On Thu, 11 May 1995, Allen Bachelder wrote:
> AND IN TONIGHT'S FINAL JEOPARDY CATEGORY, WE HAVE "MGB MYSTERIES".
>
> (Theme song que:)
> DA-........................DA-
> DA-.......DA-.........DA-.......DAH.
> DA-
>
> Our 21st contestant, Andy Mace, correctly responded: "What is a
> Zenith-Stromberg carburettor diaphragm".
[....]
> Allen Bachelder
>
> PS: Now,seriously, Andy... time to 'fess up: did you really diagnose the
> problem or did you search the catalogs for a $3.05-part?
Well, Alex...er, Allen, first let me say that I had a great time on the
show. I'm playing today on behalf of my favorite charity: CTTS, or
Carpal Transmission Tunnel Syndrome, which helps victims of Spitfire
gearbox changes gone awry. But that's another story.... ;-)
Re: torn diaphragms.
Being a long-time owner of a Triumph GT6+ with Strombergs, I was well
acquainted with the malady you described. With dual carbs, it's a little
different in its manifestation, but the end result is similar. The
progressive loss of power used to happen to me on just about a yearly
basis, usually in the middle of summer, invariably during what would
have been my best run in that day's autocross. (As Dave Barry might say,
I swear I am not making this up.)
TECH TIP: It does make sense to carry a spare diaphragm in the car.
However, if you don't have one with you, or the one you have got pinched
between the spare alternator and spare fuel pump, and tore as you tried
to free it, try mending it with a small piece of that cheesy plastic
electrical tape. It's not necessarily a long-term repair (although it
might last quite a while -- mine always did, cheapo that I am), but it
will almost certainly get you home at speed and to the comfort of your
Moss/TRF/VB/??? catalog to order a new diaphragm and continue that great
turning circle of life we call LBC ownership.
Andy "remember MGB fans, you have Triumph to blame for Z-S carbs" Mace
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