solex question

[gtowner1265]

Hi, good morning everyone, or afternoon for y'all in eastern time. I took my carburetor out cause it was giving me problems and I took off the top section so that the bowl is exposed, and sitting in a pile deposits (big pile) at the bottom of the bowl was a little plastic bead about 1/8 of an inch in diameter. I was wondering if this actually belonged in the carburetor and where????? . The problem in the first place was that the car would not stay on unless it was fed gas directly from above. It turned out the jet at the bottom of the bowl was clogged. But anyways, im gonna put my carb back in without the plastic thingy for now cause im in a hurry. Thanks everyone in advance for your responses.

[guyopel]

That sounds like the check valve for the acc. pump .
Can you post photos ? HTH
John

[grslightng02]

Hi GTOwner,

Unless you're dead set on keeping your car stock, or unless budgeting doesn't currently allow, then I would recommend buying a Weber 32/36 carb, and new installation gaskets from OGTS and installing it. Your car will run so much better and you will have so much less grief over the Solex.

Neil, Sacramento, CA

[Dennis Texas]

Originally Posted by gtowner1265 sitting in a pile deposits (big pile) at the bottom of the bowl was a little plastic bead about 1/8 of an inch in diameter. I was wondering if this actually belonged in the carburetor and where: .

Don't know what it would be , in 1969 the steel check ball was replaced with a glass one (not plastic) so that fuel could flow into the pump cavity more readily. Later models did incorporate a pop off valve but the manual said it was metal or glass also. Next time you take it apart look in the check valve housing and see if a ball is in it along with a spring if so I would consider it was just trash. If no check ball is found, heres an old pn for the rebuild with the glass ball check valve. I don't see anything in that area that it may of came from looking at the drawing of it. It's not little broken off part of the attaching plastic for float is it?

rebuild includes the glass ball kit 828910

[gtowner1265]

hi, everyone, thanks again for the replies. Unfortunately my dad believes the solex can be made to work, and even more unfortunately i don't have enough money to buy a weber. The ball however i do believe is glass. The reason i say this now is because when i first saw it it I thought it was glass, but then upon closer inspection the ball wasn't glossy as one would expect glass to be so i thought it might be plastic. I put the carb back in without the ball and it seemed to run fine but when I get a chance i will pull it back out and check for this ball. Anyone has a picture of where exactly it goes? I'm not very familiar with the innards of the carb.

[Dennis Texas]

Originally Posted by gtowner1265 hi, everyone, thanks again for the replies. Unfortunately my dad believes the solex can be made to work, .

I'm with your dad, no sense beating a dead horse if it is worn out, but the solex gets a lot of bad raps it is a good carburetor just sometimes has it quirks as most carburetors do depending on other situations. Picture is not real clear in detail but key no 29 on diagram.

[grslightng02]

Keep your eye opened on EBAY or Craigslist or on here for a used WEBER.

All the grief and heartache and money spent on the Solex will add up. By the time you get the Solex restored and tuned, you may have spent enough money to buy a nice used Weber.... not to mention the Solex won't stay tuned for long.

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by grslightng02 Keep your eye opened on EBAY or Craigslist or on here for a used WEBER. All the grief and heartache and money spent on the Solex will add up. By the time you get the Solex restored and tuned, you may have spent enough money to buy a nice used Weber.... not to mention the Solex won't stay tuned for long.

. . . might've been better if you DID! (uh, not mention, that is) and had just left it at that! Fixing problems greatly depends on the skill and the "type" of mechanic, i.e. "replace parts until fixed" or "analyze and only repair the specific problem!"

Case in point, I purchased my '69 Kadett from the original owner about 5 years ago and swapped the 32/36, installed in 1991 by the PO's "mechanic" to "solve" a Solex idling problem, back to the original carb. I fixed the actual problem, a ruptured secondary diaphragm, at a cost of zero dollars and about an hour's "diagnostic" time. Cost of swapping to the Weber back in 1991 . . . $365!

After replacing secondary diaphragm - a gift, I then readjusted all the Solex external adjustments back to "factory specs" and have not touched them since . . . that is, before being swapped out for my "sprint" dual DFO's. The reason I emphasized "external adjustments" is only because the carb had obviously never even been opened up for inspection except by me!

How do I know? . . . fairly certain from pic below . . .

[grslightng02]

For a "cunning linguist" your response makes no sense, ". . . might've been better if you DID! (uh, not mention, that is) and had just left it at that!"

Might have been better if I did what? What are you talking about?

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by grslightng02 Originally Posted by grslightng02 .... not to mention the Solex won't stay tuned for long. For a "cunning linguist" your response makes no sense, ". . . might've been better if you DID! (uh, not mention, that is) and had just left it at that!" Might have been better if I did what? What are you talking about?

UH, " . . . might've been better if you DID! . . not mention it . . . and had just left it at that!" . . . make sense now?!