Carburettor

[morningside]

My 1948 Flying Squirrell is fitted with an Amal carburettor marked 206/I 51 R. It is impossible to remove the float chamber without removing the carburettor as the securing bolt fouls the flywheel. Is it normal practice to remove it to access the chamber and jet or do I have the wrong carburettor ?

Thanks/Regards/Ian

[Deleted User]

Hi Ian,
It’s a problem, it is always very close but I have found the nut will usually just come off. On my 1932 Flyer with a single down tube open frame, the nut will just come off but trying to tighten it on refitting is the big problem for me as the spanner jaw sides hit the fly wheel and turning the spanner over to use the offset will only tighten the nut a fraction before the shank of the spanner hits the single downtube. This of course doesn’t apply to your frame. I had to mutilate a spanner grinding the outer sides of the head and big hollows
either side of the shank.
All this of course doesn’t fix your problem. All I can suggest is a thicker or two carburettor gaskets. As the flywheel is falling away quite steeply at this point it won’t take much to move the carburettor back just enough to give some room. When ever I remove the carburettor I jam rags into the space under it so that if I drop one of the 1/4 nuts it doesn’t get lost forever in the void below.
Regards,
Bob Mather.

[Deleted User]

I had the same problem on my ’37 Flyer, same carb as yours. Fitting an extra gasket
gave me just about clearance to get sufficient purchase. Rag in crankcase essential
although I find fishing around the flywheels with a magnet on a telescopic handle
for those nuts, washers, screws, chain links et al that are determined to find their
way into the darker recess is a God send. Bought mine at Stafford for about £2.
No good though if your fasteners are stainless!
Mike Reynolds

[Deleted User]

Hi,
I rather suspect this problem is caused by the facing off of the carburettor flange or flanges at some time.
Regards,
Bob Mather.

[BRIAN MARSHALL]

On duplex frame Flyers you can fit an alloy spacer between the engine and carb, but this means fitting three longer mounting studs. There isn’t room to do this on the single downtube 1931-1933 Flyers or Sprint Specials.

[morningside]

Gentlemen,
Many thanks for your response. All very helpful. As suggested I have had a look at the mounting flanges and they may well have been re-faced. I trial fitted the carburettor with some aluminium packing inserted between the flanges and this method will provide the necessary clearance to allow removal of the float chamber bolt. I will make up a correctly shaped/drilled spacer and fit longer studs to do a decent job.

Many thanks/Regards/Ian

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