Solex Carburetor Nomenclature

[Ed Price]

What do the code letters in the Solex carburetor system stand for? For instance,
a 28 ZIC means a 28mm diameter throat, but what does the "ZIC" stand for?

On John's site, he describes Solex B30 ZIC3, B30 ZIC5 and B3 PSE1 carburetors.
Again, what are these letters (and are these early or late carburetor versions)?

Solex sites talk about PICT, PDSIT, PICB, PAITA and PAATJ models. Again, what's
the secret code?

Thanks,

Ed
El Cajon
67 Rust Guppy


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 

[David Chapman]

The normal Amphicar Carb is a Solex B30PSE1, The 30 is the bore in mm, The B is
because in the 1950s there was an A version of the carb. Solex were a French
company so initials PSE probably don't mean anything in English !

I've never seen an Amphicar fitted with a Solex B28 but that carb was fitted to
950cc engine Triumphs. Some of the Amphicar development was done with the
smaller engine (Triumph didn't start making the 1147 engine until early 1962)
and so some of the early production (which all went to the States) could well
have the B28 carb. For those owners I'd have thought an upgrade to a B30 would
be worthwhile.

Some time in the early 1970s Solex were taken over by Zenith (I think Zenith
were English) who introduced a ZIC. This was a replacement for many Solex
carbs, Solex carbs had a reputation for unreliability, not really true but they
don't like bad fuel and the jets can block, the ZIC is designed to avoid this.
There are many models of the ZIC and many of them are incorrectly jetted for
Amphicar, they will still work but run rich. The best versions for Amphicar
generally have a gold tag with the number 4005 or 4007 on it and holes rather
than slots in the base. The ZIC looks different because it has an accelerator
pump which works great on crossflow engines (English Ford) but is no value on
Triumph engines.

The mid 1980s was not a good time to be making carbs as fuel injection systems
became more common and Zenith closed down, taking with them most of the records
as to what fits what.

Current state.

There are no NOS Solex carbs for Amphicar, most production vanished by the mid
1970s. There are some NOS Zenith carbs around, Hugh and others supply these, I
buy them when I see them over here but it's now mostly one or two at a time,
the days are gone when you could buy boxes of them - they are in demand from
other classic car owners. If I find one now I have to pay the equiv of almost
$200. Most of the Zenith range will work with Amphicar but be careful if buying
from someone who doesn't know Amphicar as it was never listed, also don't work
on engine number or you will get a carb that for a 1300 engine.

Strange but rebuild kits are the other way around, I've not seen any for the
Zenith but there are a few NOS around for the Solex and a couple of other
companies have manufactured a rebuild kit as was mentioned here - for $16 that
looks to be good value.

David C



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[Ed Price]

----- Original Message -----
From: David Chapman
To: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2003 5:54 AM
Subject: Re: [amphicar-lovers] Solex Carburetor Nomenclature


The normal Amphicar Carb is a Solex B30PSE1, The 30 is the bore in mm, The B
is
because in the 1950s there was an A version of the carb. Solex were a French
company so initials PSE probably don't mean anything in English !


SNIP


David C


David:

Thanks for the information. After reading your post, I was moved to dig my grimy
carburetor out of it's temporary crypt. After applying a bit of kerosene and
then some carb cleaner, I can now make out a stamped "LAG2 30PSE1" on the side
of the barrel.

BTW, the Arnolt (most oddly, located in Warsaw, Indiana!) brochure, titled
"Selection & Tuning of Solex Carburetors" gives a formula for minimum carburetor
throat size.

Where d = required diameter of carburetor throat, in mm
n = RPM, in thousands
v = volume of one cylinder of the engine, in cc

d = 0.83 x square root of (n x v)

so, for an 1147 cc Triumph, running 4500 RPM,

d = 0.83 x sqroot (4.5 x 286.75)

d = 0.83 x 35.92

d = 29.8 mm

And since most of us will not be cranking their engine anywhere near 4500 RPM,
the 30mm carb throat is just what's needed.

Thanks again,

Ed
El Cajon
67 Rust Guppy


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 

[Kaasutinexpertti]

----- Original Message -----
From: David Chapman
To: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2003 5:54 AM
Subject: Re: [amphicar-lovers] Solex Carburetor Nomenclature

Hello all owners using Solex carburetters,

I came accidentally to this forum when checking what is the original purpose of a Solex B30 ZIC 5 specification 1932 what I have is stock.

I some one is interested to buy, please contact me.

On the other hand here is s short explanation of the number and letters of the different Solex carburetter types.

Letter in front of the first number tells the originality of the carburetter:
F = France
B = British
C = Italian
N = Japan

This letter is not used always.

Next number tells the diameter of the bore of the carburetter at the throttle plate.

