512BB carbs gummed up stuck wide open

if there is coming out brown oily fuel? very bad ! ! !

so drain all the fuel, clean the fuel tanks, clean the pumps, put in new fuel hoses, remove the carbs and clean them. only so you will get sure that it is all ok. otherwise could be when you drive that one or more cylinders will get less fuel and will overheat then. result would be a hole in the piston.

good work

 

Good day Jeff,

Given that there was some nasty stuff in there, it would be best to do a a light rebuild on the carbs, as there could still be residue present and cause grief with the jets, etc...and thus makes for an inconsistent and poor running car. Carb rebuild kits are relatively inexpensive and it does not take too much time to rebuild the carbs and then tune them up. I do mine every Spring, as my BB sits all Winter, and for some reason I find it therapeutic ... Taking my time, I find that I can remove, clean, rebuild, reinstall, and re-tune my Boxer in about 6 hours or so. For rebuild kits, I suggest you purchase the kits from Pierce Manifolds, as other kits seem to have incorrect washers, o-rings, etc.

Cheers,

Sam

 

Why was the car not started in a year?

 

Good day Jeff,

I understand totally. However, if there was particulate in the gunk that fed and/or evaporated within your carbs, then this particulate can lodge into the numerous orifices, etc within the carbs... the result... crappy running, etc. Secondly, doing a light rebuild (i.e. thorough cleaning and replacing gaskets, seals, etc) would have only a slight impact in your tuning. Yes, the carbs would need to have the idle mixtures re-set as well as the carbs re-synced, but these two tasks are straightforward and do not require a ton of work... anywhere from 30mins to 2 hours. The real magic and effort in carb work is the full rebuild (or restoration) and/or the modifications to address altitude changes and fuel formulations. By modifications I am referring to the selection of the various metering components (jets, emulsion tubes, etc) and understanding how each of these components affects each other and ultimately the performance/characteristics of your car. It is these mods that are time consuming, as the process is somewhat iterative, but also because some components are not directly accessible and so some level of carb disassembly is needed. Assuming that your carbs were all "set", then the jet, emulsion tube, etc selection would not be changed and what is left is simply idle mixture and carb syncing... which, as I mentioned, is not that complicated and so the cost should be reasonable.

As for my BB... well, it is not like I have not thought about it. I have no plans on selling, however, the recent price escalations may force my hand somewhat. You see where I am vehicle insurance on vintage and/or specialty "old" cars is somewhat problematic. If a specialty vintage/old car exceeds $100K or so then the conventional insurance underwriters will not touch it.... and so one has to use a specialty car policy (different underwriters) which typically has a lot of restrictions... i.e. can only drive on weekends, to/from car shows, etc. For me I drive my BB as much and whenever I can... if I am unable to do this, then it is a problem.

Cheers,

Sam

 

Good day Jeff,

It could also have been the fuel formulation too... Indeed these kind of changes would certainly impact the carb requirements... and thus would require someone with the skill, experience, and patience to determine what and how best to modify the stock settings to address the needs of your car.

As for the Boxer valuations... it is tempting ... All I can say is that it is about time that the collector group woke up and has finally seen/experienced the magic of these wonderful cars All I can say is that every time I take mine out I am continually impressed with it and its wonderful engine.

Cheers,

Sam