spridgets
[Top] [All Lists]

RE: Trip to Joe Curto's

To: <SDOliner@aol.com>
Subject: RE: Trip to Joe Curto's
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 11:19:37 -0700
Cc: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
I tent to agree with Joe on the initial setting, I've always thought 12
flats is to much.  As to the the throttle shafts it can be done with no
problems using loctite, the button screws, and cut down shafts from APT.
This should only be done as a last step in increasing flow. The mods to
the intake manifold and port matching ala Vizard will give you gains you
can feel not just see on a dyno.  So leave the carbs and do the
manifold.
                Crash  

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






<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>