Volvo RWD 140-160 Forum

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Idle trimming screw 140-160

My 164 has Stromberg carbs. I can’t find an explanation for the idle trimming screws. I think they’re used to adjust fuel-air mixture. Which way to I turn a screw to get a more rich mixture. That assumes I’m right. If I’m not, what function do they have?








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    Idle trimming screw 140-160

    The idle trimming screws on your Strombergs are air bleeds for fine tuning the fuel mixture. Turn the screws in and the fuel mixture is made a little richer. Unscrew for a leaner mixture.



    --
    Eric
    Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
    Torrance, CA 90502
    hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com








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      Idle trimming screw 140-160

      Eric answered the idle trimming screw question. I'd just like to point out to those who do not know -- while SU and some Stromberg (CD type?) carbs work on the same principle - there are differences and they are 2 separate manufacturers. - Dave








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        Idle trimming screw 140-160

        Thanks Dave. I sometimes incorrectly refer to them as SU, thinking of the twin carbs I had in my 122S, even though I know the similar Stromberg is a different make when I actually stop to think about it. I do a better job of keeping my references straight for LH and Regina injection.
        --
        Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now








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          Idle trimming screw 140-160

          For Dave and Phil -- 2 of the biggest differences is that the Stromberg uses a rubber seal between the piston and the upper chamber while the SU does not (relying on a close fit between the piston and chamber) -- and the other -- the SU relies on a threaded system to raise (leaner) or lower (richer) the jet (relative to the metering needle) while the Stromberg needs special "press" tools to lower the jet from the top--or raise the jet from the bottom. Different profile needles determine the running characteristics of the mixture. SU's are measured every 1/8 inch. I don't know how Stromberg needles are measured. I have an SU reference book with hundreds, if not thousands, of needles listed with each showing every measurement. I'm 75 now--started Volvo ownership at 28 with a 1965 544 and then went through many 122 and 140 models. An SU carb in my hands is much more familiar to me than anything Volvo from about 1981 on. - Dave








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    Idle trimming screw 140-160

    I think that may be the twin carb idle sync/balancing adjustment screw. My memory of adjusting SU carbs is rather vague and I'm away from my old manuals at the moment, so until Planetman Eric or one of our other PV/Amazon gurus gets a chance to see this and give you a better response, I'll point you in a few directions.

    There were assorted Stromberg SU carbs used in the early PV (444/544), Amazon (110/120) and 140/240 series bricks, the latter mostly in Europe, not North America. To aid you in identification try here https://www.skandix.de/en/documents/additional-information/volvo-stromberg-carburettor-typology/3000543/.

    There is lots of technical information online for SU carbs, even a few Volvo green manuals. A good general place to start is the company's website still online here https://sucarb.co.uk/technical/. For Volvo specific information be sure to check out the https://ozvolvo.org/archive/. It's not indexed or even fully titled so you may need to spend some time poking around. If you haven't got it yet, you should probably also find yourself a copy of the 164 Haynes manual as a basic reference which will hopefully have a half decent section on carbs.
    --
    Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now








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    Idle trimming screw 140-160

    Hi,

    I’m a 240 man and I’m chatting due to the BRICKBOARD being so dead in my section.

    I grew up in the age of sixties motorcycles before the days of water cooled engines.
    Graduation to owning a new 1974 pickup truck still meant a junkie carburetor.
    The same year of the gasoline embargo and $.64 a gallon gas. Up from $.24 a gallon.
    Then I bought 1978 Volvo with a Bosch K Jet 2.1 L.
    What a welcome change for me! 29 MPG highway, not 12 or 13 on a tail wind day.

    What I know of carburetors the adjustment screw adjusts the gasoline amount to the amount of air passing through the throats of the units. They may call it “air bleed” but carburetors handle gasoline.
    Think of it as tall bucket with various holes in the bottom half that bleed gasoline.
    Jets and screws are used to vary the hole sizes.

    I say throats because the term barrels is used to count either the number of carburetors or the type of carburetors.
    As a kid I hung out with dirt oval track racers. They ran eight one barrels on their engines.
    A rack of red rubber balls were popped into the Venturis’ and tapered hickory blocks into the exhaust pipes upon shutting down the engine to stop valves from being warped. Straight pipes throwing noise and flames!
    Entertainment for the Southerners, like fireworks? (:-)

    So, with that long breath, I say treat the idle mixture screw is like a water faucet. The more it moves away from the seated position the more fuel you will get and therefore a richer mixture.

    Just a side note on small engines with a carb the starting out standard is 1&1/2 turns out.

    The setting of the throttle plate being “cracked open” is for the curb idle speed.
    The cracked opening is what pulls the fuel out into the air stream.
    The two work back in forth with each other and so this is where the term “tuning” comes into play.

    On motorcycles of the late sixties, especially Hondas, manometers were use to synchronize the evenness of air amounts.
    With the six cylinders Hondas this was very important for even heating of an air cooled block.
    The center cylinders were the ones needing a slightly different treatment the the outer cylinders.
    The advent of racing jetting with volumetric sensitive KEIHIN carbs came on the scene.
    This is where diaphragms appeared on top of throttle slides.

    I know nothing about Strombergs or SU’s other than the names I have read of.
    They could be the same for all I know?(:-)

    Long answer for a short question but hey, I bored! But not enough to want carburetors again.

    Carburetors can do a wonderful job though, as everything is about finding a compromise and carburetors kept it simple, to some very real extent, for a very long time!
    Maybe too long?
    Without computerization Internal combustion should have stopped.
    With the future embarkation into electric vehicles, it is going to be anyones guess, to how far the next century will takes us to being more simplistic, again?

    Phil







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