Is that even possible??? -38 mpg out of a 2.0 N/A 740 Estate

[Laird Scooby]

[QUOTE=Ian21401;2495970]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Big engine, light car, engine doesn't have to work too hard so economy is generally better.

Smaller engine generally has to work harder so uses as much.Maybe the carbs needed balancing on the TC Sptifire powered Herald - i remember one of my V* SD1s dropped to about 18mpg because the carbs neeeded balancing.

I balanced the carbs by ear with the sports air cleaners removed and listening to each carb with a length of pipe and funnel pressed to my ear. Only way I knew at the time.

I tried that way originally and made things worse - i used a Gunsons Carbalancer on my V8s and other TC cars i owned/tuned.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gunson-Ca...r/170897369733

About the only way to get it right as you can actually see what the carbs are doing.

[Ian21401]

Those were the days. It’s all history now. Took the twin carbs off when I transferred the engine to a Herald estate when the kids and a dog came along. Don’t think I’ll ever have a twin carb. engine again.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Ian21401

Those were the days. It’s all history now. Took the twin carbs off when I transferred the engine to a Herald estate when the kids and a dog came along. Don’t think I’ll ever have a twin carb. engine again.

Pretty much the same here. I doubt i'll ever own a twin carb engine again, every Volvo i've owned since about 1990 has been fuel injection (except a 340GL 1.7 that i bought to sell on), in fact almost every other car since about the same time has been fuel injected so unless i win the lottery and buy some of my "dream classics", the chances of me owning anything with carbs (single or multiple) are somewhere between anorexic and none!
Even then, i have plans to retro-fit a later version of the same engine in some of those dream classics that has fuel injection so the old carbs would be polished and put on the mantelpiece!

[Ian21401]

Will SWMBO allow that on the mantel piece? Way back one of my mates had old pistons as ashtrays, upside down with the lower part cut off half way down the gudgeon pin hole.
When daughter was looking for her first car back in 1993, she bought a used Ford Orion with a carb. At that time any car with fuel injection was much more expensive to insure.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Ian21401

Will SWMBO allow that on the mantel piece? Way back one of my mates had old pistons as ashtrays, upside down with the lower part cut off half way down the gudgeon pin hole.
When daughter was looking for her first car back in 1993, she bought a used Ford Orion with a carb. At that time any car with fuel injection was much more expensive to insure.

At the moment she doesn't get a say in the matter as we don't live together - by the time that happens, if i do win the lottery and have a "trophy" pair of twin carbs all polished up on the mantelpiece i might have trained her to appreciate them - i hope!

Reading your answer, i should have been a bit more specific when i said any car i owned since 1990 - i meant to say registered from that date on. Also owned a few registered as early as 1979 with fuel injection - i still owned a few cars in the 90s (and even a couple in the noughties) with carbs but they were generally older cars.

[john.wigley]

As it happens, 'LS' my own very first Volvo - a 1972 (K) 145E - which I bought for £600 in 1984, was fuel injected, although many carburettored ones followed!

Regards, John.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

As it happens, 'LS' my own very first Volvo - a 1972 (K) 145E - which I bought for £600 in 1984, was fuel injected, although many carburettored ones followed!

Regards, John.

My first Volvo was a 145DL with the B20A (single carb for those aren't familiar with the OHV version) engine John - GOT455K if memory serves correctly but may have been GOT445K - always wanted the 135bhp B20E, D-Jetronic fueled injection engine though!

There was also a low compression (8.7:1 i think it was) B20F with about 118bhp and a lot less torque than the 10:1 (i think) of the B20E and either would have transformed the meagre B20A (82bhp if memory serves) into a fire-breathing monster by comparison!

[john.wigley]

Got it by default, 'LS'. We saw it on holiday in Bournemouth, thought 'that'll do nicely', bought it and drove it back to Derby. It was a nice car, but not without it's problems.

The last time that I played with carbs was on my Raleigh mopeds, which I had until quite recently, but they were simple in the extreme when compared to those on a car - I too have balanced twin SUs by ear (on an MG Magnette) in an earlier life!

Regards, John.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Got it by default, 'LS'. We saw it on holiday in Bournemouth, thought 'that'll do nicely', bought it and drove it back to Derby. It was a nice car, but not without it's problems.

The last time that I played with carbs was on my Raleigh mopeds, which I had until quite recently, but they were simple in the extreme when compared to those on a car - I too have balanced twin SUs by ear (on an MG Magnette) in an earlier life!

Regards, John.

Back in 1984, there was a maxim in the area - don't buy a used car from Bournemouth!

With hindsight, i think it was because all the traders in the surrounding areas would send their dodgy cars to Bournemouth in the hope/belief that the retirees (of whom there were many at the time) would buy the car and just pootle about in it so whatever faults it had would outlast whatever guarantee it was sold with.

However, if it was a one owner from new car with full history, that obviously didn't apply. Also if the car was being sold by a fresh retiree who had recently moved there and decided they either no longer need a car or at least not a big one, you could usually pick up a bargain.

[panda529e699]

Got 38.4 MPG on a 380 mile trip, 60 percent motorway, and rest dual carriageway , or A roads, and 25miles on B roads. Was pleased with that, as it was windy and raining all the way, will see what the return is like. Engine is B230E. We were swapping cars over, and the other vehicle Honda 2.2 CRV Diesel, only got 40MPG on the return journey, no wind or rain.