This guy is the real deal.
Needed to do some work on the SU carbs for the TR4A, so took a ride to Joe
Curto's shop in College Point, Queens. The place is on one of those residential
streets in Queens, where I grew up, and every house looks exactly the same. On
this block there was an unmarked garage, and the backs of an MGA and a
Triumph Stag were give aways. Had a few other project cars up on blocks (TR3
and
MGB) and the usual enthrophy of parts.
In the back of the shop was Joe, neatly stacked bins of jets, gaskets, and
needles, and about twenty boxes with letters sticking out of them basically
saying Joe please fix this.
So in between phone call Joe looks at my carbs, points out a couple of
things, notices the incorrect chock linkage which was in the car and I have
been
using for last 15 years, and decides that since they are out I should just do
the
complete rebuild. So I ask him, how much and how long if you do it? he says
about a month, but why don't I just ream out the shaft holes and give you
oversized shafts and everything else you need
So that is what he does, between phone calls and BS about cars. Puts together
a rebuild kit and walks me through the entire process, including all of his
little tricks.
Couple of things that come out of this are:
I ask him if I should Vizardize the butterfly screws and grind them down. He
says definitely not. He is running two 1275 in Morris vans, himself. The way
the screws work is that they have a split at the end which you are supposed to
open up to keep the screw from shaking loose. Says whatever boost you get in
horsepower is not worth the risk of having the screws shake loose.
I ask him how many flats to open the jets. I had heard 12 flats. He sets up
his rebuilds with 9 flats (a turn and a half) and opens the idle one turn.
I think I could have stayed all day, but I had to go. So after an hour of
advice and BS, I ask him how much. He looks at me and says, lets call it $100.
So
assuming I don't forget everything he told me by tomorrow, I will have a
completely rebuilt set, and the car on the road on this weekend.
I think I am going to start bringing in my spridget carbs.
David Oliner
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