Rebuilding a Solex H 30/31 carb for the baja Part 2

Alright, on to part 2. Here we will build up the lower half of the carb and put everything together. Here is where we left off in part 1. The lower half is cleaned and ready. If you look down in the bowl in this picture, you will see where the drain plug goes in the side of the bowl. In the picture it's on the right hand side. The main jet will be installed down in the middle of the bowl with a screwdriver that will end up being placed in the drain hole. You will see in a few pictures what I mean.

 Remember I said to take lots of notes. Here are some of my notes on how the idle jet and main jet are installed. You can't take too many notes or pictures, even if you don't use them. Better safe than sorry.

 Here are the idle and power jets cleaned and ready to be installed. Don't mix these up when putting them in or your engine will run like crap. The idle jet goes in the hole that goes straight into the side of the carb and the power jet (the bigger numbered one) goes into the hole that goes into the carb diagonally.

 So in this picture the power jet is on the left side and the idle jet is on the right. You do not have to gorilla torque these in. In fact if you do your engine may not idle right.

Here is a picture looking down the float bowl drain. You can see I have installed the main jet in there already. This is the one I mentioned earlier in the post. Now I am running this carb on a 1600 dual port engine. Originally this carb came off a single port 1500. I wanted to run this carb because I had 2 choices. I have a 34 Pict 3 which is supposedly brand new. The guy I bought the motor from told me he could never get it to run right with this carb so I opted to go with the H30/31. This is a carb that has a very good reputation. I also have 2 009 distributors at my disposal and although the 009 is not my first choice, it is my cheapest option. I figured I would gamble with a 15 dollar rebuild kit on the carb over a 200 dollar distributor and a 34 Pict 3 that would probably still run like crap. Anyways back to why I am telling you this, because I am running this smaller carb on a bigger engine I read that you need to change the main jet to one that is at least 127.5 to 130. The main jet I had in it was a 120. Luckily I looked at the main jet in the 34 Pict 3 and it was a 127.5. Woo Hoo, so I put that one in and we will hope it runs good. I may need to go to the 130 because I am running a 009 but I will find that out when I get to tuning and driving it.

 OK Here is a picture looking at the left side of the carb. You can see the drain plug for the bowl with the main jet deep inside there, The upper large hole is the port for the bypass air screw, the small hole in the middle is the port for the CO adjusting screw and the lower large hole is where the bypass air cut-off valve goes. When you adjust your carb after your engine is warmed up, you will only be adjusting the CO adjusting screw and the bypass air screw.

 Everything is in except the bypass air cut off valve.

 I removed all the green gunk and installed this next.

The float will slide right down this slot and there is a small plastic piece that fits in above it.

 Make sure you put the plastic part in and make sure the curved part faces aft like this picture shows.

 Your rebuild kit will come with a few different bowl gaskets. It is VERY IMPORTANT to make sure you have the right one. Some look a lot alike so be sure you get it right. There may only be a small hole that is different but it's very important to have it right. Did I mention to make sure you get the right one!

 On goes the top now. Make sure the gasket is lined up and don't over torque it. This is a good time to make sure the inlet for the fuel line is in good and tight. There have been many VW engine fires started because the whole brass insert for the fuel line comes out of the top of the carb and fuel gets sprayed all over the hot engine. Some people even remove the fitting and tap threads into it and install a threaded fitting. Its a good idea. I just safety wire my fuel line clamp to a screw in the fuel bowl to make sure mine doesn't come out.

Here is the accelerator pump cover. It is a good idea to put a straight edge over it and make sure it is nice and even on all sides. If it's not get some sand paper and a granite block or other flat object and lightly sand it down. On my other bug, I rebuilt the carb and had fuel squirting out my accelerator pump every time I gave it some gas. I pulled it off and sanded down the cover and that fixed the problem. These tend to warp when they are over torqued.

 Put the spring in first on the carb side. Make sure the larger diameter is next to the carb.

 Install the accelerator pump diaphragm in the cover with the  metal post towards the cover. I don't think you can get this in backwards but you never know.

 Make sure everything is in nicely and install the screws. Use a light hand when tightening the screws. Install the rod and spring also with the correct bushing and safety clip on the throttle shaft.

I had to install an adapter plate on this carb because I am putting it on a dual port engine. The base of the carb is set up for a single port engine. The adapters are available at your local vw store or online and aren't very much money. To install it you need to remove the 2 studs from the base of the carb and then put the adapter on with 2 allen head screws. I used blue (medium strength) loctite on these screws. The adapter will only fit one way so it's a piece of cake to put on. Remember to install the gasket between the adapter and the carb.

 Back to the left side of the carb, I installed the return spring and the cut off valve. The cut off valve is powered by 12 volts and when you turn the car off it releases the plunger on the valve and cuts fuel to the engine. It helps prevent your engine from running on (dieseling). Don't worry if your valve looks like the plunger has been cut off. There are many of these that fail and they are fairly expensive, so instead of buying a new one, people cut them off and go on their way. In fact my other bugs plunger has been cut off and it runs just fine without it. As you can guess when they fail your car won't run. If you suspect yours has failed, just remove it from your car and hook 12 volts up to it and the plunger should retract in. If it doesn't buy a new one or cut the plunger off with a pair of side cutters, install it back in and be on your way.

