Correct jets and timing for a Ford 1700 Crossflow

[plop32]

Newby question.  I am sorting out a 1989 1700 Super Sprint.  When I got the car ( about a year ago)  I found that it was running an Alpha ECU with a TPS, crank fire ignition and Intake air Temp Sensor.  Car runs very well but does seem to lack the snap that i's purported 155 HP should have.  

I took it to the local Weber Guru here in the states and was told that He has never seen this carb jet selection on this engine.  I was also told that because the Apha was an open loop system, I was really doing no good and might be the reason for the carb tune. 

I think I have to agree and would like to remove the system and go back to a distributor and coil.  

After all that,  My question is

What is a good starting point in selection jets for the weber 40 DCOE

The carbs I have now are set up as follows:

34mm Choke

F16

Air 125

Main 125

F9 50

Slow running 35

Engine was build 15 or so years ago to 155 HP specs.  I do not know what cam I have.

Any help would be appreciated.  

[elie boone]

Some info here http://www.lotus7.club/forum/techtalk/1700-ssprint-webers-jets

[OliverSedlacek]

I'm not that familiar with the Alpha ECU, but there is no way a coil and distributor will give you the performance of a 3D mapped ignition system. They might give the same peak power, but you can really widen the torque curve with a good ignition map.

I also don't know what you mean about the Alpha being open loop and hence giving fueling issues. People sometimes tweek an ignition map to work round fueling problems, but that should be a last resort, and you never tweek the jetting to get around ignition problems.

I think you are going to find a better tuner.

[AlexanderJ]

hi there,  I had a steel cross flow with 40's, forged pistons, and so on.  It was running at 115 BHP, i blamed the carbs and so on.  Actually the trottle cable had stretched.  refitted the cable and was then back up to 160bhp ish....

also i learnt that the carbs needed setting up on the rolling road and balancing with a flow meter thingy.

Steve Wooding at Northampton Motor sport is a superb chap.

Lastly, what cams are you using - mine were 244 

Good luck!

 

James 

[plop32]

Appreciate all the info.  

I need to find a chassis dyno and get a baseline established.  

The ECU I'm using is Alpha Webcon.  According to the web, it is old technology and no one here can get into it.

If it quits, I'm done on the road.  That is why I was thinking to converting back to a dizzy.  The unit I have was curved for a Formula Ford.  

Any ideas on a replacement 21 century device of stick with the distributor?

 

Thanks

Pete

[OliverSedlacek]

Distributors really are crap compared to 21st century technology. I'm now running an OMEX 600, which is a thoroughly modern bit of kit. Before that I was running a Megajolt, which is very much in keeping with a Seven as it is an open source kit. I've still got all the Megajolt bits if you're interested and it's cheaper than a new distributor.