Carb Issues...help!

[youngun]

I recently purchased a good condition howley inlet manifold for the princely sum of £5, a nice bargain i thought to myself. I already had an HS4 from a mini GT1275, should be a nice set up. BUT, the howley manifold takes a Square faced HS4/HIF38 (i.e. four studs and nuts securing it in a square shape), and my HS4 has the typical 2 stud mounts. Now, diagonally the studs are correct width apart, so the carb fits, but looks a bit naff...........can i leave it like that or would it be better to get a square faced HIF38?
I also bought a full rebuild kit for my HS4 when i was at Beaulieu, which cost me 38 quid. So i really would like to not loose money as it were. Has anyone got a square face HS4 which i could use my rebuild kit on? Instead of me having to get a completely different carb and thus having a 40 quid rebuild kit with no use!

Thanks,
YG

[Alec]

Hello youngun,

there are no four bolt fixing HS4's, the HS6 (1 3\4") is four bolt on the same spacing. There is no problem using just two of the four studs especially as you have bought the overhaul kit. (Don't worry about the looks, you won't see it while driving . Ideally the plastic insulator would benefit from having the bore tapered to match the manifold and the HS4, to smooth the airflow.

Alec

[Packedup]

I recently purchased a good condition howley inlet manifold for the princely sum of £5, a nice bargain i thought to myself. I already had an HS4 from a mini GT1275, should be a nice set up. BUT, the howley manifold takes a Square faced HS4/HIF38 (i.e. four studs and nuts securing it in a square shape), and my HS4 has the typical 2 stud mounts. Now, diagonally the studs are correct width apart, so the carb fits, but looks a bit naff...........can i leave it like that or would it be better to get a square faced HIF38?

Leave it like that, and as Alec said, ideally shape the spacer to get the smoothest flow.

Alternately, buy my alloy inlet that has stud holes for HS2 as well as HS4/ 6 and HIF carbs, and use the original Minor carb. Yes, that's right, a performance A series inlet with the stud pattern for a 1.25" carb!

I also bought a full rebuild kit for my HS4 when i was at Beaulieu, which cost me 38 quid. So i really would like to not loose money as it were.

There were not exactly bargains aplenty at Beaulieu, were there? My best seems to have been a box of 120 or so spark plugs for a tenner, and a box of random filters for the same. The pair of HIF4 (I now know what they are!) carbs on MGB inlet were a bargain at 15 quid, but when I got home I remembered I don't own an MGB...

[bmcecosse]

Yes - that carb will be fine on the manifold - but indeed do what you can to make the air hole in the manifold and the spacer LARGER than the carb outlet - the air doesn't mind going small to large - it hates the reverse of course. Usually these carbs work fine with just a good cleaning up - so don't rush in with that overhaul kit until you see if you really need it!! One thing you must check - is the carb float chamber dead upright when the carb is bolted to the manifold (in turn bolted to an engine - or at least a spare head for this test) ? If not - you will need to make it so.
Packed up - just pop an MGB engine into the Minor!

[Packedup]

Packed up - just pop an MGB engine into the Minor!

Problem number two:

I still haven't managed to get my hands on a Minor!

My fleet is full at the moment, but I'm still hoping for a chance to get my hands on the infamous pickup should it become available...

[youngun]

Luckily the manifold has already had some porting work done to it, its been nicely smoothed and widened. On the intake and the two outputs.
I dont mind fitting the two stud carb, its just im a bit pedantic on occasions and it will bug me slightly.......but hey thats life!

thanks for the advice.
YG