Thanks Snoopy  - I am actually using standard ones.  I found the place that sells Vitron.  I will buy some and have them in.   The issue I see is there are as many people against them as for them and on the Alfa site I looked at most just recommend checking your standard ones regularly and replacing as needed (just like a standard service). So as always quite a bit of contradictory advise out there  .... the main thing is the buggy is running  and I can use it - plus it was nothing too serious - Lime bug this weekend!! 

So thought I would give a quick update as after saying my carbs were ok .... they were not ok the next time I went to drive it.  Hence some form of intermittent issue.

Just to recap on my way back from IBW this started .... felt like it was bogging down.  Then started to get the odd backfire etc.

So over the last few weeks the carbs have been in bits 10 times.  I have used so many cans of carb cleaner its untrue.  I used high pressure air ... could you believe it I bought air!  I changed all the gaskets etc.... and still I had problems.

I have a Petronix billet dizzy and ignition.   Checked that and the timing .... all good.
I re-did all the tappets.
I checked everything for leaks using GAS from a blow touch and no change.
I replaced all the O-Rings (thanks for the tip Snoopy)
I checked the fuel filters (several times)
I checked the fuel pressure ....

So last week after a series of other household things breaking and no time .... I gave up.

I called Stef at MAC VW and asked for a favour.   He manged to fit me in as long as I just brought the Carbs and not the full buggy (no room as he was too busy).

Well including chatting to me and taking the top of the Carbs it took him less than 45 mins to find.   I have Dellorto DRLA 40s.  The drivers side carb (which I always suspected as being the problem child) had a defective none return valve.  The one in the bottom of the float chamber that gives me that extra squirt of fuel when I accelerate!  Hence the no acceleration and the need to feather the accelerator to get it moving (I was effectively using the fuel and then running lean).  But it was intermittent.   

On close examination the offending valve ball bearing is sitting lower than the other one.  It also makes a different sound when you shake it.   So ordered new ones and fitted..... then monsoon season hit where I live.... so could start it in the garage but could not run it.

This weekend the plan was to try it but a 21st birthday, my garage fusing everytime the outside lights came on and a broken ball valve in my cold water tank (what is it with me a valves) all decided to take up every spare min I had and then when I did get one the monsoon came back.

Just had 5 mins and noticed the sun was out so though I had to seize the opportunity and took it for a run.    Admittedly it needs a tuning tweak but I have acceleration again and no popping and banging!!   So hoping this has fixed it finally.   Intermittent things are such a pain.

Stef pick up on it when he saw no bubbles in my float chamber when he twisted the accelerator .... so a good tip and something to look for in the future.

At least I will be OK for RMCH at the weekend even if it I dont get time to do the tweaks (looking at the weather I dont think I will get any opportunity to run out).  Still have the flashing alternator light but cant say that is going to worry me or stop me at the weekend.  battery on charge now just in case.

So hopefully progress

Should have added .... what made this harder to spot some time I would get a jet of fuel through the accelerator jets .... but not always.    So when I looked at the carbs on the buggy and put a mirror over them I did see a squirt of fuel...... when we got no bubbles there was no squirt! 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154534477226058&set=gm.1955158658101311&type=3&theater

Yes its the intermittent problems in life that are the most frustrating as they undermine your confidence in something always working and also make it hard to demonstrate the problem to an expert.

But terrific you have probably solved this one issue - the defective valve needed sorting and must improve running.

We're all looking forward to the weekend and hoping the monsoon stuff has decided to move on !

Yep replaced both just in case .....

this is how they should look

https://www.dellorto.co.uk/shop/dellorto-car-carburettors-parts/parts/drla-parts/pump-non-return-valve-2/

As for the monsoon we have worse to come this week (tomorrow they have even given out warnings locally about the potential danger of the storm due to hit at around 16:00).  So hoping it will rain its self out by the weekend !

Looks like money well spent - at least one thing less that could be causing any issue - can you tell from looking and shaking the new ones that they are OK ?

Yes the rain may blow through but meantime's you Northerners need to carry your 'Big Coat' or whatever you call them !

Looks like money well spent - at least one thing less that could be causing any issue - can you tell from looking and shaking the new ones that they are OK ?

Yes the rain may blow through but meantime's you Northerners need to carry your 'Big Coat' or whatever you call them !

Hugh the new ones make a totally different sound and the ball sits higher .....  so even if this is not the final answer it needed doing.   From the short drive I had today it was 100% better.   Its always hard to tell until you have a long drive but finger crossed.     Hopefully we will get a nice run out after the hospital and before the pub.   I have a route planned that will only work if its dry as its one hell of a road (will have my tools with me so tweaks can be made when we stop  )

Sounds an unmissable route.

Yesterday 9 of us heading north from Swanage got diverted by the police closing the road and Allan led us up some switch backs through a forest and out on top of the expansive Wiltshire downs with a yellow biplane flying over....we now want to deliberately take this spectacular route next year.

'...will have my tools with me so tweaks can be made when we stop...' Indeed at least one of our buggys is certain to need a tweak or two, especially if rains involved.

The saga continues........

I thought the lat carb changes had sorted my issue (maybe with the exception if a tweek)... but over the weekend I had what seemed like constantly changing running issues.   Some times it was fine ..... then it was really bad with little or no acceleration....

