Help. I need to find a linkage part.

What's wrong with these?

BTW; the ball studs not only snap sometimes, but rather come loose. I had two which messed up syncronization. I fixed them with a proper weld.

Best from Germany
Martin

 

I've only dismantled my carb linkage once Martin (just got the carbby last Fall), so maybe working with them gets easier over time (although I'm going to do my best to minimize that time going forward)? I found them difficult to even remove given their small size, inaccessibility, and how they were installed. I'm guessing they're not going to be much more enjoyable to reinstall (which Lee has apparently already discovered).
Do you have a tip for working with them?
- Dave

 

Sorry, no specific tips for working with them, except using a new one each time. But I assume, that you do so (?)
Best
Martin

 

Well, that's too bad....I was hoping you had a double-secret technique or incantation you recited before working with them. As I said above, I'm going to experiment with alternatives because I just didn't find them that enjoyable to work with.Thanks for the response Martin.
- Dave

 

What I can tell you, is save your money and avoid this solution below. Why? Inserting those specific clips is just as fiddly and if you lose one, you are in bigger trouble than when losing a cotter pin, because they are available nowhere as a separate part. How I know? This system is stock on my '72 Alfa GTV.

Image Unavailable, Please Login


Best
Martin

 

You can buy new ends and steal the clips from them.

I converted my 308 throttle linkage to not require any clips at all. It did require a change of all the ball pivots. I've used these on many cars over the years.
Available from speedwaymotors.com, pegasusautoracing.com or Google "quick release ball joint"

 

Interesting...the ball and socket assembly is held closed with a spring; is that correct? If so, no issues with it changing carb sync or opening unexpectedly? Did you have any clearance issues with the ball's bulkier nuts on the backside of the pivot as Lee did? Finally, did you also have to change the threaded rod in the linkage? It looks like the sockets you referenced are all SAE thread.
Thanks for the tip Steve....another project for sure, but looks like a good investment; especially when the linkage is already apart and especially if it helps overcoming some of the dread in working on the carbs in the future.
- Dave

 

Dave,

The outer sleeve is indeed spring loaded and I've never experienced an accidental separation. My oldest installation of these things dates to 1993, and that car is still with me with linkage working fine. The sleeve needs to move about 1/4" to release the ball, which is extremely unlikely to happen without human help. I imagine the spring could break, but why would it? The only time it really moves/flexes is during removal/install which is a very infrequent thing.

As for clearance, I believe the diameter of the ones I used (Speedway on the Ferrari) seemed a bit smaller than the OEM Ferrari ones, though it has been 3 years since I installed them.

The ones I used are SAE thread (which I keep in stock) so other threaded rods are required for the 308 installation, but there are metric versions out there, easy enough to find.

 

Thanks Steve. Considering the ball sockets’ orientation in the Ferrari linkage, I assume their spring tension must be fairly high to keep them closed? I was concerned that the springs could introduce some “give” in the linkage and upset the sync between the front and rear carbs; something that’s not a worry with the stock-style threaded caps keeping the balls solidly locked in position with just enough free play to prevent binding.
- Dave

 

@bitsobrits - Please disregard my post above; I had a basic misconception about how the ball was retained.
- Dave

 

Glad you figured it out But that does bring up a fundamental difference between this retrofit and the Ferrari parts: the Ferrari ball socket fit is adjustable. In the retrofit type the ball to socket fit is fixed. I like that, but others may disagree.

 

The springs cannot flex while in service, because, when looking closely, there's no "pull" on the rods, but only "push". That's also the reason, why a little play in the stock system doesn't affect synchronization.

Best
Martin

 

What you say above is true for the Ferrari parts, but the line you quote from me was speaking only to the aftermarket parts. In the aftermarket parts, the springs do not flex in either push or pull, only when the retention sleeve is pulled back.

 

Understood. The ball end and the threaded portion is one part without possible relative movement. I still ponder about how the internal design looks with the spring acting on the outer sliding part.
Best
Martin

 

This is what I was missing the first time around, but I also thought it was theoretically possible for the ball to act on the spring off-throttle in - admittedly - some bizarre situation, but I now see that was another shattered misconception.

Ugh, Lee, I truly feel for you man; this is exactly what happened with the carb rebuild kits.
In any case, thanks all for the tips.
- Dave