The Triumph Dolomite Club - EzBoard Archive

I bought my 72 1850 last year and joined TDC soon after. Time has flown and I'm sorry i've only just got round to saying hello.<br>
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It is not really a problem as I am happy that it circulates oil before starting but I am keen to find out why it takes about 3 or 4 five second churns to start when it has not run for some time. When it starts it splutters for a couple of seconds then runs great and responds to the ckoke control position. Hot/warm starts are perfect and general performance is really good.<br>
All ignition components have been changed and timing is good on a strobe.<br>
The 12V feed from starter to coil is good.<br>
Pretty certain it is not the fuel pump - it has a manual prime lever and I have fitted a see through filter.<br>
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As usual the Haynes manual does not go into detail. From what I can see the choke control only works into the front carb and this has a "starter" unit/device on it and there is a 1/4" or so pipe running from front to rear carb (there is no sign of fuel in this).<br>
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What does the "starter" and pipe between carbs do?<br>
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Dave

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The fuel goes back down the line to the tank when it has not been run for a while. Then it takes time to fill the float chambers up again...

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I concur.<br>
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And welcome to dolly world, the land of strange people.<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
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Justyn

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A cheap electric fuel pump would fix it, it won't need to be a high flow one. I run an old London Taxi as a wedding car, so only used once a week, used to turn over for 30sec to a minute before firing, it's instantaneous with the pump.

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The pump has an external operating arm/priming lever, I don't know if it is a standard original pump. Other Dolly pumps I have seen don't have it. <br>
Anway, operating the lever and observing results thro the filter prior to starting seems to tell me (most likely wrong I often am) that the carbs are full - makes no diference to stating.<br>
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The pipe between the carbs not having any trace of fuel in has got me intested. I would have thought it should have fuel in at some point but is it an air bleed? <br>
Anybody ever had one of the "starter" units apart? <br>
Being the wrong side of 50 I was brought up on carbs but I never have had variable choke type so having to learn.<br>
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Thanks Dave

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is to get yourself a TR7 inlet manifold, carbs, water outlet at the back of the head, heater pipes etc and then replace the stromberg setup completely.<br>
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They are an absolute PITA quiet honestly. What you describe was true when new. Quite simply the enrichment device isnt rich enough and you need the churning to get it rich enough to start. Try full on throttle for a few turns and then let it off. This helps a bit.The water heated manifold kicks in a bit quicker than the SU one, cos of the slot in the heat and hence higher throughput. This makes the cold drive charatertsics acceptable, but the downside is you loose about 2mpg becuase the inlet charge is then a bit warmer.<br>
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When they were new my mate had one of the 1st SU'ed L plate ones and it was about 2mpg up on my K plate stromberger and a bit quicker at the top end. It used to fluff badly during warm up and you needed to use the choke a lot in the first 15 minutes. The later SU's with waxtstats actually cure this propble, but then cause their own problems when they get old and the pellets play up. Early SU's also suffer more from spindle wear cos of the return spring pulling on one side and usually need rebushing. Not too difficult.<br>
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I still have the L plate car but its now TR7 powered...HS6's with waxtstats. Its the best of the lot. My other 1850 that should have waxtstats has been converted to older jets and was a bit fluffy.<br>
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The other crap features of 'bergs are:<br>
1 The diaphrams which perish quickly unless you are lucky and get some NOS ones. These last about 5 years. 2: Then there is the intergral float chamber which is a sod to fix if the valves block up and flood as they frequently do.<br>
3:Then there is that dim plastic sealing plug thing where the adjustable jet used to be on older 'bergs and <br>
4:That awful mixture adjustment that needs the special tool...sort of extended alen key and piston holder. Yuck.<br>
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If that isn't enough to make you bin them I dont know what is.<br>
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In the future I may try recycling a stromberg maniflold with some SU's if the drillings match up. SO far I havent needed to but I quite fancy trying one with some spare HIF's or HD8's I have cluttering up the shed.<br>
So to sum up...1st choice is the TR7 setup but change of heater plumbing needed, so a bit more to do.<br>
2nd choice is a later SU'ed dolly waxtstat setup.<br>
3rd choice...older SU's with non waxtstats.<br>
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Accel cables need a change to suit too.<br>
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Jonners<br>
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the pipe is indeed a fuel overflow pipe if the floats are set correctly it should not have petrol in there maybe during the warmer months it may be a little different (thermal expansion) it's been a long time since i striped a stromberg but the only real things you need to do is diaphrams and float level which in yours seems to be ok <br>
and damper oil<br>
most people have changed them out infavour of su's though <br>
i did a few in the late 70's 80's but if you want originality then it's your choice

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Thanks guys. <br>
I have another engine fitted with SU's - not got round to identifying the exact type yet but think I have enough info to do so.<br>
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Stroms are in general working great and now I know the starting is fairly normal will no doubt live with them untill they give probs then rebuild and use the SU's. <br>
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Dave

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