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Triumph TR3 - SU Carbs re-build

Has anyone ever used, or heard of, http://joecurto.com
to rebuild SU Carbs? I'm thinking of sending mine out to him over the winter.
The trottle shaft has some play. Either the hole or the shaft is worn. Sound familiar anyone?
Charlie

I've never used his services, but he's the most mentioned SU guy around. They sure don't idle or tune well with worn shafts.

I mentioned this to a mechanic relative once, and he said "Why don't you just buy some brass and make new shafts to fit?" I presume he had a lathe, but I suppose you cold turn down brass stock with a file and sandpaper on a drill press. You can also buy oversized shafts. Either replacing bushings and shafts to get standard, or using oversize shafts, you usually ream the hole to fit the shaft. The reamers are expensive, but your local machine shop could probably do it.

Anyway, my old mechanic uncle had it the simplest way. Make some new shafts to fit the holes you have.

Never heard one complaint about Joe Curto. He's known as the SU guru.

Tom

Thanks for the info on this guy Tom. I'm new to this restoration thing and feel good about this guy now.
I was thinking the same thing about either using an oversized shaft or maybe putting a bushing there... Not sure if it was feasible though.
My son't father in law can make anything out of metal...wish I could post one of his miniature steam engines on here. Makes all the part, boilers, pistons, nuts, bolts, the whole shebbang.
He told me once that he could make any TR linkage I needed. Hmmm, never thought to ask about that worn hole, and bushings....or larger shaft, at least where it goes through the carb. Maybe I'll drop by to see him when the rain stops here. (my leaky side curtains need work too, LOL)

Thanks for the post...nothing like two or more heads working on the same thing.
I may not need Curto at the moment.
Charlie

I vaguely recall that oversized shafts were being sold somewhere in the last couple of years - maybe Moss Motors. I think they are .010" over. Anyway if this is so it could save you some work.
I also think I heard of seals that could be installed. This might have been at ZTherapy, not sure.
Jim
J. S. Wallace

Great! I'll check it out Jim.
Thanks. I'll let you know if I find anything.
Charlie

It's pretty hard to make your own brass throttle shafts. How would you mill the slot through the center for the butterfly and tap the holes for those tiny-tiny screws ?

Don Elliott
Don Elliott

I have rebuilt several SU carbs (H4's and H6's) using the reamer and oversize shafts from Moss, and they work out quite well. The entire procedure can be done using a hacksaw, a disc sander, and a GOOD drill press with a machinists vise, but life is much simpler if you have some kind of lathe (I have used a Unimat 3 quite successfully). The only hard part is drilling the hole to locate the idle crank, which must be drilled at EXACTLY 45 degrees away from the direction of the throttle plate.

There is a problem with trying to make a shaft to fit the worn hole in the carb body, because this hole is no longer round.

If you are planning to attend the British Car Union show in September near Chicago, we will have a hands-on tech. session showing you how to do this.

Moss sells the oversize shafts for aabout $20 apiece, and the reamer is about $130 and well worth it.
A. R. Christopher

This thread was discussed between 14/08/2006 and 16/08/2006

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