After the 1 PM rev up at Tatton and black smoke and bangs .... Allan was talking to me about something he had seen and suggested I took a look in my dizzy.   Its a billet Pertronix 2.   I had had the cap off and given it a visual check and the rotor arm looked ok so was a bit sceptical.

Anyway took off the dizzy cap and first thing I could see was the screws that hold the rota arm where incredibly rusty ( I am thinking they must of been soaked on the way back from Hull).  On close inspection it was not deep rust... but enough to ring alarm bells.

So then took the rotor arm off and to a gasp and apparently a look of amazement on my face one of my advance springs was missing.  It was not broken or anything like that ..... it had turned into rusty dust all over the inside if the dizzy!!!

With help from Dave, Dave and Allan and lots of "council style onlookers .... sorry helpers) ....... a new spring (temporary) was made and fitted.

This got me home and it was much less troublesome (though over 50MPH it did start to run bad).

So new ones ordered this morning and as I seem to keep saying .........


To be continued ......................

  Did Allan comment on this because he had the same problem with one of his buggy's Spring rotted through and rust dust everywhere! He got  replacement springs ok but this might be an issue with these dizzies. Lots of people give the insides and cap a squirt of WD40 to keep damp at bay and give them an oily smear but they have changed the mixture now, so it is just a water repellent and there is no oil in it!!! So I use a different spray now with oil in it

Rob

Did Allan comment on this because he had the same problem with one of his buggy's Spring rotted through and rust dust everywhere! He got  replacement springs ok but this might be an issue with these dizzies. Lots of people give the insides and cap a squirt of WD40 to keep damp at bay and give them an oily smear but they have changed the mixture now, so it is just a water repellent and there is no oil in it!!! So I use a different spray now with oil in it

Rob

Yep

When you google them both Pertronix and MSD seem to have similar issues.  Condensation seems to be what many people feel is an issue.   So yes some for of water repellent oil spray seems to be the way forward  (and Credit to Allan he did tell me that you found this on his buggy...... the great thing about this community ..... sharing the experiences so we all learn  )

For a spray you need "damp start" as this puts a coating on surfaces.

the saga really continues......

Yesterday after weeks of fighting with my buggy Stef Keelan kindly managed to squeeze me in at MAC VW.   

Firstly I have to say the man is a legend and I can not thank him enough. 
Secondly Dave (from Littleborough) again came to the rescue bringing parts of his buggy, driving back and forth and generally just helping an unbelievable amount and I need to thank him so much!

Well where do I start.......

1. Fitted the missing spring to the Pertronix dizzy (ran but not great so still not the cause of the issue)
2. School boy error - small bit of old manifold gasket on the bottom (nearest the heads) found and removed.... didnt fix the issue but could not have been helping
3. Changed the emulsion tubes (swapped for Daves) from 9164.2.28 to 9164.2
4. Changed the main jets from 115 to 119
5. Swapped to dizzy to prove it was not at fault - it wasn't
6. Swapped king lead (I had swapped all the others on route home from IBW) and it was not the fault
7. One carb (passenger side) float not at the right level re-set (some improvement but not fixed)
8. Checked valve clearances on the driver's side (as I had not done these)
All of the above took some time as we were running the car after every change and then trying the next thing. Unfortunately Stef's rolling road was out of action so this meant driving up and down in traffic.

Then Stef got out his heat detector / measuring gun and pointed it at my exhaust near the heads.   3 were roughly the same and one was very cool.   
7. Duff plug!!!!!   All plugs changed as a precaution.  Running ..... but still not right especially under hard throttle.

At this point Dave offered to go and get his carbs, his pertronix and coil .... so he and I jumped in his car and off we went.

On the way back after taking off the parts we got a call from Stef and at last we got progress.

1. He drove the car and didnt like the feel of the accelerator.  He felt the cable had slipped and I did not have full movement.  So he adjusted it
2. He then noticed the linkages (hex bar) was not working correctly.  They appeared initially to be the same but did not stay consistent through the full motion.  On closer inspection there appeared to be a twist in the bar.  This was straightened and made a vast improvement (such a pain as I wanted to ditch the hex bars for my sync link but we wanted to make sure it was running ok before doing this)
3. Then Stef noticed a rattle and took the rocker cover off again and I had a broken swivel foot!!! 
4. Stef also noticed the pump rods were not exactly the same ie the nut was slightly more wound in on one side compared to the other

When we arrived back I took it out for a spin.  100% better ..... not 100% correct though.  But now useable.   
I have agreed with Stef to book in after he is back from his hols and when he has the rolling road back working.  Then we can really check everything out and hopefully also get the sync link fitted at the same time.

So as always ....... To be continued 

Gosh that's quite a list. If I didn't own and love driving a buggy I'd wonder why you were persisting for all these weeks in flogging 'a half dead horse'.

Fantastic that you have identified and eliminated and thereby significantly improved so many small issues. I guess its a bit like being thrown a small bone once in a while to keep your attention.

Yes Dave (Littleborough) is a legend and I've only met him twice (IBW & last weekend). Like a handful of others on here - who know who they are - we need such buggy brains, energy and resourcefulness liberally stationed around the country.....