28 is 28 mm
30 is 30 mm etc

The next letters are explaining the jet assembly type, choke type, accelerating pump, etc
The whole list of the propertities is not listed, just some of most typicals like

in PSEI (not PSE1)

P is for accelerating pump
S is for strangler (choke plate)
E is for Econostat (a system giving extra fuel at full throttle or near full throttle giving the possibility to use smaller main jet
I is for downdraught (I comes from french word "inverse" (~ turned upsid down, telling that air is flowing downwards instead of upwards as it was the case in all first carburetters of all makes)

The number after the letters tells something of the development of the original construction.

in ZIC which was pure Solex technique

Z is for dustproof because in some oler design of the Solex carburetters the air was drawn unfiltered to jet systems
I is for downdraught
C is for auxiliary starter unit without the choke plate

Each carburetter made for a specific purpose have specification number. Originally in Solex carburetters is was stamped to float chamber. With this number could get the exact setting of the carburetter in question.

Wishing all the best
Solex man in Finland
Tuomo Kurki-Suonio




The normal Amphicar Carb is a Solex B30PSE1, The 30 is the bore in mm, The B
is
because in the 1950s there was an A version of the carb. Solex were a French
company so initials PSE probably don't mean anything in English !


SNIP


David C


David:

Thanks for the information. After reading your post, I was moved to dig my grimy
carburetor out of it's temporary crypt. After applying a bit of kerosene and
then some carb cleaner, I can now make out a stamped "LAG2 30PSE1" on the side
of the barrel.

BTW, the Arnolt (most oddly, located in Warsaw, Indiana!) brochure, titled
"Selection & Tuning of Solex Carburetors" gives a formula for minimum carburetor
throat size.

Where d = required diameter of carburetor throat, in mm
n = RPM, in thousands
v = volume of one cylinder of the engine, in cc

d = 0.83 x square root of (n x v)

so, for an 1147 cc Triumph, running 4500 RPM,

d = 0.83 x sqroot (4.5 x 286.75)

d = 0.83 x 35.92

d = 29.8 mm

And since most of us will not be cranking their engine anywhere near 4500 RPM,
the 30mm carb throat is just what's needed.

Thanks again,

Ed
El Cajon
67 Rust Guppy


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 

[Kaasutinexpertti]

----- Original Message -----
From: David Chapman
To: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2003 5:54 AM
Subject: Re: [amphicar-lovers] Solex Carburetor Nomenclature

Hello all owners using Solex carburetters,

I came accidentally to this forum when checking what is the original purpose of a Solex B30 ZIC 5 specification 1932 what I have is stock.

I some one is interested to buy, please contact me.

On the other hand here is s short explanation of the number and letters of the different Solex carburetter types.

Letter in front of the first number tells the originality of the carburetter:
F = France
B = British
C = Italian
N = Japan

This letter is not used always.

Next number tells the diameter of the bore of the carburetter at the throttle plate.

28 is 28 mm
30 is 30 mm etc

The next letters are explaining the jet assembly type, choke type, accelerating pump, etc
The whole list of the propertities is not listed, just some of most typicals like

in PSEI (not PSE1)

P is for accelerating pump
S is for strangler (choke plate)
E is for Econostat (a system giving extra fuel at full throttle or near full throttle giving the possibility to use smaller main jet
I is for downdraught (I comes from french word "inverse" (~ turned upsid down, telling that air is flowing downwards instead of upwards as it was the case in all first carburetters of all makes)

The number after the letters tells something of the development of the original construction.

in ZIC which was pure Solex technique

Z is for dustproof because in some oler design of the Solex carburetters the air was drawn unfiltered to jet systems
I is for downdraught
C is for auxiliary starter unit without the choke plate

Each carburetter made for a specific purpose have specification number. Originally in Solex carburetters is was stamped to float chamber. With this number could get the exact setting of the carburetter in question.

Wishing all the best
Solex man in Finland
Tuomo Kurki-Suonio




The normal Amphicar Carb is a Solex B30PSE1, The 30 is the bore in mm, The B
is
because in the 1950s there was an A version of the carb. Solex were a French
company so initials PSE probably don't mean anything in English !


SNIP


David C


David:

Thanks for the information. After reading your post, I was moved to dig my grimy
carburetor out of it's temporary crypt. After applying a bit of kerosene and
then some carb cleaner, I can now make out a stamped "LAG2 30PSE1" on the side
of the barrel.

BTW, the Arnolt (most oddly, located in Warsaw, Indiana!) brochure, titled
"Selection & Tuning of Solex Carburetors" gives a formula for minimum carburetor
throat size.

Where d = required diameter of carburetor throat, in mm
n = RPM, in thousands
v = volume of one cylinder of the engine, in cc

d = 0.83 x square root of (n x v)

so, for an 1147 cc Triumph, running 4500 RPM,

d = 0.83 x sqroot (4.5 x 286.75)

d = 0.83 x 35.92

d = 29.8 mm

And since most of us will not be cranking their engine anywhere near 4500 RPM,
the 30mm carb throat is just what's needed.

Thanks again,

Ed
El Cajon
67 Rust Guppy


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]