RE: Daily Dose of Sultnpapper 08/14/18> Maybe a hammer is needed…Bob was wrong.
Well, God knows I've tinkered with a couple of carbs in my life. I'm reasonably adept at balancing multiple carbs on motors, I own a great gauge set up that will allow me to tune 4 at a time. And I know that I'm the only guy in Yuma that has a good working knowledge of Stromberg side draft pieces.
That said, EFI was a good change in the motorcycle world. Throttle body or straight performance and fuel mileage and horsepower went up significantly. Connie packs 140 rwhp in 1.4 liters. 20 years ago the only motorcycles that had 140 hp were very exotic racing bikes. Connie is a detuned beast that does really well on the street.
The levels and layers have indeed changed. When I buy a motorcycle I also buy a shop manual. In the case of Connie the cost was $150 and that was 9 years ago. At least Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki (the three I've had recently) give people like me and independent shops a decent chance at service and repair.
While I am handing out MFG kudos I should mention Ducati. With the help of the shop manual I learned to adjust the valves on that incredibly exotic system (no valve springs-the valves are pushed open and pulled closed). It's an amazingly complex system that really makes horsepower appear. And to Ducati's credit they have been making the adjustment interval longer and longer over the years. Mine was 4000 miles, and the new SS model calls for 18,000.
Doesn't mean I have so much as a speculation on the IROC. Just not even a clue. In defense of your friend Bob, even Ted Williams struck out on occasion.
Yes, Bob is usually right and I guess that I was just wanting to gloat a little since I was on record about saying I didn't believe it was the starter. My experience with starters was telling me that I would at least hear the solenoid try to engage and it never makes even the faintest click when it fails to start.
I will get it figured out, it might take some time but just like the van, it is studying and testing. I have told the boy that we need to keep tract and see if there is some type of pattern we can establish for a clue.
I never fooled with any Stromberg side draft carbs but I have messed with a bunch of Holley's and Quadra Jets.
It should almost be a requirement that when you purchase a vehicle that you get access to the shop manuals and data online now, even if you have to pay a one time fee in the price of the vehicle. The manufacturers would probably make more money and most people would never use it but for those of us who like to do our own work it would sure come in handy. The Hanes and Chilton books are good for showing how to remove and replace things but not much good on diagnostic procedures. I bought one for the van when I was working on solving that problem, and because they are sealed and you can't look through them at the store I had to buy it and then get it home to find out that the section I needed was "left out" because it was to technical for the average backyard mechanic to comprehend, that was a waste of money but it may come in handy in the future on something else.
It sounds like for bikes the EFI is a good thing and the Japs at least give you access to the info, I just don't see it in the cars as a necessary item, but maybe I am just to "old school" on things.