Tuning the 32-36

[Bill Blue]

Put a Pinto 32-36 on the Pinto engine, sans turbo. In my efforts to tune the carb, went to the Redline-Weber site. They say the proper way to size the primary main jet is to select one that gives good idle at tickover with the idle adjust screw 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 turns out. Started out with a 140 jet and 7 turns. Not having an excess of different sized jets, I'm drilling out the old one. Am now to the equivalent of a 162 and 3 1/2 turns. That's about the largest jet available. I understand some of the problems of drilling jets, but this does not seem right. Any thoughts? Should I go larger?

The cam has a pretty good lope at low idle, will that affect jet sizing?

Bill

 

[jumpinjan]

Bill,
Where did you get these directions? The main jet is not even working at idle. To test the main jet, one goes close to WOT. The main is selected first, and then its worked down to idle.

 

[Bill Blue]

Here:

http://www.redlineweber.com/html/Tech/carburetor_set_up_and_lean_best_.htm

Have I misinterpreted this thing?

Bill

 

[Bill Blue]

Here:

http://www.redlineweber.com/html/Tech/carburetor_set_up_and_lean_best_.htm

Have I misinterpreted this thing?

Bill

Dummy, I'm afraid you have. The idle circuit is active up to about 2000 rpm. Check for a vacuum leak, install the main you started with, then try a larger idle jet.

Bill

 

[MikeH]

Bill

Are you still using the decell valve on the engine? If it leaks it causes idle problems.

Mike

 

[Bill Blue]

Bill

Are you still using the decell valve on the engine? If it leaks it causes idle problems.

Mike

No, the carb is naked. Currently does not even have an operable choke. The choke butterfly is held open with a spring. Cold startups? Oh yeah!

Should mention the choke vacuum pull of port is blocked with a plate. Gotta put that on my list of possible vacuum leaks, although the idle was not right when the choke assembly was on the carb.

Bill

 

[MikeH]

The decell valve screwed into the intake manifold.

 

[Bill Blue]

The decell valve screwed into the intake manifold.

How right you are. Forgot that detail. Man, but they are tight in the manifold. Been lots of years since I messed with one of those. But nonetheless, she's gone.

Found a part of the problem. A leak in the PCV circuit, but the idle screw adjustment is still out of range and that is with a 70 idle jet. Most applications call for a 50. Maybe I'll just block off the PCV and see what happens. Might be a bad valve.

Bill

 

[MikeH]

One way to test the valve is, with the engine at idle, cover the hole on the bottem of the decell valve with your finger. If the engine stalls the diaphragm inside it is bad. This would cause rough idle. I remember on a 71 Pinto that I had, the engine would shake so bad at time, you'd think it was going to leap out from under the hood. It ran like anything though.

 

[Bill Blue]

Well, put in a new PCV valve, helped considerably. Am now running 140 jets and 170 air bleeds, about 3 turns out on the idle air screw. Idles at 700 rpm and drivability is excellent, so I'm going to quit messing with it. Have a miss at something north of 4500 rpm, don't have a clue what is causing that. I do think it is jetted too lean, especially on the secondary, but drivabiIity and torque are such I can drive it forever without getting above 3500. So I think I will quit chasing my tail for a while and leave well enough alone. I'm bushed!

Anyone that has a 32-36 and is having a low speed transition miss, go to the reline site and do the low speed adjustment. It does make a big difference.

Bill

 

[Bill Blue]

I lied again. Just can't leave well enough alone.

Bored one of the spare idle jets out to .031" (=79 jet) installed it in place of the 70 jet on the primary. Idle screw setting dropped down to 2 5/8 turns, down from about 3 1/4. Better throttle response and get this, the hiccup at 4500+ is gone! Now how can that be? I changed nothing other than the idle jet, idle richness and idle speed. Honest.

Bill

 

[Ken Ellis]

STOP

Top up the radiator, brake and clutch, close the hood, wash the windshield,
and drive slowly to Tipp City. Take the bus back home, and come back Labor Day weekend.


Ken

I thought you were a goner for this year when you took out the turbo... glad to see it lives!

