Cannot get it to idle

[JozandDadz1973]

Well I just finished rebuilding the solex carb on my 73 GT. But for some reason I cannot get the car to continue to run unless it is above 3000 rpm. Now I tore the carb down thinking there was something in it that was clogging it up. This is the first opel I have ever worked on but not my first rodeo by far. Any help or ideas are thanked. I have checked the fuel filter and it is fine so i am at a dead end. Thanks

[opelwasp]

It is probably a vacuum leak. The Solex carb is notorious for them. A common place is the base plate. The Solex has a tendency to warp at the base plate and not seal properly ever again. The easiest fix is a Weber 32/36.

[hrcollinsjr]

Just to be different I'm not going to tell you to toss the Solex, just yet. Did you check to make sure the base isn't warped? It's a two piece design and prone to warping. Vacuum leak problems come to mind though. Try to isolate the problem by disconnecting and plugging all of the vacuum ports and see if this helps.
Once you've exhausted all other avenues or just gotten fed up with it, get a Weber 32/36 DGV carb. The DGEV version is electric choke and has a little bit less banjo work than the water choke version with all of the extra water hoses and tee's to the choke housing. They're the same carb, they just have a different choke. You can buy either version and easily convert them.

HTH,
Harold

[JozandDadz1973]

I will this evening go out and pull the carb back off and check it. I funds to buy a weber are not here at the moment so that will have to wait. This is one thing i did just to try it. I would squirt some fuel in teh carb and start the car. I would keep it revved up and keep spraying fuel in and it will continue to run. Now if i would keep it revved up it would kind of sound like it was missing and not getting enough fuel to run. As soon as i sprayed a bit more fuel in it would smooth the engine up and run right.

[baz]

first rule of carb problem solving


remember that 95% of carb faults are ignition related


second rule

remember that a can of spray lube is your friend when looking for vac leaks

third rule


see rule one !!





the ignition on the cam in head opels is a bear for newbs

theres a ball set in the back of the flywheel just visible under the exhaust manifold through a small hole ,this needs lining up to the pin you can almost also see there

then the timing can be set static (after which fast learners mark the crank pulley and cover with white paint )

the dizzy cap needs to be looked at closely as a one from a VW air cooled engine fits and #3 pin is off set to retard that cylinder on the bug , not good for working out why out cih engines idle rough

once all the ignition is sorted if it still will not set up right to idle at a normal speed then start the search for a vac leak if non its clean down and inspect inside the carb

working the other way round is very frustrating

[Redskinsjbs]

Just gonna say that if you get a weber, get a manual choke. They are so much nicer nad can make driving your car that much more of a blast.

[markandson]

Check fuel pump delivery and carb float level, if squirting fuel into the carb makes it run correctly then it is certainly fuel related.

[Dennis Texas]

Originally Posted by JozandDadz1973 I will this evening go out and pull the carb back off and check it. I funds to buy a weber are not here at the moment so that will have to wait. This is one thing i did just to try it. I would squirt some fuel in teh carb and start the car. I would keep it revved up and keep spraying fuel in and it will continue to run. Now if i would keep it revved up it would kind of sound like it was missing and not getting enough fuel to run. As soon as i sprayed a bit more fuel in it would smooth the engine up and run right.

Have you taken the fuel line off and left it open ended and turned motor over to insure a good supply of gas (A clean filter is good but not the end of the story you also have a mesh sock inside the tank that sometimes gets crudded up and plugs gas suction to the fuel pump and some people like myself add a fuel filter between the tank and fuel pump also)
Other than that I would say you defiantly have a issue with your solex. Rough and erratic idle are usually the complaint with solex and like already mentioned the culprit is usually a vacuum problem or initial adjustment of the basic carb settings was not done correctly.