Re: Solex carbs

[Chris Sweetapple <Highwood@domain.elided>]

Message text written by INTERNET:alfa@domain.elided

>>I recently drove a 1975 Nuova 1300 Super fitted with Solex sidedrafts (I
don't know the model, but would guess they're the same as what's been
discussed), and they worked great. Started right up, idled well, and pulled
as well as you could expect with two larger-than-FAA-standard adults in a
1300.
<<
>>
If you want to ditch them - send them my way.  I have a 79 Euro Alfetta GTV

with dual solex carbs.  It is the sweetest carb setup in my stable that
also
includes Weber DCOE and in the past Dellortos.  Sometimes I don't start the

car with Solex carbs for months.  I get in, pump the accelerator pedal a
couple times, turn the key and the car always fires to life and idles
perfectly everytime.  I've never had to rebuild them and they are 100%
original going back to 1979!  The car sat for years before I purchased it
from the original owner- a little carb cleaner squirted in the throats and
the car came back to life.  Can't say the same for any Webers of Dellortos
I've had - let them sit a couple years with gas in them and you are looking

at total teardown and rebuild.  Also I drove the car from Florida to Texas
(640 miles) back in 1998 at a constant 80 mph and averaged over 30 mpg.
I'm
a big fan of the Solex 40DDH carbs.
<<

I agree with this.  My 1977 2000 Spider has Solexes, I've owned the car 14
years and in that time I've had the accelerator pumps seize twice (it's an
easy job to unseize them) and that's all.  The performance has always been
excellent and the economy (31 mpg usually) is much better than any Weber or
Dellorto equipped car I have owned, and I know this is not unusual as I
have spoken to other owners who get excellent economy figures from Solexes.

The problems come when you need parts, as parts availability is nowhere
near as good as with Webers and Dellortos.  I can get rebuild kits for
Solexes but that's about it.  A further problem with Solexes is that the
butterfly spindles run directly in the bodies rather than in bearings, so
if you get wear here you throw them away.  But if you've got a car with
Solexes, there's no need to junk them straight away in favour or Webers or
Dellortos.

Chris Sweetapple
Highwood Motor Company
Swansea, U.K.
www.highwoodalfa.com

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