Narrow band is pointless for performance tuning

Why are you not prepared to buy one?

Because I can't justify the money tbh. I also don't really want an AFR gauge. I may consider one in the future if i continue to tune the engine, but atm, I just want to get it running relatively well. What advantage, over say a more primitive means like colour tune, would a wide band have for purely getting it running? I know AFRs are useful and great for tuning and seeing whats going on, especially under load, but loads of people have managed to get theirs running without. I don't think I'm a total spaz, and with help from here I've made progress. So forking out the best part of a ton and a half for an AFR and gauge donesn't seem necessary at this stage. I see what your saying though Max, I may resort to one if I'm still struggling at Xmas

they're £130 dude, well worth it after being a passenger in nicks car,

A must in my opinion if you want your carbs running efficiently , unless you know exactly what your doing.

I think its pretty obvious I don't! £130 is still a fair amount to pay tbh. I'm looking to respray in the next few months, so I'm going to need some money for that. Once thats out the way, I may go for one to fine tune the running. But i just want the bloody thing to run for more than 10 minutes without dying!

Innovative wideband is good and not to pricey

Maybe you should have considered financial implications before fitting motorcycle components to a modified car engine

Blah Blah Nick

You say bla bla. I'm not the one with an engine that doesn't work

I know, but you're just being smug It will work, but I don't see what money has to do with it, and you know it doesn't need dollah thrown at it to get it to work.

Lots of variables tbh

I know and I'm trying to eliminate them one by one

You say bla bla. I'm not the one with an engine that doesn't work

Not any more, seemed you were for most of last year though..

I don't get it. I've slapped three different type sets of carbs on eight engines, all ran sweet with minor fettling apart from one occasion I made a monumental cock up. But I knew straight away what I'd done.

I never even used a timing gun, let alone some wideband radio or whatever you're on about.

Either I'm a damn genius or.. I dunno, as lucky as hundreds of others who have managed it.

Where am I going with this. Who knows. I've told everything I know and recommend, and it'not even that much because it's actually quite simple. All I know is that, of those who pm me asking for help, most have not taken my advice and are using regulators, weird carbs, hybrid ignition, dropped needles or some other technicality I haven't tried or recommended.

But faults can be the most random things sometimes - just because you're doing an engine conversion doesn't mean the problem isn't an empty fuel tank.

Mine has always started and worked really apart from day 1 with a restricted breather; and mine has been to things to show it works as apposed to me sitting behind a computer making claims of amazing performance and MPG :) but hey I guess amazing MPG is possible when you're lean enough to melt pistons :)

And tbh you make so many claims which often make logical sense but due to never actually arriving at anything apart from with an excuse if I were someone with an issue id be a bit skeptical about takin your advice, however tbh, some people would read jumping of a bridge is a good idea on the motorway. And try it. As long as the person who said it has a high post count.

Valid point though, Simon do you even know your engines any good?

I'm with Mikey on this one, I've slapped a set of carbs on mine, and even with a huuuuge airleak, they still ran, and pulled.

Even with the airleak sorted, once leaned down using the colourtune and fettling by ear, it sounds sweet, and pulls hard. I know it's not finished, but it's getting there, and on a good run, I'm getting 35. Nowhere near the 60's, but 35 is fair.

These carbs weren't touched, removed from storage (albeit they were immaculate), slapped on, filled with fuel and started first time. Still not been balanced..

You say bla bla. I'm not the one with an engine that doesn't work

Not any more, seemed you were for most of last year though..

I don't get it. I've slapped three different type sets of carbs on eight engines, all ran sweet with minor fettling apart from one occasion I made a monumental cock up. But I knew straight away what I'd done.

I never even used a timing gun, let alone some wideband radio or whatever you're on about.

Either I'm a damn genius or.. I dunno, as lucky as hundreds of others who have managed it.

Where am I going with this. Who knows. I've told everything I know and recommend, and it'not even that much because it's actually quite simple. All I know is that, of those who pm me asking for help, most have not taken my advice and are using regulators, weird carbs, hybrid ignition, dropped needles or some other technicality I haven't tried or recommended.

