other W is for "weeping" - the Weeping 32/36DGEV

[Healey3000]

Hi,

 

I'm finally taking a closer look at the carb, as part of trying to understand why I experience hard starting overnight.  Thanks to many of you for the tips and insights.  Still working on it...

 

Not only is there evidence of weeping leaks on the manifold webbing (another W!) between cylinders 1 & 2 but there is similar evidence between 3 & 4.  There are also stains that essentially appear to run down all around from the carb/manifold interface.  Sounds like a bad gasket, perhaps?  Then I noticed this - a short stub of tubing going nowhere.  You can't see it in the picture but the clipped end of the tubing is open.  Should that port on the carb be plumbed to something?  I apologize for the terrible photograph but lighting is poor there.

 

Am I looking at a complete carb rebuild at this point?

 

Thanks.

[zinz]

That's a vacuum port and that hose should either be routed to a vacuum-actuated Smog gizmo, or  be plugged tightly. If it's open, you will have hard starting and poor running ( it will run lean).

 

you can stick a golf tee in the hose to plug it, or run to the parts store and get some vacuum plugs. 

 

There should be a second vacuum line next to that one that leads to the vacuum advance pot on the distributor.

 

now, to the right of your red arrow is the accelerator pump. It has 4 screws and a lever running up under the carb.  If you have fuel dripping from that seal, you need a new one. 

 

Get a screwdriver and tighten every screw you can find on the carb and snug the bolts where it attaches to the carb. 

 

A weeping carb is not the end of the world; snug all the screws and plug that hose and see how it responds. 

 

Ed

[Healey3000]

Hi Ed,

 

Thanks for the information.  The plot thickens, sort of.  I went out and pulled that snipped segment of hose and it turns out there was a ball bearing jammed in the hose.  I don't know how reliably that seals but at least it wasn't wide open.

 

As for the second port you mentioned, there is a port below and behind this one, coming up at an angle.  It has a cap on it but this is where it gets interesting - there is no connection to the vacuum advance unit on the distributor.  Could I have a mechanical advance distributor (although, it wouldn't have a diaphragm then)?  In any case, the engine's been plodding along with no vacuum advance at all.  This may explain why it never pings (which has troubled me for a while but I never got around to checking timing).

 

Sounds like the next steps are: run a line from that second port to the distributor, cap the upper port, tighten everything up and replace the accelerator pump diaphragm, if needed.  I will also add a check valve in the fuel line and examine the condition of the fuel lines; replace as necessary.  A reasonable line of attack?  Oh, and check timing.

 

Again, thanks for the help.

[zinz]

The ball bearing in the hose is sufficient to plug that line, provided the hose is pliable and makes a snug connection at the carb.

 

Definitely reconnect the vacuum advance on the dizzy. Sometimes that nipple is small, so make sure you get a vacuum line that is small enough to provide a snug fit. To test if that vacuum pot is working, pull the line off the carb and plug the open nipple at the carb. Start the engine and suck on the line leading to the dizzy...the engine should react with a change in rpm as the vacuum pulls more advance on the dizzy.  

 

After seeing your picture on my laptop, I can see the fuel puddle on the webbing of the intake, right under accelerator pump.  That's not helping your situation.  I suggest a rebuild.  Buy a kit from Pierce manifolds and ask for the one that includes the power valve....that way all bases are covered for bad running suspects. (standard kit doesn't include the power valve). http://www.piercemanifolds.com/product_p/92.3237.05-major.htm  

 

Read this and keep it handy as you rebuild the carb. http://www.mk3supra.org/topic/561-guide-rebuilding-a-weber-3236-dgav-carb/

 

That is a very good tutorial with excellent pictures and instructions.  Rebuilding a carburetor is mostly cleaning all the residue out and replacing seals.  That instruction link goes into pulling the throttle shafts out; which in most cases is not necessary...IMO.

 

Pay particular attention to float setting and write down what jets you currently have.  It is possible you will need to re-jet if the carb hasn't been messed with for a long time... modern alcohol-blended fuels need larger jets to feed the engine the lower-caloric fuel. We can review that when the time comes... lots of threads about jetting the 32/36.

 

Good luck and Happy 4th

 

Ed

 

 

 

['76mintgrün'02]

2 hours ago, zinz said:

That instruction link goes into pulling the throttle shafts out; which in most cases is not necessary...

you can check to see if it is necessary, by giving the shafts a wiggle side to side, to check for play.

mine had play on the primary side, so I replaced the worn plastic bushings with sealed ball bearings.

I believe they were around $20.  The plastic bushings can be had for around $8 (IIRC).

yours may be just fine, but mine is almost 25 years old and needed the extra love.

 

I am not grumpy about it, but it may have made more sense to simply continue with this thread

rather than starting another.  Simply because we are addressing the same carb and splitting up the 'suggestions' can lead to repetition... and stuff.

 

It's not a big deal.  merely a suggestion.

now that the link is here, it means even less.

it is amazing how quickly topics get swallowed up by the archives and disappear onto the back pages.

a good sign really, that there is so much activity here.

 

Tom

 

[Healey3000]

Ed,

 

You, sir, are a font of knowledge!!  Thank you so much for the information and links.  Pierce is local to me so I hope to have the kit in hand soon.

[Healey3000]

Hi Tom,

 

I will assess the condition of the shaft bushings; may as  well while I'm in there.

 

Regarding starting a new thread, I did consider adding to the previous one.  In this case, I felt that the carb issue was really a new topic and might reach a broader audience if it was a fresh thread.  As often happens, if one has already seen a thread and found it to not be of interest, you simply don't open it if there is an update.  At least, I find myself doing that very often.  Pros and cons, I guess.

[72_02]

Anyone know what to do with the old vacuum line hookup on the intake manifold?

 

I just gave my car a breathe of life after taking the line to the dizzy from this port to the port on the 32/36. The lower rev range is far smoother, but the top is still cutting out.

 

Do you just leave the intake manifold vacuum port? I found the car to be dying if I plugged it.

[Stevenc22]

You have to plug all open vacuum ports. If your car is dying when you plug the open vacuum port, its because of problems with the carb setup. The car must ONLY get air from the carb, NO WHERE ELSE.