bike carbs on a 1.1 (here we goooo)

so i said i would do it.

im starting it a little early as i got all the bits, just need to put it all together and stuff…

iv been reading up on loads of 1.3 bike carb conversions but never a 1.1.

first i would say do your research (most people do) and also do a bit of reading on port matching and stuff as this will help in the idea of why you are putting bike carbs onto the engine in the first place.

like most people say, if you want a good setup, go to bogg bro's, i dont have that kind of money…
heres what i got so far:



This shows:
the carbs (top)
the tubing (left)
the carb mounts (on the tubing)
the manafold (bottom)
6 shorter bolts w/washers (the normal ones are way too big as the manifolds casted and bulky)
and last but not lease the small bit of metal pipe is a breather hose for the servo:



so i have all this and i will be putting all this together tomorrow and setting it up.

now a bit of the more techy bits (not)

the carbs are Kawasaki GPZ 550 (i think around 1985)
they currently have 117.5 jets in them at the moment and i think that may be over doing it a little but we will see…
the venturi size i think around 26mm, but then again the inlet port on the head isn't much different so no restriction there… (someone will correct me )

the metal plate i used for the manifold is 3mm thick. this might warp when welding but ill give it a go. i didn't see the point in using 5 or 6mm thick plate as i only have a small dremmel rotary tool from b&q to cut it. (they had the smallest discs)

the pipe is 1 1/4 inch (36mm) OD its 3mm thick as im going to be doing more of the welding off the tube.

the rubbers are off another bike (god knows what, i found them in the garage)
there probably not going to work all that well as they dont fit snug on the carbs so i think the carbs are gonna fall off if i hit a bump they do how ever have a step up so they fit on the smaller tube and then fit over the carb outlet also.

and then the breather tube for the servo is just going to go into the inlet of cylinder 1.
not sure if the suction will be the best but its worth a try…

im lucky in the fact that this carb has the balancing stub's built in so im going to link them up and use them for the advance… quids in!!

this is all for now. i got a busy day tomorrow so im gettin up early and starting the grinding… next door is gonna hate me!

another update tomorrow night… might even have a vid

oh yeah so far all this has cost me £26 (for the carbs)

everything else from mates who work in engineering.

cheep way of spending a weekend

i put it all together today!

heres the pics

before:


after:


built manifold:


Painted and ready for attachment:


also some vids:

second time starting (after sortin tickover and finding leak):

vid 1


once warm (throttle sticks a little):

vid 2



sounds lush in the flesh…

everything is all good apart from the fuel leak, its form having too much pressure int he lifter pump.

i need eather a swirl tank or pressure regulator…

going on a hunt tomorrow for one or the other. should have more updates on things like setting up, balancing and tick over mix…


i chucked my colourtune in when it was running and found that when i revved it, the mix up high was lovely so i think i was lucky with the jets and venturi size.

and all for next to nothing

back tomorrow

niight

nice work m8 been bizy little fella, something  i noticed not related to this topic, what size redbull can is it you have fitted to the coil m8 i like that, and might pinch that idea just for now lol

haha its a standard one, i cut a slit down the back and along the bottom about an inch ten slid it over and slid the bracket over it to keep it on

i got the idea from my boss as hes got one on his suspension oil res on his motor cross bike

all the rage mate

hi

i just read through your post, im in the process of putting bike carbs on my 1.3. i got a local fabricator to make a manifold up for me it didnt cost too much i just need a few last bits like fuel regularator, air filters and throttle cabble before i fit them.

just thort id show you what ive got so far.

i started by getting some bike carbs off ebay, im not sure what bike there off but the guy said they had aleady been running on a 1.3 mk2 golf so i thort they would be alright.

then for my manifold i got some flanges made up to match the head and got a fabricator to weld pipe to them.









then i went to samco hose and asked for a few scraps of hose to connect the carbs to the manifold







im still not 100% sure if its goin to work properly yet i need to know if theres any restrictions to a length between the carbs and the head but i think ill ring  bogg bros and ask them a few questions and then take the car to them and get them to fine tune them an get them running sweet.

