AFS Bedford RL Petrol Carrier

Just looking back though your thread Duncan, some fantastic work here! If our Bedford looks half as good, we'll be very happy!

Duncan you definately need a Gipsy for your convoy !

TED

Haha - thanks Ted, however, with the petrol carrier and the goddess, together with the series 3 Land Rover ambulance (horribly under-used) and the lightweight (been buried in the garage for nearly 10 years), I think that's quite enough....

Duncan.

Well, the Lincoln Steam and Vintage Show this weekend was the first proper show outing for GYL 32C on its own and with the new mods - now with the re-manufactured foam fire extinguisher holders at the front. Just a tilt to go now - I need a lottery win!

It behaved well, covering about 150 miles over the weekend. But, it's still running a little rich and missing a tad under load, and the air mixture screw is now all the way in on the carb. Timing perhaps?

Looks lovely Duncan. Why do you think it's running rich, rather than some other problem? I assume you haven't had a gas analyser on it?

Dunno really, I just assumed that running rich would be the cause as it has been in the past. The air mixture screw is now all the way in, however, there are rather smaller clouds of dark fumes under acceleration than there were before I altered the screw over the course of the weekend. It may be the timing is out slightly, it may be other carb problems I guess. A gas analyser? Erm, no....! What might that tell me?

Duncan.

Hi Duncan,

The gas analyser would tell you whether it's running rich or not, and allow you to adjust the mixture correctly. However it won't give you accurate information, nor will the fuel burn right, if there's something else wrong. It'd be worth checking through the ignition system, plug condition and so on to make sure that's all in good order.

Correct initial position for the mixture screw is two turns out from fully home, I think.

Is the carb a 48 VIR?

I am not familiar with the carbs on the Bedford, but usually the air control merely works at idle. Once you open the throttle a bit, the carb will switch to the main fuel system, which is usually not adjustable. Often carb problems involve gunk getting into the carb and blocking the jets, or the float leaking and sinking, or the float valve wearing and leaking fuel.

Trevor

Can't remember now what model the carb is, I'd need to look. Yes, I was told to work on two screws out and did that - I kept turning it inwards until it was all the way in. I suspect a renovation is in order......!

Duncan.

It'd be worth checking everything else (ignition etc.). My experience is RLs tend to sound over-rich when they're not! Try plug colour after a run, should give a good indication.

I may have a carb somewhere, if I have it'll be new or nearly new, but I'd be surprised if an AFS truck has done enough for there to be anything seriously wrong a carb kit won't fix. Might be worth popping the mixture screw out in case someone's wound it right home hard and 'modified' the end!

Thanks Sean - yes, it might be worth screwing it out to see. It's got about 12,000 on the clock, most of which was amassed when it was in service with Clywd Fire Brigade in the 1990s after it was sold off by the Home Office, so compared with some it's quite high mileage!

Duncan.