Weber 38 DGAS

[dl242gt]

I've replaced clogged injectors twice in the last year which clogged from sitting with this terrible gas we get. We are suppoed to have only 10 percent ethanol. But no one really monitors how much goes in there and the more they put in the more money the fuel company and the corn growers make.

[NotSoFresh]

Originally Posted by jfry

Hiperformance rebuilt my hif6's. Local SU master is gone. Your guy Steve said he's not very good with them. Only thing that's going to cost is having custom brackets built for the SU linkage. I had a bracket built last year but it was attached to the rear head bolt and I don't want to do that again. Weber offers a lot more options when it comes to linkage.

Rhys Kent, who I believe is a user on here, rebuilt my hif6. No issues at all, great work.
https://www.sucarburetors.com/

[jwernerny]

I ran HF6 SUs, HIF SU, Stromberg Carbs (as delivered in '70), and the DGEV 38 carb. The DGEV gave me more trouble and poorer performance of any of them. The worn out HF6 carbs were the best. In fact, I chose the HF6 carbs with leaky throttle shafts over the DGEV.

The biggest problem is that people are just scared of SU carbs. I'm not sure why, they are one of the simplest to understand and are quite easy to adjust.

BTW, SU carbs were used on the Datsun 240Z and are still serviced and repaired for them. Try a web search for Datsun SUs, and you will find a bunch of results. https://sucarb.co.uk/ is also a good source of information.

[dl242gt]

All they are is different ways to make the incoming air atomize the fuel so it can be burned up. Don't need to be skeered of any of them.

An investment in some tools greatly helps. Get the SU adjustment kit which has the jet adjustment spanner. I use the german synchrometer balancing tool. It's more accurate than the unisyn. A small test tube for measuring accelerator pump output is helpful. A caliper for measuring float height. If you have strombergs the jet adjustment tool is the only way to adjust them. Also be patient and double check things when setting up your carbs. Colortune is another good tool but I don't have one anymore.

Oh I forgot a great tool. Get a book like the Haynes manual on these carbs. It's great reading.

[NotSoFresh]

Originally Posted by jwernerny

The biggest problem is that people are just scared of SU carbs. I'm not sure why, they are one of the simplest to understand and are quite easy to adjust.

The one thing about my hif6 is when its cold. It requires quite a bit of choke fiddling/gas peddle twiddling to keep it running until the under hood temps come up a bit. Car starts up at any temp with a split second of starter, almost no cranking. When its cold outside (especially below freezing) it will idle fine, but is tempermental for the first few minutes of driving. In summer it is almost a non issue.
Its funny, I ran into a retired guy who worked in a volvo dealer as a mechanic in the 80s. He took one look at my 79, hood down and says "which carb?" When i said SU he says "great carb but not fun when its cold out"..... I never told him my car was carbed, he just knew.
I mean, I get it, carbs with manual chokes are just this way. Some are worse.

[vwbusman66]

Originally Posted by NotSoFresh

I mean, I get it, carbs with manual chokes are just this way. Some are worse.

Its funny you say that- my experience at the british shop was the same. You almost treat them like an airplane when cold starting- full choke and full throttle. Once it lights off, you can tweak the choke. We had some very cold blooded SU’s and Strombergs and some that would idle and run cold great.

My spitfire with HS2’s and ATF in the dashpots and the B20 with HIF’s both cold start great.

[dl242gt]

My cars with SU or Strombergs never had any starting issues. They didn' thave any running issues because you aren't supposed to drive them with the choke on. So you have to warm up the car enough so you can drive without the choke. A small amount of choke was ok if it was really cold but the general rule of thumb was to warm up till you don't need the choke.

I used to run webers on my porsches and VWs all year round. No chokes on them or warmup enrichment. Just have to warm up enough till it drove.

[mikep]

Originally Posted by jwernerny

I ran HF6 SUs, HIF SU, Stromberg Carbs (as delivered in '70), and the DGEV 38 carb. The DGEV gave me more trouble and poorer performance of any of them. The worn out HF6 carbs were the best. In fact, I chose the HF6 carbs with leaky throttle shafts over the DGEV.

The biggest problem is that people are just scared of SU carbs. I'm not sure why, they are one of the simplest to understand and are quite easy to adjust.

BTW, SU carbs were used on the Datsun 240Z and are still serviced and repaired for them. Try a web search for Datsun SUs, and you will find a bunch of results. https://sucarb.co.uk/ is also a good source of information.

The Datsun SUs have a knurled thumbwheel instead of wrench flats on the jet holder.
I have a mixed bunch of them.

[Jack]

Originally Posted by dl242gt

My cars with SU or Strombergs never had any starting issues. They didn' thave any running issues because you aren't supposed to drive them with the choke on. So you have to warm up the car enough so you can drive without the choke. A small amount of choke was ok if it was really cold but the general rule of thumb was to warm up till you don't need the choke.

I used to run webers on my porsches and VWs all year round. No chokes on them or warmup enrichment. Just have to warm up enough till it drove.

In the 30s after a min or two it runs fine

[jfry]

The SU hif6's are definitely a performance upgrade compared to the Weber. Unfortunately I'm experiencing a fair amount of heat soak with SU's. Found a DGAS Weber in my carb pile but I think I'm going back to the 36/38 progressive. Performance is not the #1 goal when it comes to the PV Jeep but fuel consumption is when were often 100 miles from civilization.

[jwernerny]

Originally Posted by jfry

The SU hif6's are definitely a performance upgrade compared to the Weber. Unfortunately I'm experiencing a fair amount of heat soak with SU's. Found a DGAS Weber in my carb pile but I think I'm going back to the 36/38 progressive. Performance is not the #1 goal when it comes to the PV Jeep but fuel consumption is when were often 100 miles from civilization.

Heat soak can be solved with plastic spacers. I've seen them on HF4's on an MG. You might be able to find them, or find a high-temp resistant, low thermal coefficient (won't transfer hear) plastic and make your own.

[quillc]

Stop by Tap Plastics (or online) and buy a chunk of Polypropylene. Trace the carb gasket with a scribe and use a coping saw/band saw/other to cut out the profile. !/2" thick is more than adequate. Be sure to use a gasket on both sides. Some longer studs and it'll work fine. If it is radiated heat, you can put some insulation on the fuel bowl or build a small heat shield out of sheet metal.

Despite the debate on which carb is better, I'm sure just about any of them will work fine in your application. Sounds like you have a progressive weber laying around. Assuming it is in good condition, run it. You aren't building a max effort race motor. I personally favor the twin side drafts. I'm an American and more is always better... Besides it looks cool.

The most important thing is to get the Valp back wheeling. Run what you have and don't spend a gazillion $$ building something else. If the SUs work fine, run them till they don't. If it dies out on the trail, film the recovery/modification and trip back out. Edit it and upload to youtube because @roadkill.

On the topic of gas, I run non-ethanol fuel in all my part time vehicles. This includes a 69 firebird, two 66 Sweptline trucks and a 72 Wagoneer. For a fuel additive, I use a fuel additive from Archoil. Works for me. StarTron is also good (its turpentine based as I recall). Its the alcohol in the fuel that the carb gaskets and O rings can't handle. It also eats the old fuel hose as well. The alcohol also absorbs water vapor from the air. This results in corrosion of the carb and general gummy-ness of the fuel sitting in the vented carb fuel bowl. The non-ethanol fuel solves most of these issues and a good fuel treatment does the rest.

Get it running and wheel it!