first classic-Herald 1200 ..weak valve springs??

[jumpingfrog]

I'll confess, the Solex 30 is black magic to me, prefer side-draught carburettors. Timing is most likely suspect for a complete lack of power, but I'd have a look at the colour of your plugs too if you haven't already, it's the best indicator of a fuelling issue.

As regards to the fuel lines, I would recommend replacing them if they haven't been done, if they're the original steel ones they will sooner or later fail. Although in your photos the one from the pump at least looks new.

I can agree that your distributor is pointing the wrong way, the vacuum advance unit should be nearer the alternator than it is. But actually that's because your leads are not fitted in the "usual" way, usually cylinder 1 is where your cylinder 3 is, basically they all need move one position counter clockwise (order is correct). I don't think this is your problem, it will still work like this. If you move them, it'll retard the timing a lot so it'll need advancing (rotate towards alternator).

How did you try to set the timing? Doing it by ear always works for me, but usually takes me 3 attempts, and tackling a decent hill to convince myself that it isn't going to ping/pink under load. Worth also checking the weights inside the distributor are free, and also that the rotating plate which holds the points is free to move too. If the centrifugal advance isn't working, you really will notice it.

Hope you get to the bottom of it, you have a really good looking car, I regularly think about adding stripe to mine ...

[vitesseefi]

Agree with David ref. the distributor and timing. If you have the manual, go back to first principles and get all various positions right. Also check mechanical and vacuum advance work. Mechanical not working will affect its ability to rev, vacuum has more to do with part throttle torque and response and B makes no difference at full throttle. It’s not your main problem here I don’t think.

The carb….. meh…. It’s not a performance device, but is simple and usually effective enough. If the float and needle valve are working, the jets are clear, and no vacuum leaks, there’s not much else.

How exactly does it “run like curse word”?

General lack of grunt but smooth?
Willing low down but soon gets breathless?
Just plain lumpy and rough everywhere?
Does it start easily hot/cold?

It will be something simple. Maybe a couple of things…,

[redratbike]

it starts reasonably well and revs ok but you hear something holding back

it seems to bog down under load and isn’t nice to drive at all struggles to hit 40 if you are lucky

i have now reset the timing to no1 tdc and moved the distributor to the correct position.

i fitted another cap, rotor arm , swapped the leads as a set i got were too long , the company replaced them free of charge.

its not ticking over so need to look at adjusting the slow running side of things, needs a new throttle cable as its old and crappy , didn’t get a chance to drive it again as it poured down.

i’m waiting for an inline fuel filter to arrive then i can look at the pipes etc

[redratbike]

the herald had me down i fitted loads of new parts and it still wouldn’t run

well i have left it too long and after fitting a new tank to pump fuel line without any improvement i decided the carb has to go

its an old solex the car has always struggled to start so i remembered i had bought an SU that was fitted to an old viva i believe.

took the old solex off and offered up the su and manifold it was a few mm out so being away from home no electric and only having needle files to hand i set to and filed one of the holes a little to allow figment .

bolted it on a little extra petrol pipe and it was on

fired first turn of the key after a little bit of easy start

the issue i have is the throttle linkage … what is missing ? has anyone got an old one i can have? looks like i may need longer cables for the choke and throtle but thats easily sorted. along with an air filter

what’s this bit at the bottom i am pointing to should it move freely ? as it goes down when the linkage is moved but possibly bent as wont return !

any help greatly appreciated as soon as this is sorted i’ll be fitted the lowered spring/ rear block and new wheels 👍

had another play and the car fires into life

[kevins]

that is the main jet. it moves down to provide enrichment when the choke is out. it should be all the way up with no brass showing when the engine is warm and the choke in.

doesn't look like anything is missing.

[redratbike]

thanks for that

the main jet maybe i pulled it out to far 🤷🏻‍♂️ for it to return

i think some bits are missing on the linkage i’ll take a look online to see what i need

[kevins]

burlen fuel systems have exploded diagrams of su's if its got a tag on it you should be able to look up exactly what you have.

[remmoc]

Main jet moves down when choke is operated . these need centralising or they don't return back . thats done by the larger nut holding it in , the one touching the main body . Sometimes the arm that moves it gets bent or indeed needs bending slightly for it all to work smoothly plus the arm is attached to the jet via a small screw , inside the arm is a tiny brass bush that enables the arm to pivot on the jet , make sure its there and the arm pivots as it should.
As for set up , check the float level , screw the main jet adjust fully in ( the nut touching the jet ) then screw it out ten flats - thats your base setting and you can richen ( screwing it out or weaken ( screwing it in ) . tiny amounts make a huge difference . assuming you have the correct needle and spring fitted for your application then once thats set it should run perfectly . use thin oil in the dash pot ( 3 in 1 or SUs own.
I run twin SUs on both my Imps - at least you havent got to balance yours as theres only one . Any questions just ask away

[redratbike]

remmoc
much appreciated i have been reading all day regarding setting them up

it came off a viva no idea if it’s the 1159 or 1256 so reasonably close or not 🤣 as mines an 1147

i have just ordered a stub stack and pancake air filter for now to assist in getting it running i was shocked at the prices for a single cone filter 😬

[remmoc]

Oh and make doubly sure the piston drops down with a clunk when pushed up around 3 - 4 mm .

