[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear all - please refer my posts in the Premier Padmini Technical Specifications thread. Please post some photographs of the engine compartment / carburettor of the S1 you all are talking about. Let's see the offending parts in photographs, then discuss. Solution is one only. Perfect job, or nothing at all but I need a starting point, hence this request.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[funkykar]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear all - please refer my posts in the Premier Padmini Technical Specifications thread. Please post some photographs of the engine compartment / carburettor of the S1 you all are talking about. Let's see the offending parts in photographs, then discuss. Solution is one only. Perfect job, or nothing at all but I need a starting point, hence this request.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Some pictures that I had taken some time back can be seen @ http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...ml#post1494507

I will post more pictures sometime in the afternoon

[arun1100]

@Behram Sir: Details of Karthik's S1.

--April 1996 Model
--39000 kms driven
--Floor shift
--Original BICSA Carb.. 102.5 Jet.
--Coil changed. Is it right one?
--Plug wire to be changed
--Points and condensor were changed.
--All oils changed and complies to Your suggested specifications.

[adheesh]

Karthik, the float pin located in the carburetor top housing is either stuck or leaking resulting in the carb severely overflowing from the top housing. Please check/replace the float pin along with new Bicsa top packing (comes with the carb packing set, however please note that the top gasket is different for the bicsa).

Also, the throttle linkage from the choke attachment is missing. It doesnt matter, but just for your information.

This would most certainly solve the fuel economy problem IF all the other parameters (as mentioned in the first post of this thread) are in place.

Regards,
Adheesh Parelkar

[funkykar]

Thanks Adheesh.

Is a float pin available in market? I also couldnt find the carburetor packing for S1 in Bangalore.

I will try and verify what you have said in the next few days.

[adheesh]

New floatpins (more commonly known as needle valves) from Solex would be very difficult to procure, however a company named Pacco manufactures them. A more practical solution would be picking up a needle valve (also called as needle valve) from a used carburetor. Also there is a packing ring in the needle valve. Perhaps, only that may be the problem. Secondly the float itself may be leaking or the pin supporting it may be bent. Open the carburetor top (remove the 3, 9mm bolts) and post the photographs of the inside of the carburetor top housing with the float in place and after removing the float if possible so that you can be guided exactly.

Regards,
Adheesh Parelkar

[arun1100]

Adheesh & Behram: Which model of Fiats came with Solex 1061 Carb?? How do you identify this model of Carb if one needs to buy from scrapyard?

[adheesh]

Originally Posted by arun1100

Adheesh & Behram: Which model of Fiats came with Solex 1061 Carb?? How do you identify this model of Carb if one needs to buy from scrapyard?

Most of the carburetors you would find in the scrapyard would be severely leaking and unfit for use. '1061' would be crimped on the equivalent part as shown in the below photograph. I strongly suggest you against trying to source a usable carburetor from the scrapyard since the only foolproof way to check it is to fit it on the car. If it is inevitable, another alternative is to pick up a carb from a car which has been driven down (in actual sense) to the scrapyard for breaking.
Alternatively you can use the following jet configuration on any non-leaking Solex carburetor and rest assured that the car would run correctly
Venturi : 22mm (Bicsa comes with its own boost venturi, the OD is 25mm)
Main Jet : 97.5 for economy, 102.5 for a good balance, 107.5 for performance
Idle Jet : 40
Air Correction Jet: 150 for performance, 180 for a good balance (160 on a Bicsa)
Accelerator Pump Jet (If present) : 40

Regards,
Adheesh Parelkar

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Adheesh - BICSA does not have separtate float pin. It is press fitted in the top cover and normally does not go bad. If the press fitting has come out, the top cover or the carburettor must be replaced (good wishful thinking on my part, considering the general shortage!). However, this BICSA is badly leaking. One way to correct is to add 1 additional washer below the float valve which will reduce the fuel level.

Dear Arun / Karthik - the ignition coil should be PA12 (embossed at the bottom of the coil). It is correct as fitted. However, please remove all the spark plug wires and throw them out. Please use metal core wires only. The ones on your car are carbon core wires. PA12 cannot work with carbon core wires, inductance values are different. You must use the distributor cap with threaded type wire attachment (not push type), use the brass washers and original Lucas TVS nuts that will come fitted on the new cap, solder the washers to the wires after passing the nut through and attach securely. I am attaching my left hand drive car's engine compartment picture for ready reference (although not very clear, you will get the general idea).

Please follow all my instructions regarding engine tuning given in this thread. S1s are prone to inconsistencies in valve clearence settings. Please set the tappets properly. If everything is done properly, car will work nicely. Just for information, in my AVL test car (which was finally named as "Padmini Project S1"), at 50 kmph constant speed on VRDE track with 375 kg payload (GVW) with all AVL recommended S1 project parameters in perfect working order, I got 21.6 kmpl. Unbelieveable but true.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[arun1100]

Thank you Sir. All points noted. Will implement them soon. Will let you know the results.

[funkykar]

Thank you everyone for all the support. Looks like there are many things to check/verify. I need to find a resonable mechanic who can understand all this. I am planning to go slow on this and do it sometime next week (I am tied up with many office related things this week)

[arun1100]

Can anybody tell me the original make of fuel pump in Padmini? Was it "UCAL"?

[adheesh]

Originally Posted by arun1100

Can anybody tell me the original make of fuel pump in Padmini? Was it "UCAL"?

The original mechanical fuel pump in Presidents and early Padminis was IBEX as on the fuelpump ( the company was UCAL-IBEX) later on the company (for a reason only known to them) changed its print name to UCAL. The design always remained the same. Unfortunately, brand new ones atleast in Mumbai are very very rare. If you get your hands on them do pick up 14 pieces (2 for you and 1 dozen for me )

[arun1100]

Thanks Adheesh. I found two new UCAL pumps in a shop in Gujiri. He found them while digging for something else. But its of Ambassador. He said the lever needs to be changed thats it.

[ilangop]

Dear Experts,
To start with, I have a premier 118 NE. My colleague has a Premier Padmini S1 which does'nt want to part at any cost. Also he had some embarassing moments with the car, when it failed to start at a signal while taking his wife in the car for the first time. Hope you guys get a picture of his embarassment and since then he has been using only his 2 wheeler.
Since being an ardent fan of FIAT vehicles, I intend to take up a project of giving a new life to that car. The ignition system is in a good shape with clean contactors, and new condensor, spark plugs & cables. The culprit I see is the Solex carburettor in it. It leaks at couple of places and also easliy dries up on keeping the car for a few days. The choke does'nt seem to really choke anything. On going through a couple of threads I feel that a Mikuni carburetor from 118Ne or Maruti cars would solve the problem. Also went through some posts by Mr. Behram, and other Fiat experts who have shared their personal experience on the outcome of such a modification. As I wish to undertake such a modification I am in need of some more technical insight into this process.
The options available are
1. Prepare an adaptor plate for the new carb
2. Remove the old flange from the S1 manifold and weld an aluminium flange that can accomodate the new carb.
Option no1 is easier however I fear that the air flow will be restricted due to round shape of the S1 flange.
Since cutting and welding would be my last option, can some experienced people through some light on the fitment compatibility of an 118NE manifold or a Maruti 1000 manifold on to the S1 head. Is it directly boltable or boltable with some minor modification?
The search results showed up more than a 100 pages discussing this mod, and that I was'nt able to exactly locate a page where this is explained with some pictures please direct me to such a page. I am thankful for any help in this regard.

-Ilango