BDR idle speed

[mikestifel]

After quite a while I've got my engine back in the car and everything seems good so far.  I'm curious as to where people like to set their idle speed.  My timing is dialed in and I've been over the idle mixture but it isn't happy idling below about 950 rpm.  The information I can find for the BDA says 800.  I can go over the idle mixture again but I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts.

 

oops, the engine is a 1987ish 1700 BDR with 45DCOEs.

[NoisyBDR]

I have a document Roger King supplied during a rebuild in 1995 and it says idle speed is 1000 rpm.

[mikestifel]

Thanks.

It's pretty happy at 1000 so I'll just set it there.

[mikestifel]

Another thought occurs.

My 45 DCOEs have 38mm chokes.  That seems a little big to me.  Is there conventional wisdom about choke sizes for a 1700 BDR?

[Roger King]

Do you have the 1700ccm 170bhp version? If so, the story goes that the carburettors were originally designed for a completely different engine and then seconded for use on the BDR.

36mm chokes are far more suitable, but there is a host of other modifications needed too - jetting, emulsion tubes, air filter size, Aux Vent type, ram pipe length, etc, etc. Unfortunately, it adds up to a tidy sum, but the transformation in the driveability of the engine is enormous.

[mikestifel]

edit:

decided to start a new thread