Zenith 19322 Carb Users - report and question

[Domino]

Hi All:

I purchased the zenith 19322 as suggested by many and installed it on my tudor. All the backfiring, popping, etc ceased with the new carb. Ran it over 16 miles as a test. Seems good but in need of tweeking.

Here are a couple of issues which may or may not be carb related. First, it will not idle properly with both the advance and gas levers up. Seems to idle ok with the gas lever about 20% down and the advance slightly down - stalls out at stop signs other wise. Secondly, I needed to have the advance all the way down to have any significant power and then could only get a top speed of around 45 on level ground - 40 going up a overpass. My two other drivers hit the 57-60 mph range.

I suspect there are two factors involved - timing and carb adjustment. Any advice from zenith 19322 carb users on adjustment of the carb. Of course I'll recheck the timing, points, and plugs. Thanks in advance.

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"stalls out at stop signs" FLOAT LEVEL TOO LOW, STARVES THE MAIN JET "other wise. Secondly, I needed to have the advance all the way down to have any significant power and then could only get a top speed of around 45 on level ground - 40 going up a overpass." CHECK MARCO's TIMING OF THE 'A', BUT SET THE POINT GAP AT 0.20 FIRST. SO 35 MPH~45 MPH DOES NOT REQUIRE FULL ADVANCE. SAVE THAT FOR HIGH SPEEDS. MAYBE??? HOW'S IT IDLE AT FULL RETARD?


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[Chris in CT]

Hi Domino, I assume your basic set timing is dead on, that is lever all the way up, 0 deg. TDC, by the book. Now, your rich mixture screw is too lean. That's the "T" screw on the bottom of the carb. Run the engine at as high a race as you dare, and UNSCREW the rich mixture until the engine picks up speed and runs smoothly. Also, your idle mixture is too lean. Set the throttle shaft stop screw to as slow an idle is you can, then SCREW IN the idle mixture screw until the engine picks up speed, and then begins to falter. Back the screw off until the engine runs smoothly again. It is possible that you will also have to re-adjust the throttle shaft stop screw. Happy Motoring!

[Mike V. Florida]

I think it's timing. While the new carb will not give the performance of a well rebuilt original there is no way you should have as poor of performance as you are.

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

...While the new carb will not give the performance of a well rebuilt original ....

The difference is so minimal as to be unobservable anywhere but on an engine dyno. Do you really believe you can feel a one horsepower difference? Not to mention there are relatively few "well rebuilt original" carbs out there.

[Mike V. Florida]

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Originally Posted by BillLee/Chandler, TX

The difference is so minimal as to be unobservable anywhere but on an engine dyno.

That right!! Did I lie? Did I misstate facts? That is why I also stated it can't be the reason for his problems and I feel it is timing. Did you read all the words in my statement or just the ones you wanted to argue with?

Originally Posted by BillLee/Chandler, TX

Not to mention there are relatively few "well rebuilt original" carbs out there.

For the same money as the new carb there can be plenty of well rebuilt carbs.

It's your money spend it as you wish!!!

Along with the instructions above I found this from Steve S.

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

That right!! Did I lie? Did I misstate facts? That is why I also stated it can't be the reason for his problems and I feel it is timing. Did you read all the words in my statement or just the ones you wanted to argue with?

Misstate? Perhaps not. Mislead? Sure enough!

You said "the new carb will not give the performance of a well rebuilt original". That is true but implies that there is a significant difference. Misleading,

I said "The difference is so minimal as to be unobservable anywhere but on an engine dyno." . That is ALSO true, the difference being of no real consequence.

No argument with the rest: i.e., the problem likely being an ignition timing problem.

[Mike V. Florida]

What!!!!!

you said "the new carb will not give the performance of a well rebuilt original". That is true but implies that there is a significant difference. Misleading,

Domino stated he had a major change in the performance of his car since installing the new carb. If I was implying by my statement that there is a significant difference in the carbs then why would I say the problem is in the timing?

If I meant that the new carb was much worse then the old then that would have been his problem. I would not have mentioned timing at all as the problem. You need to take the WHOLE conversation in context and stop reading specific words!

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

Yes,a good suggestion: go back and read the entire thread. I did. And nowhere did I see Domino say that any decrease in performance had occurred. In fact, just the opposite: "All the backfiring, popping, etc ceased with the new carb. Ran it over 16 miles as a test. Seems good but in need of tweeking."

Then the attempts at helping diagnose the problem, most, including yours, pointed at the ignition as the source of the problem.

But you had to throw in the misleading statement "the new carb will not give the performance of a well rebuilt original" as if that could account for something. My response was essentially: nonsense, since the difference was too small to account for anything, and likely just the opposite (i.e., the belief that few old Zenith carbs are truly "well rebuilt", which sure seems the case with Domino's car). If you had said instead "the carb in all likelihood has nothing to do with it.', I would have had no complaint.

What I take umbrage at is the often-made point that NOTHING new is as good as what was originally put on the A. There are MANY parts of an A that are simply the best of 1929 technology, technology that later years of automotive design and production improved over and over again. That doesn't mean that everyone should jump up and go change everything on their A since a big part of the allure is, in fact, making the car as good as it can be with the 1929 technology! I believe we can all agree that when EVERYTHING is restored perfectly, it all really does work quite well. But I offer to you that there aren't many A's out there which can't benefit by some later technology, the new Zenith carb being one.