But faults can be the most random things sometimes - just because you're doing an engine conversion doesn't mean the problem isn't an empty fuel tank.

All of the may have ran sweet, they may have all blown up, no one knows!

Also, just because they're running sweet, doesn't mean there running at peak efficiency, which is something you can do with a wideband.

Anyway mikey is the one who's played with needles, emulsion tubes, jets, slide springs etc.

I put a set on mine with 160 jets and was fine, wasn't lean to harm itself at any point nor too rich.

I started a completely rebuilt engine with an unknown to be working ignition system, my own ported head with carbs which id just fitted larger jets too and started straight away and revved crisp.

Tbh people keep buying used carbs and expecting them to be ok,

My car works, not sure am arsed helping people tbh

Max, i take your point with the wide band being used for efficiency. But that's not what I want ATM, I just want it to work I may/may not invest in one in the future, but mikey proves my earlier point that it's possible to get these to work without an afr.

Do. Now I'm putting this down to an engine being run in. However, I'm going to check float heights to check they're where they should be. Bit of an arse ache though

Done a compression test yet?

How have you balanced them?

What's your ignition timing set to?

Sure the cam timings ok?

Air mix screws set to what? I can adjust mine over a turn without drastic effect

Good supply of fuel?

HT leads ok? Spark plug gaps equal?

Not being ran in shouldn't be a problem unless you've used over sized shells without grinding the crank making it tight as fuck haha

Balanced with a vacuum gauge, leads should be ok, timing set to +10deg cam is half a tooth out as its GT. I haven't fiddled with this yet. Air screws are out 1.5 turns.

The fuel supply is my next port of call, going to check float bowls to make sure the carbs aren't being starved of fuel at top end

Bearings are all standard size, so likely to be loose if anything. The only thing regarding engine construction that I have doubts over is the ring gaps. I think they are ok, but its a fiddly proccess, so I guess could have been wrong

So which way is your cam from the timing marks?

Which type vacuum gauge do you have? What vacuum do you read at idle?

Doubt it's fuel starvation, I can start mine and let it tickover on my drive then drive over half a mile before any hesitation.

Got any pictures of the setup? Maybe something really really obvious

I'm getting 35. Nowhere near the 60's, but 35 is fair.

You'll never get 60mpg with a 16v, don't worry about Harris he's got pmt.

Blah.. ..claims of amazing performance and MPG :) but hey I guess amazing MPG is possible when you're lean enough to melt pistons :)

Or if you wanna go for either, instead of both.

Anyway mikey is the one who's played with needles, emulsion tubes, jets, slide springs etc.

snip

My car works, not sure am arsed helping people tbh

Only to experiment, didn't need to but you don't know unless you try. Others don't unless you share.

And i feel like that sometimes as well, Nick..

I don't think i'll comment about anything regarding my own car anymore either. After all, if it doesn't suit people then i'm just some keyboard dreamer. No mention of what i've done now if i have no proof.

Simon, unfortunately you're starting off with so much new/rebuilt/untested gear that you do have a wide number of variables, as Nick points out. If i had a working set of carbs i'd lend you them, but i don't. If i did, i doubt it'd run smoothly, tbh. It's a tedious process to bring everything together when lots of things are out, or even just a couple of things - when the ignition and fuelling are both out, i have to go back and fourth in an educated trial and error process with both, before i can bring it all into form. Fine tuning is also tedious, because every action has a reaction. But this is at picky levelsfor personal preference, and not so much about getting it running in the first place.

I think thats the problem Mikey, everything has changed. If i had the ecu, I'd consider binning the carbs for now and run the injection to run it in. Then once I know the engine works, fiddle with bike carbs.

Will attempt suggestions at the weekend if I get the new shed built :-)

Mine was dying when warm and stuff.

Float bowl breather small restriction...

What ECU do you need? We could put a shout out - you do know who we are, right..?