Reconversion from Weber to Solex

[tonch504]

Hi all,

Many years ago, when I considered myself a bit of a Boy Racer, I had my 504’s Solex carby replaced with a Weber. This included a change of the air filter type, form oil bath to a foam one.
More recently, the foam has started to disintegrate, leaving lots tiny foam pieces in my carby (not surprising given that the filter is about 25 years old).
Now, a through clean will be required, and given that the carby will need to come off, I figured I would treat it to a rebuild.

So the two questions that comes to mind are:

Should I go back to the oil bath filter to prevent this happening again and;

Should I refit the Solex, for originality.

Is there really that much performance gain achieved from these two modifications?

 

[neil s]

The later 504s had paper element aircleaners. Source the holder for one of those. Problem solved. Fitted fine on my 504 with a Weber

 

[Wildebeest]

Touch 504.
Yes the sports type foam filters will disintegrate as you've described. Best to get hold of the later cylindrical filter assembly with paper or foam elements. The latter can be made up from shop bought foam.
The early Solex with manual choke are OK The later TMIMA Solex have a complicated auto choke.
My Weber conversions have always worked OK. Economy ?????

 

[tonch504]

Thanks neil s and Wildebeest,

I’m a but of a sucker for originality, hence the consideration to refit the Solex. However, I’ve decided to stick with the Weber, and have purchased a rebuild kit for it. I can live with this as I have the original Solex available if I ever want to put it back.

When I first looked at the foam filter I couldn’t see anything wrong with it, so I hope that means that not too much has been sucked into the engine.

What would be the chances of this foam sticking to the valve seats and causing a problem?

 

[Aln]

I wouldn't think there would be much problem with a bit of crumbled foam air filter through the engine. Even if a bit got stuck on an inlet or exhaust valve seat for a second, the inlet valve would smash this away in a second, and the heat of the combustion gasses would burn it off the exhaust seat very quickly. I very much doubt this material would cause a bent or burnt valve.

 

[tonch504]

Thanks alan moore,
That’s reassuring.

 

[julian c b]

Did you ever get your injection car to idle smoothly?

 

[tonch504]

Did you ever get your injection car to idle smoothly?

Nah. But still working on that. Will let you know what the cause was when I find it.

 

[IWS]

When I was in my boy-racer phase I put a weber on my 404. I don't recall it ever making much difference ...

I still have the tech manual for the Weber (Type 36 DCD 3). Tonch 504, I wonder if you might find it useful to have that manual (photo below)? If so, happy to send it to you.

Ian.

 

[GRAHAM WALLIS]

I've always found the Solex, particularly the early one, to go much better than a Weber. The Webers go OK on the primary barrel but virtually no difference when both are opened. In the early Solex the power comes in with a rush when the secondary barrel is opened. The reason is of course that the Solex has been tuned by professionals at some expense to suit the Peugeot engine.

 

[GRAHAM WALLIS]

When I was in my boy-racer phase I put a weber on my 404. I don't recall it ever making much difference ...

I still have the tech manual for the Weber (Type 36 DCD 3). Tonch 504, I wonder if you might find it useful to have that manual (photo below)? If so, happy to send it to you.

Ian.

View attachment 120811

DCD is one of the better ones to use as it is fully tunable, early use was on the Mk1 Cortina GT.

 

[tonch504]

When I was in my boy-racer phase I put a weber on my 404. I don't recall it ever making much difference ...

I still have the tech manual for the Weber (Type 36 DCD 3). Tonch 504, I wonder if you might find it useful to have that manual (photo below)? If so, happy to send it to you.

Ian.

View attachment 120811

Thanks Ian,

My Weber is a 32 DIR 39A. You think the manual would be similar?

 

[tonch504]

I've always found the Solex, particularly the early one, to go much better than a Weber. The Webers go OK on the primary barrel but virtually no difference when both are opened. In the early Solex the power comes in with a rush when the secondary barrel is opened. The reason is of course that the Solex has been tuned by professionals at some expense to suit the Peugeot engine.

Thanks Graham,

I wasn’t expecting anyone to talk up the Solex! In fact, I was kind of expecting to get a bit of a pasting.

But now that you point out the Peugeot engineering thing, I’m reconsidering my decision to stick with the Weber.

I wonder how difficult a Solex rebuild kit is to find? I might rebuild both (it doesn’t seem too difficult) and see how each goes.

 

[Ikenna351]

I've always found the Solex, particularly the early one, to go much better than a Weber. The Webers go OK on the primary barrel but virtually no difference when both are opened. In the early Solex the power comes in with a rush when the secondary barrel is opened. The reason is of course that the Solex has been tuned by professionals at some expense to suit the Peugeot engine.

I experienced that on Solex 32-35 MIMSA double barrel carburetor. Once the 2nd barrel opens, it turns XN1 into a maniac. Loved it.

Ever since I removed single barrel Solex 34 and swapped in the Solex double barrel, I couldn't imagine myself going back to the single Solex on that engine.

Ikenna351, Lion King - Monk.

 

[Ikenna351]

Thanks Graham,

I wasn’t expecting anyone to talk up the Solex! In fact, I was kind of expecting to get a bit of a pasting.

But now that you point out the Peugeot engineering thing, I’m reconsidering my decision to stick with the Weber.

I wonder how difficult a Solex rebuild kit is to find? I might rebuild both (it doesn’t seem too difficult) and see how each goes.

I believe the Solex double barrel carburetor you attached the picture above is one of the easiest carburetor to tune and service. It looks similar to the Solex 32-35 MIMSA. Mine never gave me headache back then, even though it was very old, compared to the single barrel Solex Carburetor.

I wish I could find a new original Solex 32-35 MIMSA to buy for my new XN1A project, instead of the Solex 34-34 Z1 I have gotten already. Will still use the 34-34 Z1, if the 32-35 MIMSA doesn't pop up.

Ikenna351, Lion King - Monk.

 

[GRAHAM WALLIS]

I experienced that on Solex 32-35 MIMSA double barrel carburetor. Once the 2nd barrel opens, it turns XN1 into a maniac. Loved it.

Ever since I removed single barrel Solex 34 and swapped in the Solex double barrel, I couldn't imagine myself going back to the single Solex on that engine.

Ikenna351, Lion King - Monk.

Single barrel on an XN1 is unusual although I think this was the set up for the vans?

 

[IWS]

Thanks Ian,

My Weber is a 32 DIR 39A. You think the manual would be similar?

Different models - I have no idea how similar or not the manual would be/how much use it might be to you. Maybe a carburetor expert here (if there is one?) might know?

Ian.

 

[IWS]

DCD is one of the better ones to use as it is fully tunable, early use was on the Mk1 Cortina GT.

Maybe the lack of tuning was why I didn't see any appreciable difference when fitted to my car? (Anyway, a long long way in the past - 70s/early 80s!).

Ian

 

[Beano]

This won't be exactly the same, but may have useful information of some sort :

http://www.volvo300mania.com/technical/B14_32DIR_v1.0.pdf

 

[tonch504]

This won't be exactly the same, but may have useful information of some sort :

http://www.volvo300mania.com/technical/B14_32DIR_v1.0.pdf

Thank you Beano,

That look incredibly similar to my Weber. Hopefully most of the information will apply to my carby.

I’m still keen to put the Solex back on, but a reco kit for it is seemingly more difficult to find.