bike carbs or 40s- which would you choose and why.

[Dez]

basically, I'm in the happy situation of having a setup of each, both require about the same amount spending to complete them, so I'm wondering which i should go for. this is to go on a more or less stock 2 letre pinto, recently rebuilt (bored, head rebuilt, etc.)

i currently have-

a matched pair of 40dhla dellortos. unknown jetting but came on a crossflow manifold so assume 1700. ITB filter. need rebuilding but i have 2x rebuild kits already and all the floats appear good.

ZZR1100 (i think) bike carbs. they're 40mm anyway. with the air horns, some silicone hose and the right size pipe for the stubs.

a filter king pressure regulator with gauge to use on either setup.

basically, i either need to buy a manifold and linkage for the 40s, and probably some jets, or a lazercut baseplate for the bike carbs, a fuel pump and some jets for those. either will cost £50-100 so theres really nothing in it.

but, which do you think is 'better', and why? i see a lot of people going bike carbs these days, but it mostly appears to be for cost reasons- something which is invalid here.

[skylinedave]

Dellortos for me

You don't have to have a silly manifold with a bit of hose holding them on .

You will have more luck tuning them

They look right .

[Dez]

i have successfully fitted and tuned both bike carbs and normal 40s in the past- i put a 1800 zetec on megajolt and bikes carbs in a minor for a customer a year or so back. i found them no more difficult to tune than 40s tbh.

i agree on the hose on the manifold though, getting them done up right so they hold the carbs solidly and don't leak can be a right pain.

[blower]

Carbs

Just for the sound of them mixing the fuel and air , in a way that cant be replicated

[Rich]

Apr 4, 2015 21:31:16 GMT blower said:

Carbs

Just for the sound of them mixing the fuel and air , in a way that cant be replicated

Great answer. WHICH carbs..

[penski]

Apr 5, 2015 7:52:27 GMT Rich said:

Apr 4, 2015 21:31:16 GMT blower said:

Carbs

Just for the sound of them mixing the fuel and air , in a way that cant be replicated

Great answer. WHICH carbs..

*n

[randywanger_]

Another vote for carbs, mostly for the sound and keeping it period.

[blower]

Ive got 45s on my pinto

But 40s are just as good

[ChasR]

Apr 5, 2015 10:50:15 GMT randywanger_ said:

Another vote for carbs, mostly for the sound and keeping it period.

And the vague answer of the year award goes to...

Personally for me, I would put it on the 40s .

[Bozwell]

Apr 5, 2015 16:07:02 GMT blower said:

Ive got 45s on my pinto

But 40s are just as good

depinding on engine size and rpm requirements. smaller carbs can work better than large carbs because air speed and fuel vapourisation play a huge part in power output.

usually the biggest problem can be the wrong choice of carb and the wrong choice of venturie. a 36mm choke (venturie) will work better in a 45 than it will in a 40 even though it is avaiable for both sizes of carb. the venturie effect will work better with a larger difference. but then above a certain air requirement (large engine and/or high rpm) a 36mm choke would be too small to flow enough air.

dellortos are weber copies with most of the weber problems ironed out.

[welshpug]

personally, throttle bodies


just so I can see a Citroen C4 on the rolling road being mapped

[Kieran]

I spoke to bogg bros a while ago about fitting either twin bike carbs or a 40 Dellorto to a 5 port Skoda engine. They said fit the dellorto for power, bike carbs for drive ability.

[Seth]

I'd use the SUs. Oh, hang on....

[Dez]

Apr 5, 2015 16:42:00 GMT Bozwell said:

Apr 5, 2015 16:07:02 GMT blower said:

Ive got 45s on my pinto

But 40s are just as good

depinding on engine size and rpm requirements. smaller carbs can work better than large carbs because air speed and fuel vapourisation play a huge part in power output.

usually the biggest problem can be the wrong choice of carb and the wrong choice of venturie. a 36mm choke (venturie) will work better in a 45 than it will in a 40 even though it is avaiable for both sizes of carb. the venturie effect will work better with a larger difference. but then above a certain air requirement (large engine and/or high rpm) a 36mm choke would be too small to flow enough air.

dellortos are weber copies with most of the weber problems ironed out.

agreed. id tend to always side for the smaller carb on a street driven car. the 1800 zetec minor i did used 36mm bike carbs, and its drove way better than a mates 40mm carbed near identical setup, as the power came on much lower down the rev range. outright power is probably less, but tbh now many times do you drive foot to the floor on todays overcrowded roads.

ive always gone for dells over webers back since my VW days, i find them more adjustable and better made.

[Dez]

Apr 5, 2015 21:49:10 GMT Seth said:

I'd use the SUs. Oh, hang on....

technically a vote for bike carbs i guess then seth

[ponyx2hybrid]

Bike carbs are better all round and a bit cheaper to run if you get them jetted properly you will gain performance and if you cam it and give them some horns you will have a nice driving and sounding engine with favorable performance

[Kieran]

If you use the bike carbs, don't bother with the silicon hose.

Get the correct inlet stubs. A much better solution and hold the carbs far better.

Like these:-

pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=171718896962

[gavs1]

Apr 5, 2015 17:01:37 GMT Kieran said:

I spoke to bogg bros a while ago about fitting either twin bike carbs or a 40 Dellorto to a 5 port Skoda engine. They said fit the dellorto for power, bike carbs for drive ability.

Totally agree for a normal daily use car.I'd go.for.bike carbs, use proper jets when up jetting them as most people drill them and as I've seen before drill bits ain't as accurate.9times outta ten Weber jets fit and are only pence to buy,

[Mantasport]

After having owned/driven cars with both 40's and bike carbs i would go for bike carbs every time now.
They are much more user friendly and give great drivability, they take up less room in the engine bay, and are easier to work on. Can't actually think of a down side to them.

Plus from my experience at least they give about the same power as their bigger brothers, but it feels like more as the engine revs easier.

[fordperv]

My money would be on bike carbs as well, in fact it is, my modified pinto is running bike carbs and has been for years i havn't finished the car so I've not driven it properly yet, but on a small test drive it was as fast a cheetah on cocaine, the throttle response was beautiful, i chose bike carbs because I didn't want the messing about that's assosiated with weber 40 or 45s and they are so easy to work on