Not specifically mini, but specifically SU which is close enough, right?

My brother is looking at putting 3 x 1 3/4' SU carbs on his 225 slant 6 valiant. We've got all the parts, but the carbs will currently foul the extractors, so we need some spacers.

We want spacers that are about 1", to clear the extractors and give a little space to prevent fuel evaporation. But looking around they are pretty expensive - a 10mm spacer is about $24. We'd need at least 2 per carb - that's almost $150 on carb spacers. We spent less than that on reconditioning the carbs and the linkage kit!

Has anybody tried making spacers, either out of phenolic material or aluminium? The issue here is the size - 1" is pretty big to cut aluminium, and I can't find any phenolic sheet that thick.

Ideas?

I have made a couple out of 25mm aluminium (the one in pic is now 20mm), but I don't have any material left and they took a while to do.



You could get some cut (holes and all) by a laser cutting shop, most will do aluminium up to 25mm these days.

Alternatively find an alloy supplier down there that supplies the trade, they could saw you off a piece of 25mm alloy plate and then you can get a machinist to finish it off to 3x spacers.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Better off getting them water cut .. a laser cutter wont touch 25mm aluminium the laser gets to much heat off the alloy and it burns out its tips , most laser cutters here is backwards adelaide can only just do 25mm mild steel . aaaaaand as a general rule the minimum hole size that can be cut neatly in the material is the thickness of the material so smallest hole that can be laser cut would be around 25mm they might be able to push 20 but probably not .... Water jet not a worry ... 12mm hole in 25mm plate




Beanie

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I am the son of the STIG

HOTBRICKS
http://hotbricks.org.au/

'65 NCF MINI.....
'69 MINIMATIC.... 9 year resto still on the go

All of that work, sounds like it would be cheaper to buy the $150 worth of spacers.

Surely it would be more cost effective once you factor in running around and paying for materials and labour

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You're so square
Baby I don't care

I agree.
If I quoted to make 3 more out of 25mm alloy plate (by sawing + machining) it would cost more than $150.
I only made these two because I needed them and at the time, had some material I got for nix.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

You could make tube with a flange welded to each end.

That's what I was thinking, and probably the best idea. Yeah the $150 of spacers looks to be the cheapest so far, but we would prefer a single spacer, and it wouldn't look great - and you want a slant 6 with triple SUs to look great.

The setup will be something like this:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/12 ... 359zu.jpg/

But we have a different inlet manifold that keeps the carbs upright, so we need that extra space. There's enough space for those carby spacers to be bigger, but I would want at least an inch.

Where can you buy the spacer/s ready made from do minisplus or any other mini supplier them what about Karcraft?

Have you asked SU Midel what they have? http://www.sumidel.com/. Also SU Carb Coy - http://www.sucarb.co.uk/default.aspx

If they're HS6's he's fitting then you could look at other cars that used them and get some secondhand spacers - (Austin 1800, Tasman, Kimberley, Morris 1500, Marina, Rover 2000 & 3500, Triumph 2500, Dolomite and Sprint, TR7, Volvo 144S).

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

The Austin 1800 spacer is alloy and half inch thick. It's part number AYH 2174.

Maybe John at Mini King can help as he knows a lot about BMC vehicles other than Mini.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

How about making them from plastic?

That would work out alot a cheaper I would think

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Try http://minispares.com/product/Classic/Fuel/Carburettors/GUG705602GM.aspx?1302&ReturnUrl=/search/classic/spacer.aspx

Bit expensive though.

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'68 Morris Mini 1310 A+ (Now Sold!)

phenolic

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I meant as well as Mini Sorry John.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

I was secretly hoping somebody would say "Yes, I made my own phenolic spacers, and they look great!" I'm amazed at how expensive thick phenolic sheet is.