 

[Bill Blue]

Ken, not to worry. I'm not going to mess with the engine anymore. Honest. I swear. It just bugs me that it could run better.

Maybe if....

 

[Chuck Ingram]

Ken, not to worry. I'm not going to mess with the engine anymore. Honest. I swear. It just bugs me that it could run better.

Maybe if....

Bill
I'm so much about where you are at with my pinto 1980 2.3 engine.This is in my Shay roadster. Removed all the smog stuff.Did the head, did the carb.new timing belt.checked timing 3 tmes and all marks dead on.Running great but seems I now need more advance.At least I think so.Played with it and played some more.drove 40 miles on sunday and it did not miss a beat.Today I came back from a short run and stopped at the store.as pulling in to the parking lot it died and seemed as it ran out of gas.Yes I have a new fuel pump.It started again but took a couple of seconds till it ran proper.
Mine is a stock 2.3.as to the fuel pump.Is yours mechanical as original with 2 inlets or did you change to electric?
Yes I don't know what to do but do as you think and I'll leave it alone for now and see what happens.
The 62 and the Lister are running great.600 miles on that 302 in the 62and soo easy to spin the tires a little bit.
Gee it is such a nice day I think I better take the 62 out

 

[Bill Blue]

Chuck, I know this is almost to elementary, but is your spark advance working?

It seems that as I stamp out one brush fire, another pops up. Maybe it was there all the time, just becomes more obvious. As I've gotten the low speed problems worked out, a high speed problem emerges. That is the 45+ miss. It now seems like the carb is running out of fuel.

After a short joy ride today, I decided the Alpine was running pretty good and wondered if it can match the performance of our ZX2. In previous posts, I've referred to a hill in the approach to our driveway. There is a crossroad at the bottom of the the hill. In the ZX2, I can turn off the crossroad onto the hill and be doing 55 at the top of the hill. Tried that with Alpine. Did fine in low up to a little over 5000. Shifted to second, the miss started at about 5,000. Went into third, the miss continued until I got off the gas. Any suggestions other than lack of fuel??

I'm running a Volvo electric fuel pump. It delivers oodles of fuel at about 20 psi to a fuel regulator on the intake manifold. The regulator is set for 3 psi, which seems to be the correct pressure for the 32-36.

Right now, I'm going to leave it alone as it runs fine under "normal" conditions.

Bill

 

[Chuck Ingram]

Hi Bill
Spark advance is working 100%.
The running out of fuel is the same feeling I have.Mind you I'm running a stock carb.I can go great up through the gears but the symptoms seem to appear in 4th about 50MPH.The engine had all the smog stuff which I removed. I have even removed the fume lines to the cannister as well.That was done after I came back from the store where I stalled.Will try it tomorrow when we get back and see if it repeats.Will try the electric pump as I have a few good ones on the shelf
I somehow think it is related to the smog stuff like the extra line to the pump.
OH so much fun!!!!!!!!
will have to see.I'm wondering as to moving the fuel line from the pump to the carb as well as maybe there is a hot spot that can cause a bit of a problem.Just need time for all this

 

[Bill Blue]

Think I have solved a couple of problems. The "fueling" problem was the condenser decided to pack it up. This is a relatively new condenser, maybe 1,500 miles on it. I've been changing so much stuff I loose track. While screwing around with the distributor, I noticed the points were not opening the same on all cam lobes. Swapped out cams, same problem. Closer inspection revealed the shaft was bent. Swapped out the shaft (this housing has the good bearings) and solved that problem. A short ride, no problems!!!

I know, can't last.

Bill

 

[Chuck Ingram]

Way to go Bill
I'm taking the carb back to the shop that rebuilt it on Monday.
I hope they say there is something wrong with it.

 

[Chuck Ingram]

Way to go Bill
I'm taking the carb back to the shop that rebuilt it on Monday.
I hope they say there is something wrong with it.

Well well.They phoned back and said there was some dirt of some kind.I think that came from them as it was their new filter on the carb.They will take it fully apart and clean it at no charge.I should hope so.I pick it up tomorrow
and I assume that will be the end of the problem.
I have a 32/36 carb on order as well.