ill keep an eye on your thread tho and take in all the information i can.

cheers
sam

sam_m said

im still not 100% sure if its goin to work properly yet i need to know if theres any restrictions to a length between the carbs and the head but i think ill ring  bogg bros and ask them a few questions and then take the car to them and get them to fine tune them an get them running sweet.

ill keep an eye on your thread tho and take in all the information i can.

cheers
sam

Sorry to talk in your thread mixerman, looks really good by the way  8)  8)

Sam, I  wondered where you had got to, but looks like your having fun……….nice one  :cheer:  :cheer:

haha no worries mate. Nice to see someone using my thread

i put the carbs back on today with a fuel reg and popped it down to 1psi… Still too much… It still leaked so im thinking maybe different carbs or… A swril tank. Not sure yet tho… But as for tonite. Im gettin pissed so more info tomorrow.

laterz

cheeers

mixer thanks for the reply, i kinda get ya any chance you could post a pic in more detail even a topic on it as i'm sure a few people would be intrested in doing this or at least seeing how your doing it

lol sorry mate i haven't had time to take some pics but im under the engine bay tomorrow, ill make sure i get some pics for you

i think the big red bull can will do it tho, just cut the top off and slide it over the coil

im nearly there with the bike carbs, i popped off to merlin Motorsports in castle combe race track and get a fuel reg but because i did all this without the fuel reg in the first place i blew the o rings out of the carb so im using a nice pot of silicone for now will be dry tomorrow so hopefully ill be taking it for a proper spin

till tomorrow…

cheeers!

oh and sam, stick them on and start it up. you will be suprised how easy they will start…

they may not start strait off but if you can reach, when your trying to start it put your hand over the air intake of one or two of the carbs, this will force fuel into the cylinder and force starting.
it works a treat for me

thing is, once there bolted on if it doesn't work it takes half hour to pop the old manifold on and drive it away so imho just do it and see what happens

oh and as for restrictions to length. correct me if im wrong but i read somewhere that if the tubes are longer then you get more bottom end torque and the closer the carbs are the more high end punch you get. mine are very far away at the mo and they still run, a little sluggish at tick over but without setting them up i cant say if this is due to this length.

hope this helps

Mixerman I'm 99.9% sure a swirl pot or even a swirl pot filter will solve the pressure issue right away.

It's what i'm planning to do later in the year so i'm sure it'll work.

It just allows the golf style fuel return line and the bike style gravity feed in one fell swoop!

Jon.

yeah i got the fuel regulator and put a t piece in the fuel line. then i dropped the fuel reg to 1 psi, this worked but i blew the o rings out of the carb, a bit of silicone stopped the leaking and bobs your uncle, got it running

i think the pipes are too long as it bogs out low in the revs but as you get higher it really starts to pick up. im done with it for now as i need smaller jets (thinkin about 100's as the 117.5's over fuel)

unfortunatly i split up with the other half last week and it all turned sour on tuesday night, neadless to say i ended up with a fat lip and brused head…

so at this moment im kinda worried for my cars safty so i put the standard carbs back on and its living in my garage at the mo until it all blows over.

the 1.1 engine is wearing a little thin on me too lol. i want a big block so in a few months ill be saving up for a conversion, then im ratting it as i think i found my roof rack and i got my old surf borad to go on it

any way, so yeah i got them running on the 1.1 and they are a little off on jets, but they work and sound lush!! lol i got another vid and illpop it on when im not sciving off work

cheers for the advice tho Crowson, a swirl pot would of worked bettrer but i had the reg to hand and it didnt cost 79 quid like the swirl pot they had did lol.

