Italian or Spanish Webers for a BDA

[don_g]

I've access to one brand new Italian 45DCOE 152 and would really like another (I believe the BDA runs best with a pair...)

 

As you are probably aware, Italy ain't made them for about a dozen years, so they are as rare as rocking horse s**t.

 

The usual carb guys have been most helpful, but despite me asking them to search the darker recesses of their premises, no other Italian '45' has yet come to light.

 

So it looks like it's the Spanish route for me... unless you have any other advice.

[AMMO]

I've heard that the Spanish Webers aren't that hot. Have you considered Dellortos? They are nicely made (in Italy).

 

Whilst at the dyno to set up my 1800 Zetec on 45 Dellortos, the dyno operator told me that they were the "Rolls Royce" of carburettors in his opinion.

 

Downside is that Weber internals don't fit the Dellortos so when setting up you have to find a dyno that has Dellorto parts in stock rather than the more popular Webers.

 

I'm sure a friend of mine has a brand new boxed set in his garage he never used. Might be willing to sell. Let me know if you are intertested and I will ask him.

 

AMMO

[Peter T]

Ammo, you are quite right i have just replaced mine with new 45s these are made in spain, and the quality compared to the italian made units is not good. If you do purchase new carbs, i suggest that you strip them completely and remove all the swarf that they leave behind! I think that spanish machining is not on the same level as in italy.

 

C7 PWT X-Flow all Steel

Life begins at 40(00rpm)

[R2D2]

I bought a set of Spanish 45DCOE152s and the manufacturing tolerances were awful.

 

The chokes were not a good fit in the bore of the carbs and I was generally unhappy.

 

The other problem is the progression drillings are not adequate for a road car and you either have the idle mixture too rich or a flat spotjust off idle.

 

The only solution is to have an extra progression hole drilled (or two depending on the application). Webcon will still do this work but they are slow. Roger King drilled my carbs and they are much better now.

 

The Italian 45DCOE152 is built to better tolerances but still only has three progression holes and needs to be modified.

 

You can buy older Webers with more progression drillings and have them re-furbished.

 

I just had a pair of 40DCOE18s for a Lotus Cortina re-furbished by Gower & Lee for £100 per carb and they are first class and look like new, have new spindles all jets seats re-cut etc. etc.

 

I would have bought new DelOrtos from Eurocarb but that would have meant totally changing all the throttle linkages and re-routing cables but I do use 45DHLAs on an RS2000.

 

The standard DHLA has much better progression than the Weber and doesn't need modifiying.

 

Eurocarb will also supply new carbs jetted for a specific application and will exchange airhorns for a suitable length for your air filters in the basic price. They are also supplied with levers. I have bought pre-jetted carbs from Eurocarb several times and they are always quite close.

 

The 45DCOE152 comes with 36mm chokes and 62mm air horns, and without levers. If you want differnt chokes and air horns you have to buy them and they are relatively expensive.

 

Hope this helps.

[don_g]

Ammo - thanks for the info on Dell'Orto carbs - it's a route that I hadn't considered. I'd be grateful if you could enquire if your mate's 45DHLA's are still available. Any thoughts on throttle linkages, jets, etc - as I say, I have no knowledge of the set-up as this hasn't previously been considered and I can't contact Eurocarb today (but I guess the sizes will be similar the Weber's). ddongray@compuserve

[don_g]

Chris, thanks for the info. I guess the choice is now between new Dell'Orto's 45DHLA's and refurbed Italian 45DCOE's. I'll contact Gower & Lee and Eurocarb on Monday.

 

I doubt anything other then 45/152's will be on offer, but any ideas on the 'correct' model number for a 'warm-ish' BDA? I understand your /18's were spec'd for the Twink, and a /13 was for the Vegantune 1600/1700 Formula Atlantic (super hot!) BDA based engines.

[AMMO]

My friend wants £250.00 for the Dellortos. I have emailed you his telephone number so you can get in contact with him direct. He lives in Norfolk.

 

I am very happy with mine since they were correctly set up at TM Autos in Colchester. They required smaller pilot jets and larger air correctors, as they were running a bit rich. Progression is very good. I've been told that the butterfly spindles run on roller bearings on the Dellortos rather than directly in the bodies on the Webers.

 

The price quoted takes into account the fact that you will have to buy bits and pieces for them to make them work on your car. I think the new price must be in tye region of £500.00 a pair. Let me know if you don't want them so I can adverstise them in the "For Sale" section.

 

AMMO

[hugh]

does anybody know where i can get a set of 40 webers refurbished in the kent se area as replacement seems heart ache.

[R2D2]

I don't know any of the Weber codes and the progression sizes. I think that Webco have all tha data but I don't know if thay would give a copy away.

 

The problem will still be finding a specific used set of carbs.

 

If I were buying new I think I would buy DelOrtos.

 

 

I think Redline have throttle linkage kits for DHLAs.

 

The contact for re-furbishing carbs is:

 

Gower & Lee PO.Box 91 Bushey, Watford,

WD23 2ZG. e-mail: sales@gowerandlee.co.uk Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1923 247300. ...

 

They were very helpful and made an excellent job of my DCOE18s in about 2 weeks.