Pinto Upgrades

[Guest Seanus01]

I have just purchased a Robin Hood 2b with a 2.0l pinto. With the car I was given a brand new FR32 cam and a set of twin dellorto carbs with the inlet manifold (engine is bog standard at the mo with the exception of a 4-1 exhaust)

 

My question is, is it worth spending the time and effort on the dellorto carbs or should I go the bike carb route? My brother works with motorbikes and has said he can easily get me a set of carbs if needed?

 

Also, if I were to fit the cam and the carbs (either dellorto or bike) what sort of power gains can I expect. Is it worth having the head reworked also?

 

A lot of questions I know, but I am keen to make a start on improvements whilst the weather is poor so it's ready for the spring.

 

Thanks

 

[speedtripledan]

My pinto had that cam with a vernier bike carbs and felpro thin gasket it made 124bhp at the wheel.

[theduck]

You are likely to be able to sell the dellortos for near the cost of going to bike carbs. So it's really a case of which you prefer.

[Longboarder]

I had dellortos on my pinto and they were excellent. Seemed to stay in tune better than webbers. I doubt bike carbs offer any advantage. FR32 is fine to fit and will get the engine revving.

Old time tuning should ideally be a balanced set of enhancements to all aspects affecting the engine efficiency and to the same levels.

First you need to get cold fresh air in. Filter/intake/carbs/manifold/ports/valves. The only bit you don't need to do is valves. They are OK for your level of tune.

Then you need to compress the mix and set fire to it at the ideal time. Assuming your engine is healthy a little more compression and a look at ignition.

Last you need to get the burnt gasses out. Exhaust valves/ports/exhaust manifold and system. Once again leave the valves.

Stripping the head, a skim of about 50 thou and three angle the valve seats (under £100 in the machine shop), clean up the inlet ports and open out the exhausts a little. Clean and regrind the valves. Match the manifolds so there are no steps for the gasses to pass over. (Easy to do at home and don't go mad. Just remove all ridges.) Have you got a 4:1 manifold? Worth having.

For safety you could use ARP bolts for big ends and flywheel.

That should be cheap as chips and give a solid 125bhp at the wheels for less than £150 + rolling road costs. It will be a different car!

 

Nigel

Edited January 23, 2015 by Longboarder

[Guest Seanus01]

Thanks for all the advise, yes I have a 4:1 exhaust. Sounds like I have most of the necessary parts to up the power that bit more for the time being. Will make a start this weekend and start looking for a rolling road for future setup

 

[Guest 2b cruising]

Not certain but I think nearest to you is BD engineering in Newington. It on the A2, just past Sittingborn from you.

There was one in Sittingborn itself on the one way circuit. Don't know if it is still there. Just don't hear anyone mentioning it any more.there are other club members in your area so just check members register and pop a question to them.

It not just somebody with a rolling road, they also need a good reputation and history.

HTH .ken

[Guest 2b cruising]

See blog rolling road result posted yesterday by Al Milton yesterday. It was posted in chit chat, and Al lives in Ramsgate.

[Al Milton]

Hi, as Ken says, BD Engineering (01795 843980) are based just outside Newington on the A2.

From Folkestone, head up the M20 and come off at Maidstone and head for the A249 towards Sheerness. Come off the A249 at the Rainham/Sittingbourne exit and head towards Rainham (left turn) through Newington.

BD Engineering are about a mile past Newington 'centre' on the Newington North industrial estate.

 

Give Andy a call onthe number above when you are ready - you'll be in good hands!

[Guest Seanus01]

I was looking at BD engineering on the internet last night, glad to hear it is recommended. Will give them a call when it's up and running

 

Thanks

[Guest lotusPaul]

Just a point of opinion.i preferred the delorts over the webbs on lotus engines. Twink up to 2.2 They gave better fuel economy and were smother through rpm range.

 

In answering your question. Id stick with the dells. Go for a good electronic ignition system. Well worth the effort.

 

If you are taking head off.give it a port match and clean up the intake and exhaust port tracks.but only to smooth them out.if you dont know what your doing leave the combustion chambers alone.

 

The pinto although old does respond well to a bit of fettling but at a basic level has its limitations.

[Snapperpaul]

Injection head is best for a start

All other info so far posted is good

Bike carbs are cheap if you are going up from standard, switching from Dellortos to bike carbs is marginal however the purists say the variable venturi has a smoother delivery than the Webet/Delorto type

[kevin the chicken]

I have webers on my red top. My rolling road man says that there is nothing to choose between them on a race car but that dellortos are better for the road, staying in tune a little bit better. Mine just seem to go out of balance every now and then for no reason at all. A quick fiddle with the screwdriver and they are fine again.

[speedtripledan]

Ive had bike carbs in the past which were ok i now have webers and prefer them to anything ive had before, they stay in tune as well but these were brandnew in 2001.