Carburettor Deterioration
Symptoms
Hard starting, rough idle, flat spots on acceleration, flooding (fuel running out of the carby), black smoke, poor fuel economy.
Cause
The Stromberg carburettor's internal components, needle valve, float, accelerator pump diaphragm, gaskets, all deteriorate with age. Ethanol in modern fuel attacks old rubber seals. Jets can clog from fuel residue, particularly if the car sits for extended periods.
Fix
Rebuild the carburettor with a rebuild kit ($50-100 if you can source one).
These are simple single-barrel carburettors that can be stripped and rebuilt on a kitchen table.
The challenge is sourcing genuine Stromberg rebuild kits, they're becoming scarce.
Some owners convert to a Weber 32/36 DGAV, which is a bolt-on replacement that provides better throttle response and easier tuning.
Budget $300-500 for a Weber conversion.
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