David Jenkins
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| posted on 13/7/16 at 04:07 PM |
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Engine tuners on the Essex/Suffolk border?
Can anyone recommend someone who could tune my new carb? Somewhere close to Ipswich or Colchester would be favourite, as I live near the Essex/Suffolk
border, just off the A12. I know of a few of the really good ones but they're a bit further away than I want to travel just at the moment
(Southend and Cambridge).
I've already found "68 Auto Performance" who used to be based in Ipswich (formerly trading as Frost Motor Services) but are now in
the same location as Scholar Engines. Trouble is, they're a good drive from me, and my engine is currently running a bit lean - I don't
want to go too far, or too fast (part of the journey is on the A14, and you don't want to be driving slow on that!). They also have a minimum
wait time of 2 weeks for booking.
I don't need a super-tuner to give me the maximum power output from my setup - I just need someone who knows his way around a Weber DGV carb and
has a reasonable stock of different-sized jets to play with. I'm not after high power, I just want it to work nicely.
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907
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| posted on 13/7/16 at 05:00 PM |
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Distance no longer quite so important.
You have U2U.
Paul G
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Shooter63
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| posted on 13/7/16 at 05:28 PM |
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Try hanger111
Shooter
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Chris_Xtreme
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| posted on 14/7/16 at 07:19 PM |
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I used ATSPEED in Rayleigh for my carb setup on a pinto.
again, I wanted it to drive smooth all the way through, they listened and sorted it. genius at adjusting the timing by first guess getting the
distributor weights adjusted perfectly !
You will want a O2 Sensor bung in your exhaust. ATSPEED added one for me, but it took some of the time.. Some places can't / wont do it, so ask.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 14/7/16 at 08:15 PM |
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I'm now booked in with Peter Baldwin in Royston, after several recommendations. 
I also have had the offer of a car and trailer to get there, courtesy of a kind gentleman on this forum. 
Oh - and I already have a boss on the exhaust that I used when running my JAW AFR meter - so that aspect is covered!
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Chris_Xtreme
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| posted on 14/7/16 at 08:27 PM |
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Cool hope all goes to plan
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 23/7/16 at 05:22 PM |
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Well, it's been tuned!
History so far: originally, my car's x-flow engine had a knackered old Weber 32/36 DGV carb - worked well enough, but wasn't good pulling
at low revs and generally was just OK-ish. This gave me about 90 BHP on a rolling road (the engine is 1660cc, GT head with minor flowing, Kent BCF2
cam, free-flow exhaust). Decided to try bike carbs and they ended up pretty good, but I always had to keep the engine buzzing to get the best out of
them - not my style of driving. Also, I never got the bike carbs professionally tuned, largely because it would have cost me a packet in rolling-road
man-hours. I got them running as well as I could, and put up with it. In the end I decided to go back to the Weber DGV as so many people and books
recommended it, but this time I started with a brand-new carb.
So I got it tuned properly - which was an experience. During the session I was sitting in the car, following commands given in sign-language by the
tuner 'cos it's noisy and we're wearing ear muffs, and happen to glance over at the speedo - 90+ mph! The man spent a couple of
hours changing jets and generally twiddling, and I ended up with a reading of 114 BHP at 5300 rpm (power at the engine). Not bad when you consider
that the stock 1600GT engine was good for 85-ish BHP, and now I've got about 200BHP/ton. What with the noise (even with earmuffs) and the fumes
(despite the extractor pipe from the exhaust), plus the great big cooling fan in front of the radiator blasting air towards me, I ended up with a fair
old headache when I got home. Worth it for the driving experience yesterday and today.
Now I've started to re-learn the throttle control - up to 50% pedal you only use the smaller choke, but if you really want to motor then you
have to floor it and open the second choke. I've also revised the Megajolt's shift light and max revs downwards - with max power at
5300rpm there's no point in a 6300rpm rev limit and a change light at 6000. Now it's 6000rpm and 5500rpm; this still works very well and
doesn't seem to make the car slower (and hopefully the engine will last a bit longer).
I said elsewhere that I thought that the bike carbs still had the edge on power, but now I'm learning the new throttle technique for this carb
I'm not so sure - the engine seems to be revving more freely and it's definitely just as nippy. It will happily pull the car at 30mph in
4th gear and accelerate reasonably well, and if I floor it in 3rd then it really takes off.
Trouble is, now I fancy a new gearbox with a higher first gear... 
Thanks to everyone - especially the one who ferried me there and back on his trailer - you know who you are...
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907
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| posted on 23/7/16 at 09:07 PM |
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Quote
"Thanks to everyone - especially the one who ferried me there and back on his trailer - you know who you are"
It sounds like he made you sit on the trailer. Huh! Not much of a mate.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 23/7/16 at 09:10 PM |
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It was really draughty! 
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907
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| posted on 23/7/16 at 10:03 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
It was really draughty!
A bad ride is always better than a good walk.
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 24/7/16 at 07:15 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by 907
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
It was really draughty!
A bad ride is always better than a good walk.
Not when you need the exercise!
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