 OK, everything is back together and I can't wait to give it a try. I just have to get some other things switched on the engine and install it in the bug and hopefully it will run like a champ.

 Here are the 2 engines. The upper one on the stand is the one going in. I have to exchange the exhaust, change the clutches out along with the front main seal of the engine. Inspect the gland nut, and maybe remove the intake manifold and clean out the pre-heat tube. The baja is going to be used throughout the winter so I want that working correctly. Stay tuned for more fun to come.

I have to shift gears and change the timing belt on my wife's Honda Odyssey tomorrow so I will blog about that next. I think I am on borrowed time with that one and if it were to break I would never live it down.

Rebuilding a Solex H 30/31 carb for the baja Part 1

Well, tonight I finally finished rebuilding the carb for the baja I started a week or so ago. I had to fix a faucet and paint some outdoor lights and then rebuild a carb on a lawn mower between tearing it apart and finally getting it put back together. It turned out really nice and hopefully it will run as well. I decided to do this in 2 parts because I took so many pictures so hopefully it will help someone else in rebuilding theirs. Here are the instructions in pictures.

When rebuilding a carburetor I HIGHLY recommend taking LOTS and LOTS of pictures. I always take lots of pictures anyways so I can add them to this blog but it has saved my butt more than once when I go to put it back together. I often go back and look at my pictures to see how it goes back together. My hats off to those mechanics back in the day before digital cameras and cameras on cell phones. They had to remember and put things back together without the aid of technology. These pictures show how crusty the carb was. It sat for about a year and a half so the fuel was pretty bad in it.

 I like to take shots from all sides. It helps!

 The electric choke is on the upper side of this picture.

 I like to have a place set out to put all the parts I take off. I keep all the parts I remove even if they have new ones in the rebuild kit until the carb is back together and running just in case I need to reuse something.

I took the top of the bowl off the carb here and you can see how grungy it is. The yellow stuff from the bottom is varnish from old gas. This carb looked better inside than the one I rebuilt on Ed. Then again Ed sat for 11 years before I picked it up.

 There shouldn't be any green goo on this part. Whenever you rebuild a carb you really need to let it soak for at least a day in some really good carb cleaner. It's the only way you will get all the crap out of the little passages and orifices. A lot of times people just buy the carb cleaner in a pressurized can and spray the carb down a little bit and think that's gonna do it. I promise you, it won't and you will be disappointed in the results. When rebuilding a carb, clean, clean, and more clean is the name of the game.

 On this particular carb there are 2 jets right next to each other. Remember to look at them and write down on a piece of paper where each on goes. I took a picture so I would remember. The jets are marked with a size number on them.

 This is the stuff you need to soak your carb in. It comes with a little basket for dipping. This stuff is very potent and you must wear gloves when using it. This stuff is very nasty stuff but works great. It is pretty expensive but I bought this can 12 years ago and I am still using it. I decided I am at a point now that I need to replace it but I have done literally 2 1/2 or 3 dozen carbs in this 1 gallon bucket. I definitely got my moneys worth out of it. Next time I am going to get a 5 gallon bucket of the stuff so I can do carbs that are bigger than a bugs.

 This is also a must when rebuilding a carb. You have to have compressed air and a nice rubber tip on a blow nozzle. That is the only thing you want to use to clean out all the passages. Never use wire or drill bits to clean them out. Just use compressed air and some carb cleaner in a can after you have soaked it for a day or 2. If it still looks crusty, then soak it again. Time is your friend on this part. Remember, Clean, Clean ,Clean.

I actually had to soak this carb 3 times to get it all the way clean. After soaking, I use a solvent tank and wash off the carb cleaner and then use compressed air and solvent clean or carb cleaner in a can to do a final rinse and cleaning. Here are all the parts cleaned and ready for assembly. I like to lay everything out so I can see it easily and then I notice quickly if I have forgotten to put something back in.

 Here is the rebuild kit. It's not much t look at and you will find that the carb kit you get will actually rebuild several different carb so you will have extra parts that don't pertain to your particular carb. This kit I got had a ton of extra parts because they didn't have the kit I needed so I was given all the spare parts the shop had and was guaranteed I would have all the parts I needed for my carb. It turned out to be right and I actually have enough parts left over to rebuild at least 1 more carb. I scored on this one.

 Again, I like to layout all the parts from the rebuild kit so I can see what I have. Be sure to keep the instructions from the kit. They will give you the particulars on how to initially set up your carb so your engine will start. You need your engine to start before you can fine tune it! I think I almost have 2 of everything here. 

 In this part I am only going to rebuild the upper part of the carb. Part 2 will have the rest. Here I am installing the choke plate. The screws were crimped on the back side and I find that putting loctite on the screws is better than trying to recrimp them. I haven't lost a screw down an intake yet. (Knock on wood!)

