I want to put a side-draft carb on a fairly stock '72 A12 engine. It's bored about 40 over and, for right now, has a stock cam in it. (don't tell the British car guys, but it is going in a Bugeye Sprite and there will probably be an issue with hood clearance with a downdraft carb. )

I would like to find someone who has actually put a single DCOE/DHLA, dual DCOEs, or dual British 1.5" SU carburetors on an A12 engine and can give some good recommendations on jetting or needle selections to use as a starting point.

I think I've read all the info here, the guidelines aren't all that clear-cut. For example, the info on the 1200 site has recommendations for a single DCOE 40 with a 27mm choke, etc., etc., but the folks at a Weber site (www.racetep.com) say that with a DCOE 40 "the performance will not be good with anything smaller than a 30mm choke".

So ... does anyone have any specific recommendations DCOE or SU-wise?

Thanks very much
Pete
pdx.pete@verizon.net

Annoying the purists by putting Datsun running gear in Little British Cars

Hi Pete, I've got an a12 engine in my mkII Sprite. You will not have any clearance problems height wise with a side draft as it will fall just below the top of the rocker cover - you might have to modify the linkages a little though.

I've got a single 45mm side-draft Weber on mine and it runs great - I had a top carby mate here in Sydney who has been working on Weber's for the past 30 years sort it all out and here is how it goes:

45mm Side Draft Weber
34mm choke
1.25 main jet
50F9 idle jets
45mm pump jets
180 air correctors
F16 emulsion tube

Try that out and I guarantee you will smile every time you put your foot down. Anyway, just wanted to say go ahead and do the conversion - nothing is more fun than upsetting the British car purists... actually that runs a close second to driving you car with a reliable motor in it.

You are my hero.

This is great news, especially because I already have a used 45 DCOE on hand, sitting out there in the garage.

Can you tell me which series your carb. is?

Thanks again,
Pete

And another question would be about the cam in your A12 / Mk II .... is it stock?

Thanks again!

I'm not exactly sure what series my 45 DCOE is... although it's a reasonably late model one as it has the adjuster screws on the side for tuning if you have a multi carb set-up. My cam is pretty much standard I think.

Currently my engine is just an a12 bottom end, flat top pistons - (if that makes much of a difference?), a14 head and that's about it... but in a car as light as a Sprite it really goes. I'm currently building up a lightly worked a14 bit by bit with a 5 speed gearbox that I have stuffed in the back of the garage - hopefully should be ready in a month or two.... or three or four. When that's in place it will hopefully really move along.

I probably could ask about a bazillion questions, but the most important one (about the Weber) has been taken care of. Now I have baseline recommendations on both the 40 DCOE and the 45 DCOE.

Right now, I have two cars and three engines and was trying to make up my mind which engine goes where. Now it looks like the Austin 1275 will be going back in the Morris Minor (in front of a Datsun 5-speed) and the Datsun A12 will be going into the Bugeye Sprite (again, in front of a Datsun 5-speed).

I'm still new at this and it will probably take me forever, but with the help received from you and ddgonal will make things a whole lot easier.