well mixerman…oddly i have the exact same carbs, and the exact same problem, its just spewing fuel into the cylinders. came on't forum on the offchance someone might have had similar problems and rectified it.
i havent drilled the jets theyre as they came with the carbs. ive heard you need a fuel pressure regulator but that generally applies to electronic fuel pumps, not the mechanical pump on the back of the cylinder head.
a solution ive been toying with is to fit an electronic fuel pump off a 900-1200cc bike, in theory the pressures should be bang on
pointless at the moment because the engine wont spark, its had pretty much an entire new distributor, leads and plugs, the ignition coil is getting and sending power aswell, so im stumped.
you pollish and port the head? i spent absolutely hours with grades of sandpaper and files getting the inlet and outlet mirror smooth so im looking forward to hearing it turn over and roarr…if it ever will! when i figure out how i'll post some pics  :wink:

lol hey man yeah you need a fuel reg and just turn it down to about 1.5 psi, then i silicone'd up the t piece on the carbs and that stopped it leaking

that mirror finish on the inlets… not recommended mate.. apparently it can cause the fuel too "pool"  :dontknow:

a rough surface can let the fuel run easier over the port apparently and race engines are just widened with a dremmel and never polished..

the carbs i would love to whack back on tho as they sounded mint! lol.
just a shame they weren't jetted right, ill be getting a big block soon and then ill try again but with bigger carbs or throttle bodys

did you change your points, if so, how did ya gap them?
did you change the condenser?
HT leads?

i had exactly the same problem with my electrics when i first got it and changed EVERYTHING

if ya set up your points and dont have a feeler guage for gapping them, try a bit of card from a ciggy packet, not the best option but worked for me

hope that helps a little dude

ahh crap in that case i'll give it a quick buzz round with a dremmel just to take the shine off, cheers for that  
ive replaced the points, set them to the correct gauge according to the bible (haynes) new condensor, rotor arm, distributor cap, leads and bosch super 4 plugs. theres a spark on the points but its not travelling from there to either the rotor arm or the cap itself, checked all the electrical contacts for corrosion/contamination but theres nuthin so i think its time to go caveman and break out the whacking stick, if that doesnt work then…im with you on the big block conversion.
it was always a plan to run it as the 1.3 just so it runs, stop the wheel bearings and brakes seizing up, after spending knockin on £200 on a rear disc conversion it sickens me that it hasnt really got much use, then when funds allow try source a 2.0, hopefully something with some kind of turbo wizardy to really pin me to my seat
what engine you thinkin? considering the ammount of 1.1 and 1.3 models actually left i think i might invest in a GTI first, at least then it'll give a young 'un the chance to own there very own MK1 without the insurance cripplin there bank balance

lol well although mine is only a 1.1 i was thinking only goin up to the 1.9 carb'd but cammin it and sticking 40 webbers on it trust me, in bristol there isnt alot of fast cars and a well tuned 1.8 golf can beat most lol..

i would of bought a gti but mine cost nothing, iv done3 all body and im doing paint all myself with no experience so im keeping it… like, forever!!

what ever i want, it will get lol.. but i will have a shiny 1.1 engine for sell on the forum in a few months with only 44,000 miles on the clock

right im off for a beer ill check back at about 1 lol

i was in th right mind to scrap the car this evenin, then i took a page from your book and cracked open a beer, nedless to say the cars stayin…but…
sorted the electrics out, it sparks but for some reason wont fire, when i take the plugs out theres carbon on 1, 2 and 3 are bone dry, and number 4 has petrol but not enough to go bang. instead im gettin standoff on 2,3 and 4, fuel is literally pi$$ing out…im kefuddled…any ideas??
the timing is set up right the leads go where they should and theres enough spark to blow up a battleship :?

lol, im taking it as being the same 1.1 with the solex carb?


the first and probably only thing i would look at would be the rubber gasket the carb sits on, if these leak they let out air and all it does is sucks fuel threw, i was  wrecking spark plugs in hours cos mine was running too rich. bought the gasket from crazy quiffs for about 15 quid and a hour later all sorted and runnin smooooooth

i wish i did a step by step run through of what i did as loads of people have the same problems as me, i just needed it done in three days so i could mot it.. when i get my next one ill do a step by step on EVERYTIHNG

but yeah, back to that pesky gasket.. the best thing to do is whip it off an look around it, mine didnt have the usual tear around the throat of it but it was leaking from the metal studs as they had tore. and while the carbs off, pull the top off it and strip the jets out and give em a clean, wont do any harm

if ya wanna couple of pics on what to strip ill get some after the england match tomorrow

hope SOME of this helps man