Hi

I know that there must be other threads covering this, but I can’t for the life of me find them or any that match my problem....

Basically my Solex 26 / 35 will not idle; it runs okay when I’m driving, be it at a decent speed or pootling about. But as soon as I hit that clutch it dies, every time!!!

I should point out that I ran dry on petrol the other week, but surely any blockage wouldn't effect normal driving???

I have tried the following with no results; on a cold start the choke keeps it going, but as soon as it’s warmed up the problem starts.

I have tried a different coil. A decent one from what I’ve heard – Ducellier
I have tried adjusting idle speed and idle mixture as far as I can (the idle speed screw – with the off-set screw slot – does seems ‘loose’ though, as if it’s broken MAYBE?)
I have taken off the pipe from the pump and sprayed lots of decent carb-cleaner into the carb.
I don’t think it’s overheating – the fan is fine and the dump tubes are in place…

Nothing has made a difference…

Before I set about getting the carb dismantled / spending money / missing the obvious…does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks very much
Will

Check if the idle jet is missing.

Reset the idle mixure screw to factory setting. Screw it all the way home and turn it 6 full turns out.

This happened to me once, ran absolutely fine then all of a sudden it stalled at a set of lights, started fine with a bit of throttle and drove ok excpet you couldnt let it idle. Worth checking.

not that accurate a method there its ajustable because each carb/engine needs its own setting

move the screw inwards a few turns to see what happens if it slows then screw it out again to get the fastest tick over then screw it in till the engine starts to hunt then back out by a turn

you may have to back the screw out initially to get the fastest tickover but basically you are looking for the fastest tick over as the start

NEVER screw the needle fully home as the tip may break off and you will never get the idle to pass an emission test...Its a well known problem in the VW world where the above "fully home and back out" is an oft touted setting

Cheers Sean

What a load of rubbish. Done that on 1000's of A-models and never broke the tip.
When people have fiddled with the mixture screew and not having the correct equipment to adjust it, I always recommend back to factory setting to get some sort of idle. Yes from there you fine adjust it.

I don't think Seans advice should be regarded as 'A load of rubbish', different people have different experiences of methods working or not working and techniques they prefer may differ to those used by other people.

Having seen Sean at work, I can assure you he knows his stuff.

Talking of emissions i have a little tester thingymagig here which i have found and want to get ride of. Anyone interested?

That may well be the case with VW’s but they don’t run with A-model carburetors

I’m not having a go at Sean but his statement. I don’t know Sean. I have only seen once and bent tip due to the tinny spacer missing on the mixture screw.
When the mixture screw is complete and no parts missing, it can turn all the way home without bending or breaking.
I've never broken any and I've done so many that I can't count them
Have a go, try...!!!

No they dont. But they all came out the factory with solex carbs with many shared components

Wasnt criticising your post either Just that if all carbs needed the exact same ajustment surley they would have come with a fixed jet?

ive gone thru a box of solex co2 needles stripped out of VWs must have been over 30 of them and finally got one that was servicable!( the needles never tapered to a point there was a flat end to them where they had been screwed too far) granted it was for a VW but all my van spares for the carbs found their way into 2cv carbs over the years.

Sean

Hi folks,
I'd doubt very much whether there was a 'factory preset' for the position of the idle mixture screw, especially with the very finely tapered 'needle' point on the screw as fitted to the later carbs.

Fwiw, I've had to bin several carbs where heavy handed tinkering by owners had resulted in the tip of the taper becoming wedged in the drilling at the base and breaking off.

Back to Willami's problem, could you let us know which model of 26/35 carb it is that's fitted?
I've forgotten what year the Ami is, but if it's the original engine and ancilliaries, the carb is likely to be a 21/24 version and may even have the 'volume control' screw which was fitted for some years.
Btw, have you checked for any air leaks in the induction system, including the base of the carb and at the junctions between the manifold and the cylinder heads?
Since engines are much more sensitive to weak mixtures than rich mixtures, air leaks are prime suspects when investigating an inability to idle.

ken.