Solex versus Zenith

[conjames]

Hi guys,

My solex carby on my '66 Series2a is giving me some problems but is looking tired...thinking of getting a changeover carby for it. Whats the general opinion on Zeniths?...is this the better way to go or are there other types which are better..

thnks

conjames:twobeers:

[JDNSW]

In my view the Solex and Zenith are pretty much interchangeable, and better than any of the alternatives. (Some SU conversions are said to give significantly more power, but involve a new manifold, for example).

The Zenith has the advantage that it seems to be easier to get parts, and they are mostly newer and hence less worn. Despite this, my impression is that the Solex is more trouble free, although I have no hard evidence for this.

John

[Wolfman_TWP]

I've been told that the Weber Carby is better. As it has a variable butterfly valve??!! And still has the power of the others, and uses a lot less fuel. I've ordered myself one.. Which is replacing my old Zenith, which was then replaced with a Stromberg.(They are not cheap though.. New that is)

Wolf

[matpoli]

Got a stromberg on mine from a holden 6, just added a variable main jet and got it re-kitted and it works flawlessly.

[Shonky]

I've been told that the Weber Carby is better.

I am iminently about to remove the Weber (rebuilt 4 months ago) off mine - and replace it with a rebuilt Solex.

It is a great carby - gives good performance and is quite economical.

But:

...it doesn't like hot weather. When you do a decent run on a warm day, after stopping at traffic lights the airflow stops and everything gets hot. Big float - small bowl... the fuel vapourises. You will discover this by about 2nd gear and start bucking like a donkey. :(

I'm done with it. :mad:

[chazza]

Carburettors such as the SU, Webber and Stromberg work well on the blacktop but from what I have heard they play up when it comes to difficult off road inclines, as the float chamber is not designed to cope.

I think someone posted here once about a disastrous stall on a steep sealed road followed by a scary roll backwards downhill!

I would stick with the Solex or Zenith; it is after all what Rover decided worked best,

Cheers Charlie

[conjames]

Thanks guys for the feedback....I'm sorta leaning towards the Weber, as i have had some good reports about it...even though there's a couple of not so good ones here....I was going for a Zenith changeover and I hear it is difficult to get a new unit. The ones available are copys made out of India...so I here.....doesn't fill me full of confidence.

[C H T]

Carburettors such as the SU, Webber and Stromberg work well on the blacktop but from what I have heard they play up when it comes to difficult off road inclines, as the float chamber is not designed to cope.

I think someone posted here once about a disastrous stall on a steep sealed road followed by a scary roll backwards downhill!

I would stick with the Solex or Zenith; it is after all what Rover decided worked best,

Cheers Charlie

i completely agree. Had all sorts of trouble with a Weber on a IIa years ago - it flooded badly on steep hills - bordering on dangerous in the bush. Went back to the Zenith. My preference would be firmly in the direction of the Zenith, with second preference going to the Solex with the caveat that fuel consumption will be slightly heavier.

The Holden Stromberg does not like steep hills either.

C H T

[isuzurover]

It should be pointed out that there are 2 webbers - the single barrel webber that everyone is talking about here (which is economical but has major vapur lock issues), and the twin barrel 32/34DMTL webber fitted to 2.5P engines. It works very well, however you need a new manifold which is hard to find in AU.

Likewise there are two strombergs. The holden stromberg - which is a useless on hills - and the stromberg CD carbies, as used on RRC v8s and the rover 6. The stromberg CD from a rover 6 works well on a 2.25 - possibly one of the best options - however you need to make an adaptor elbow to bolt it on.

[peterg1001]

I've got a Holden Stromberg, which I want to recondition before I put it back on the vehicle. To me at least, the Strombergs (23-3000, 23-2013, 23-105C) look identical externally.

Question - what do I need to look at or to know to be able to buy the correct kit to get it back to good working condition?

Thanks in advance

Peter

[isuzurover]

I've got a Holden Stromberg, which I want to recondition before I put it back on the vehicle. To me at least, the Strombergs (23-3000, 23-2013, 23-105C) look identical externally.

Question - what do I need to look at or to know to be able to buy the correct kit to get it back to good working condition?

Thanks in advance

Peter

Do yourself a favour and throw it away. Unless you intend never to drive offroad?

[Blknight.aus]

the best allrounder and offroader carby for the 2.25P is the zenith 36IV. The kits are still available for them.

[matpoli]

Do yourself a favour and throw it away. Unless you intend never to drive offroad?

Hey isuzurover,

This isn't the first time I've have heard this sort of comment about Strombergs but has anyone actually got any evidence or first hand accounts to substantiate these claims?

I have done Harvey, Moore River, Mundaring a few times and a lot of beach work and I've never had a problem with mine.

And what problems exactly are they meant to encounter, fuel starvation or a flat spot?

