Triumph Repair: Spitfire Stromberg CD Carb, moss motors, s yard

Question
Hi Howard,

I have a 74 Spitfire with a Stromberg CD carburetor that had sat for 12 years in my dad's yard. I had it running earlier this year, but due to brakes and clutch did not drive it. At this point, I can get in running on ether, but not on gas. The tank is full of newer gas and I know I get fuel to the carb. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Mark

Answer
Mark, if it has been setting a long time and you can get it to fire off on spray can of ether and you have checked that you have fuel delivery from the fuel pump. You need to open up the Stromberg. First remove the top (4 Philips screws) and look closely at the diaphragm for holes or tares. Lift the piston out and look at the needle for corrosion etc. Now remove the carb and take the bottom float chamber off and clean it out. If you have the one with the copper covered plastic piece in the bottom of the float chamber don't remove that piece from the float chamber unless it is leaking. The reason is that it is plastic and is easy to brake trying to remove it.
Clean out the float chamber and the base of the carb and clean the float needle and seat or get a new needle and seat from one of the parts suppliers like Raodster Factory, Moss Motors, British Victoria or one of the others. Check the float level by turning the carb up so the float is hanging down and the gasket surface of the carb is 90 deg from level. Then measure from the base of the carb (where the gasket is) to the bottom of the float. It should be 17mm.
Most of the components on the side of the carb are not important at this time. The decel valve is probably inop due to the diaphragm getting very hard. The long temp compensator is just a mild trim of mixture and so is the large copper adjusting screw which should be screwed in tight as it was only used when the car was new.
If you have a manual choke you can remove it and clean the side holes in the carb base.
If you have the coolant operated choke and it has a problem let me know and I will give you some details to look at. (You will know if it is a problem because they usually fail to come off choke)
Let me know,
Howard