 I am installing the choke diaphragm here. It's kind of like a jigsaw puzzle with this to get it to work out and function correctly. If you don't have it right it won't work so when it works, you got it.

 As the choke moves it will push the diaphragm. Remember to install the spring before you install the diaphragm cover.

 There is a plastic piece that goes in next. In this picture it is upside down. Just flip it and install.

 Here it is installed. Make sure the rod sticks through the slot. It's impossible to screw up.

 If you own a bug in Utah at least, You will end up adjusting your choke a couple times a year. To set it up initially, I line up the marks on the housing and the top of the carb in the middle of the marks. You will end up tweaking it in the winter and then again in the summer.

 Time to flip the top over and install the needle and seat valve. Make sure you follow the instructions in the rebuild kit so you get the right washer in. There are different thicknesses for each carb. It just screws into the bottom of the top of the carb.

 That pretty much takes care of the top part of the carb. Not much to it. Here is whats coming next. We will tackle the bottom of the carb and put it all together in the next posting. Stay tuned!

Pulling a Baja motor

I spent the morning powder coating some gas pump parts for my Dad and when I got home my thermometer said 103 degrees. I figured that was plenty cool to pull the motor out of the baja. I pushed it into the garage and kroiled all the rusted bolts. The motors come out of a baja bug easier than they do a regular bug. The reason is you don't have to jack up the car to get the motor out. After you pull the bumper off you can just pull the engine straight out the back. The only real snag I ran into was all the rust. It seemed like every bolt I tried to get off was rusted on tight. Here are the pictures that show the progress. I had to put some newspaper down to cover up the oil on the floor from my other bug. I thought I had all the leaks fixed but not quite. Darn it, the engine may come back out this winter to fix the leak. Here is what I started with.

 The bumper was rusted on so I had to pull the wheels off to get to some of the bolts. As you can see, it finally did come off.

 This is the reason the bug was parked in the first place. I think it was run low on oil and ended up throwing a rod. These holes are on the top of the block forward side.

 A more close up view shows how bad it is. This block is going to the scrap yard for sure.

So to pull the engine you unhook the wires to the alternator, oil sensor, reverse lights, then disconnect the fuel line underneath, disconnect the heater cables and ducts, pull your throttle cable out of the doghouse so it doesn't hang up and then put a jack underneath the engine. Then it's only 4 nuts and out comes the engine. It should only take about 20 minutes unless all the bots are rusted on. On bajas you can just pull the jack and engine straight back and then it will look like this. 

 You can see the clutch on the engine. I am going to transfer that over to the other engine and hopefully the exhaust also.  I am going to try to get this on the road as cheap as possible. The exhaust looks pretty rough so I will evaluate it as I am cleaning it up. Hopefully it will work so I don't have to spend any money there.

 The trans looks OK from what I can see. The throwout bearing is smooth and should work just fine. I will change the aft seal in the trans while I have the engine out and also the front seal on the new engine. I keep some extra of those so I already have them.

I wish the body on this bug wasn't so rusty. I can't see putting a lot of money into it because it is so rusty. I think I will get it running and driving good mechanically and drive it in the winter so my other bug can stay inside the garage. This baja should go better in the snow and I won't care about all the salt and crap on the roads that will get on it. In the summer when I am driving Ed I may even spend some time practising my bodywork skills on this bug. I should get plenty of chances to cut and weld in new panels, but then again if I can find a better bug for dirt cheap I may just transfer over the baja kit and go from there. Time will tell.

Adding more storage space!

Well, last weekend the family packed up into the bug and the van and went to kaysville for the no show. That's an all vw and antique bicycle/car show that is held every year. We can't all fit in the bug so it takes 2 cars to get there. My dad met us there also and we had a good day checking out vw's, bikes and enjoying the sunshine. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the show.

This bike is very unique with the side car and the engine.

Lots of buses and trucks showed up. I drooled all day over them.

Here's our bug at the show. It's always fun to have a car in a show. It wasn't the nicest but not the worst looking at the show. All air cooled vw's are invited so we had a good time.

This bike is super cool. The owner made it out of many different parts and some cool engineering. Made me think of a future project to build. Just need to find an old bike to start with.

 Very cool double cab with an even cooler kid posing.

 Here's Dixie and Ellie. Check out Ellie's cute VW shirt. I don't know what Isaac is doing in the back ground of this picture. He seems to sneak into most pictures when he's not the one taking them.

 This was the best part of the show. We found a roof rack in great condition that was for sale. The price was right so we bought it. It looks awesome. I have always wanted a roof rack. This one fits perfect and it was just luck that I found it. Dixie says that now I can strap Ellie's stroller on the roof rack and take all the kids to the car shows while She enjoys a day without them.

I am looking for some antique gas cans and coolers to put up on the roof rack. If you have some you want to get rid of let me know! Maybe even a surf board would work.