[Blknight.aus]

with the strombergs its a combination of fuel starvation on angles (hill climbs mainly when you really need them working) and vapor locking on shutdown.

there is a mod to install them rotated 180 degress but its a lot easier to drop on the zenith.

[isuzurover]

Hey isuzurover,

This isn't the first time I've have heard this sort of comment about Strombergs but has anyone actually got any evidence or first hand accounts to substantiate these claims?

I have done Harvey, Moore River, Mundaring a few times and a lot of beach work and I've never had a problem with mine.

And what problems exactly are they meant to encounter, fuel starvation or a flat spot?


There was one fitted to my IIA when I first bought it.

There are a few workarounds, like turning the carby or bending the float down...

But Perth/WA has no serious hills to speak of. Everywhere here seems flat compared to the east coast. You would rarely have a problem here, and the hills are so short you would probably be past the steep bit before you noticed.

[peterg1001]

Do yourself a favour and throw it away. Unless you intend never to drive offroad?

So let's say I never intend to drive offroad, and want to refurbish the Stromberg carby.

Is there an answer to the original question?

Peter

[Blknight.aus]

So let's say I never intend to drive offroad, and want to refurbish the Stromberg carby.

Is there an answer to the original question?

Peter

yes


In my view the Solex and Zenith are pretty much interchangeable, and better than any of the alternatives. (Some SU conversions are said to give significantly more power, but involve a new manifold, for example).





the best allrounder and offroader carby for the 2.25P is the zenith 36IV. The kits are still available for them.

[DeanoH]

Carburettors such as the SU, Webber and Stromberg work well on the blacktop but from what I have heard they play up when it comes to difficult off road inclines, as the float chamber is not designed to cope.

I think someone posted here once about a disastrous stall on a steep sealed road followed by a scary roll backwards downhill!

I would stick with the Solex or Zenith; it is after all what Rover decided worked best,

Cheers Charlie

Got it in a nutshell Charlie.

Got caught many years ago in my '66 IIA SWB going up Mt Cynthia in Gippsland. Just before the summit the track becomes steeper for a stretch, well I didn't make it. Didn't hit it hard enough. It's a bad feeling when you run out of oomph! in low first.:eek::eek: Fortunately my passenger was a big bloke who dived out the door and tossed a boulder as big as a house under the rear wheel as I sat driving the brake pedal through the floor.:)
I couldn't restart the engine and I reckon it was because the carby couldn't cope with the steepness of the track. Thought of pouring some petrol down the throat of the carby to get things going, but of course the spare fuel was burried under everything else in the back.
Then I remembered that the Solex carby's choke is a bit different from most carby's in that it richens the mixture not by restricting the air flow but by increasing the fuel flow. Pulled the choke out and the engine then restarted. 4000RPM, slipping the clutch and spraying gravel like crazy I got moving and made it to the helipad at the summit. My mate and my missus to be walked up cos I wasn't stopping. Couldn't have done this with a conventional carby.
As Charlie says, give LR's engineers some credit, they knew what they were doing when they chose the Solex carby for this engine.

Deano

[Aaron IIA]

Then I remembered that the Solex carby's choke is a bit different from most carby's in that it richens the mixture not by restricting the air flow but by increasing the fuel flow.


This is also useful when you need a little bit more torque to cross a sand dune, or when you get a bit of water going through the main jet and you need to introduce some petrol via a different jet. Both of these tricks only work with a Solex carburettor, as they add more fuel via a different route, rather than restrict air.

Aaron.

[isuzurover]

So let's say I never intend to drive offroad, and want to refurbish the Stromberg carby.

Is there an answer to the original question?

Peter

Yes - go and ask a holden person... ;) Sorry - never bothered with them...

However, I must ask - if you never intend to drive offroad, why own a landy???

[peterg1001]

However, I must ask - if you never intend to drive offroad, why own a landy???

See www.greenacre.biz (http://www.greenacre.biz) . . .

[matpoli]

See www.greenacre.biz (http://www.greenacre.biz) . . .

Looks like you've gone to a hell of a lot of trouble to restore that car so why would you compromise the build and install a stromberg?

If I were you I would get one of the original ones as per the original thread question. As the Zenith kits are readily available I reckon you should go for that.:cool:

[peterg1001]

Looks like you've gone to a hell of a lot of trouble to restore that car so why would you compromise the build and install a stromberg?

Because I've already got one, and that will get the vehicle going to registration.

This week the new stainless exhaust system goes on.

After that, I'm aiming for minimum work necessary to get to rego. Seeing that involves all the electrics and body, I'm not underestimating the work.

After that, maybe new carby . . . doors . . . roof . . . power steering . . . frills like that.

Building the vehicle is my hobby. Driving is secondary. That said, I would like to have it capable of moving under it's own power.

Peter