[kevins]

Also check the needle height is correctly set in the piston. and that the jet still has a round hole in it.

The beauty of a SU is if it came of an engine of similar capacity it will run fine, choosing the right needle and spring helps in acceleration and max power but for normal driving they usually work fine.

[redratbike]

yeah that’s the reason i plumped for this carb thought it would be close enough

so the bushing you mentioned i dropped 🤣 but found it when i rolled the car back into the garage

i lost a seal or something on the pipe from the float bowl to the jet

so not a productive day playing with car .. felt like one step forward 3 steps back

ordered a kit of parts to fix the carb and will need a longer throttle and choke cable and need some linkage bits etc still as i could get it sorted with what i have


also possible head gasket issue hopefully this video can be seen

was a little pi55ed off share.icloud.com/photos/010F-SVIL5NqUu1qq6DQpe_yA

it’s from one of the stud holes that hold the rocker cover on 🤷🏻‍♂️


this is the kit of bits i have ordered

[vitesseefi]

Ref the water leaking out of the hole the rocker cover stud screws into….. not head gasket related. It’s just that the hole goes through into the water passage in the head. They are supposed to, but some do. I’ve seen it a couple of times before. The cure is to drain the coolant enough to get the level below that hole and remove the stud. Clean, degrease stud thread an hole and refit with Loctite loc ‘n seal or similar. Should be a lock nut on the bottom of the stud also as it’s meant to stay in when you remove the nuts ton top to remove the cover.

BTW, this is the better way to discover it…. Not after you’ve just replaced a perfectly good head gasket because water was getting into the oil….. Don’t ask how I know!!

[stealthstylz]

I also have taken a freshly fitted cylinder head off to "fix" this issue, though in my defence it's the only one of these I've ever done and it came to me in bits so I didn't have the studs.

[redratbike]

vitesseefi and stealthstylz

thanks for putting my mind at rest

these is a locknut at the bottom of the stud but obviously not locked down tight but will do as you say clean degrease and locktite

i’m determined not to let this beat me 🤣

[redratbike]

well after fitting the new bits to the SU carb the linkage was still an issue i couldn’t seem to get it to work properly and thought about making a new bracket to hold the cable etc also the choke was still stiff and the jet didn’t seem to want to move either so in less than 10 minutes the SU was pulled and i fitted an 34ich weber i had picked up on ebay with the correct 25mm choke rather than the 27 or 29mm models. Jetted for an 1100/1300 fiesta so right in the ballpark for the 1200 (1147cc)

the petrol pipe wasn’t going to work so rerun that from the copper to a rubber fuel hose , i couldn’t believe how much fuel siphoned from the tank 😬
still need to remove the old pipe at a later date


got it started and it seemed to tick over nice and rev well things to do are fit a bracket for the throttle cable and somehow refit a choke cable as i had pulled the inner out to fit a longer one for the SU and then couldn’t get the new inner in so not sure if it’s a dash out job to sort but 🤷🏻‍♂️

once i get the throttle sorted i’ll be road testing it and then i can finally start on fitting the lowered spring/block , alloy wheels seems to have taken me way too long to get here

still looking for a les leston 6 bolt hub if any one has one 👍

[redratbike]

so i have made a throttle bracket bit of a bush fix but the cars is running

still not right but it hit the dizzy heights of 50mph!

just went out for a spin had a play with the timing moving the distributor and adjusting advance retard still not right but good enough to drive it to someone i have found to set it up properly.

at one stop a guy came out of his garden and handed me 2 lengths of something , they were the felt bits for the inside of the door windows , said he never got a chance to fit to his car and no point them going to waste 👍

pulled up to a roundabout and went to pull away and nothing the throttle cable had come off at the pedal pushed it round the corner out the way of all the traffic and remedied another bush fix whilst doing it 3 people stopped and asked if i needed help which was nice , one a mechanic who had a boot full of tools …. i bet if it was a modern car no one would have stopped 👍

got it back to my garage left it ticking over for 10 minutes then jumped in it to reverse it into the garage and stalled it.

and now it won’t start? wtf!

any ideas it spins over a tempest and seems to back firing through the carb every now and then but literally not firing at all.

only thing i noticed was the coil was bloody hot !

i’ was so poxed off and pushed it into the garage.

[redratbike]

no updates for ages apologies but in the background i have done a few bits

new electric fuel pump wired in , another carb (don’t ask)

but now i am getting it back fire through the carb? running lean?

check the video

any ideas please as this thing is close to getting set alight 🤣

vm.tiktok.com/ZGeTdmG2S/

[redratbike]

just swapped a fuel filter out looks like it was too small and restrictive causing some lean running.

adjusted the timing too seems hell of a lot better

just fitted a fuel pump blanking plate and an accuspark electronic ignition module that replaces the points.

i’ve had a love hate relationship with this car up till now as it seemed 1 step forward 2 steps back every time i touched it and i still haven’t driven it any distance but hopefully the above is the last thing i need to do … now i can start taking it out on some local roads and check its all reliable and nothing i have done fails 👍

[Darkspeed]

When you are convinced its fuel its probably electrical....