from the ABF for servo take off (using all the injector holes) have anything to do with it?

I'm going to try it with the injectors plugged.

Will also get some pics up and maybe a vid...

 

Okay, replaced 2 injectors back into the rail and it runs better in regards to returning to idle but now the idle's lumpier.

still getting brake servo though.


I have stumbled upon the possible cold startup problem.

Was cleaning oil around the dizzy and noticed that the hall sender switch rubber cover was a bit loose, on closer inspection one of the 3 wires that connect to the hall sender, the red and black one seemed to have started to become loose and broke of whilst trying to take the 3-pin connector off.

tried to restart with the red/blk disconnected and it just turned and made no attempt to fire.

I've cut the whole connector off and will rewire this 3pin hall sender connector and see what it's like.

 

sorted the hall sender and also I've cleaned up all the earths I could find and all the -ve leads to the battery etc.

Fired up straight away, maybe due to the engine still being a bit warm from earlier.

On the hall sender what does the red/black wire tell the ign loom to do? Where does it go?

 

Car fires straight away now, literally on the button (from being left overnight then starting at -8'C!) and the idle is much more predictable.......... sits at 1200 mostly

 

Just read the whole thread, great work mate and thanks for telling us how the various changes you've made have helped/hindered progress.. it'll definately help me when I come to fit a set of carbs.
Cheers

 

Just fitted these............

vmaxx, rears only.

true go-cart stiffness now!!

 

Car's possibly going up for sale so I'm open to offers until I find suitable replacement.

Just started a new job and can't keep doing 60+ miles per day in it.

Considering we are pushing 160 bhp it still returns 60 miles to 10 ('1.30p per litre!!) (taking it easy, haha which is very difficult to maintain!)

I'm open to px for mk3, or 4 diesels cash either way.

sob.

old for sale advertisement

 

Got home last night and heard and approaching my driveway I could hear a small rattling sound.
Popped the bonnet and it sounded like alternator bearings, I thought this would last till weekend to be replaced.....
..set off to work this morning, still small rattle, about 10 mins into the commute.........
.......battery red light came on.

Fan belt had come off.

Seems the water pump has given up.

This was at 8am. Finally got the car back at 4pm.

Massive wobble in the water pump pulley, i'm taking 3-4 mm!

I'm guessing that the belt had simply popped off as the rattling was only for say 2-3 miles, I don't think it would chew through a belt in 2 miles?????

I'm getting a new pump in the morning to fit.
But earlier I got a new belt, I fitted it, started the car and it came straight off.

Is this simply down to the wobble of the water pump pulley?

And also how grooved should the water pump pulley be, I mean, the others are grooved 2-3mm or so but the grooves on the water pump pulley are more like small bumps... is this normal?

 

Here's what happened.
The bearings had failed and are visible pressing out of the housing.
The impellers had sheared, disintegrated and took and engine coolant channel trip.
Fully tested the thermostat and it's fine.