How To Remove the Idle Enrichment Screw

[Atazman]

Gentlemen........

Although my car is running good, I always like to "tinker" with it.  My idle speed is about 750 rpm, and I would like to get it up to 800 rpm.  It seems to be running a little lean at idle, and begins to misfire if I adjust the air screw to increase rpm.  I would like to turn the enrichment screw on the IP a "click" clockwise (to richen the mixture), but this does not seem to be possible.  I just can't seem to get that fuel enrichment screw into the notch and turned with assurance that it is adjusting anything inside the IP.

I would like to remove the big hex cover surrounding the idle enrichment screw to see of the idle enrichment screw actually turns something when it is pressed inward and engaged in the slot.   I would assume that this hex shaped cover is just threaded into the IP, with right hand threads??  But it seems to be very tight.

My plan is to fabricate a spanner wrench to just fit the hex and use whatever torque is needed to loosen it.  Sound OK? Any precautions I need to know about?

Many thanks...............

[ja17]

Hello Don,

You  are correct. On your style pump, if you remove the big hex fitting, the thumbscrew will come off with it.

[J. Huber]

Slightly related: is it normal for the thumbscrew to be spinning when the engine is running? I am fiddling of late and never noticed it moving before.

[ja17]

Hello James,

A spinning thumbscrew is not a good sign!  The screw should dis-engage after adjustments are made and it should remain stationary.

Causes can be that the screw is stuck in or the screw is adjusted so far out that the screw will not release.

[Miloslav Maun]

If you rotate it too far left / counterclockwise / lean the inner parts will be touching the screw and rotate it.

[J. Huber]

Thanks Joe and Muf -- so how would I try and get out of this mess? Its possible my screw has been turned too many times to the left. I have toyed with the setting so many times back and forth -- I really don't know where I am. I recently tried a few left to get idle speed down. Thats when I saw the spinner.

[Atazman]

Thanks, guys, for your contributions. 

James..... I recently experienced the "turning thumbscrew" thing when the engine was running.  This happened when I tried adjusting the thumbscrew in the lean direction (CCW).  I got to the point where the thumbscrew was tight and could not be pressed into the slot.

For correction, I turned the thumbscrew in the rich direction (CW) several turns.  After doing this, I got the car to idle reasonably good, but I'm thinking that something inside may be loose and needs to be tightened up again.  And, this is what is prompting me to want the big Hex cover off so that I can inspect the internals.

Again....thanks!!

[J. Huber]

Starting to make some sense Don, thanks. My tinkering began when I started having the drop in idle as I engaged the trans. So I messed with the CSS and linkage a tad and eventually found myself going counter-clockwise with the thumbscrew as I started having high idle when the CSS actually kicked in...

Long story short: today I went 3 CW turns. Still spinning. Another 4 CW turns -- no spinning... and after a nice 4th of July "spin" this morning, car seems pretty happy and shifting/idling better...Like I said before -- it's a constant dance keeping the old tiger purring.

[Atazman]

I just want to mention that I solved a major problem for me.  I've owned this Pagoda since late 1983, and I have been messing around with trying to adjust the idle enrichment screw since that time.  With my water hose very near to the screw, I have ended up burned, and I have never been able to tell if I was making a "click" on the adjustment or not.

Recently, I removed the big hex cover that holds the idle enrichment screw.  I simply welded a 11 mm nut onto the thumbwheel by filling the center of the nut with weld.  Now I can place a 11 mm deep well socket onto the thumbwheel and make adjustments very easily.  Caution:  If you do something like this, be sure to keep the other end of the thumbwheel cool because it has an O-ring seal that you don't want to cook during the welding.

I know...... once these things are properly adjusted you should never have to mess with them, so doing something like this is really not necessary.  I agree, but tinkering with this car is good therapy for me.

Best wishes...

[rwmastel]

Don Evans,

Hello.  Have you seen this thread?

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=790.0

[Atazman]

Rodd.... Thank you for that link.  In my search I had seen various parts of the tour,  but never the injection pump details behind the idle enrichment cover.

Great information!!

[66andBlue]

Don,
this document contains different "behind the cover" views that might be helpful even if one cannot read the German text.
http://sterntwiete.mparschau.de/html/einspritzung_2.html

[Atazman]

And thanks to you, Alfred!!  Those are some great pictures.  I'm keeping this reference and....if need be......I can find a German interpreter.

Thanks for taking the time for me.

[bogeyman]

Don:
Just do a google search on "translate".
There is a google translate function that will translate any web page from on language to another, you select which.

[Atazman]

Rick.....  Thanks for the good advice.  I had never given any thought to getting the article translated.

I'm searching ................

[waqas]

Here's your article translated:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsterntwiete.mparschau.de%2Fhtml%2Feinspritzung_2.html&sl=de&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

It can be quite funny reading the auto-translated text sometimes!

[66andBlue]

Well, I would NOT want to use the translated information to start repairs on my IP.
But if you liked "Kinch" in Hogan's Heroes you'll like this too. 
However, I am like Schultz "I know nothing – NOTHING!" 

[Atazman]

Hmmmmmm........  Reading that translation was quite an experience!!  You guys are something else!! 

Best wishes ........