I’m not sure about running a triple SU set with the old distributor, as I switched to a Lucas 41060 with a Pertronix insert before I made the carb switch, so I have no experience… but I assume it would be ok…
It was my understanding that to switch the carbs without changing the dizzy minimizes the potential benefit of the carb upgrade.
Finally I agree with leaving the deposits on the backside of the valves alone. You are entering into a high risk, low reward zone if you do.
what is the preferred distributor advance? 10 degrees with 91 octanne gas?
i have the correct series 1 distributor w su’s.
thanks
ed
Hi Jay, I did this a year ago or so. You will want to change your distributor. The series two won’t work well at all. I’m running a vacuum advance pertonix flamethrower. About 200$ on eBay. You will want to modify your enrichment cables to function as choke too.
If you have the Series 1 distributor (and or S1 mechanical advance) 10 deg.btdc is a good starting point as it is factory spec.
If you have the S-2 distributor the car will run & start fine. It will just lack performance.
An S-2 dist, at 10 deg. initial and you’ll have 50 deg. total timing which is (IMHO) too much.
It’s been awhile, but I seem to remember the series two, Steinberg setup was a smog dist. And was vacuum retard.
The earliest S2s, as well as the Federalized S1½s, had no vacuum assist at all, retard or advance. Weights/springs only. Don’t know about the later S2s.
My car is a Dec. 69 build. I pulled the old dizzy out of the " correct" box. It’s a vacuum retard. No way to work that with the triple setup… well at least as far as I know.
Time to move it to the “Incorrect” box and find a vacuum advance alternative 
No vacuum on my SII distributor. I am planning on changing it out to Vacuum advance pertronix distributor but will do that as phase 2. Just planning to use the current distributor for initial startup.
When I change too much at one time it makes it harder to diagnose issues that arise.
Jay
You just leave the vacuum capsule disconnected. It was used only at tickover. So you have no vacuum advance, but neither do race cars…it only improves economy whilst cruising, not performance.
But, as stated, the S2 centrifugal advance curve isn’t optimal. Some folks use the XJ6 S3 electronic dizzy. I don’t think that’s optimal with triples either, although others claim it is.
Ha!, yea, did that a year ago… I’m keeping all the " stock/ correct" parts for the next guy…air conditioning, stromberg setup, finned valve covers, etc… just in case some one wants that factory authenticity… not for me…can’t help myself, once a hotrodder…
On the old Stromberg setup the thermostat housing was connected to the intake by means of another aluminium housing that connected via a water pipe to the water pump.
Looking at pictures online of triple SU inlet manifolds, it looks like the thermostat housing connects directly to the inlet manifold, without this other part. The measurements look correct also to connect it to the radiator hoses. So if this is the case, where does the hose from the water pump now connect ?
Unless you want to redesign the cooling system of your Series 2 (particularly the bypass system), I think you’d be well advised to continue to use the extension between the manifold and the thermostat housing, and leave the hose connections as original. I think this was discussed in detail recently on another thread - maybe concerning Bob’s conversion - I’m not sure…
To keep your system intact, use the extension and stat housing from the Stromberg, connect to the triple manifold. It’s a bolt up. This allows you to use all your series two water pump, radiator etc. Run a hose from the back out let on pump under the manifold to the heat pipe nipple on the firewall.
This is the thread I referred to above:
I asked this exact same question, as David pointed out above. Now that I’m finished I completely agree with the advice to keep the S2 thermostat housing. That way the cooling system is completely compatible with the triple SU’s.
Many thanks for the quick responses. I will follow the consensus and use the adapter. Ill read over Bob’s thread to see what other good information is on there.
Thanks
Jay
For the black metal pipe (bottom in picture) that connects the water pump to the bulkhead and is held in place by two brackets under the inlet manifold bolts. It looks quite badly corroded internally, and rust has built up reducing the diameter. Have others re-used the same pipe or converted to something else such as heater hose to make the connections ?
Jay
The easy way—guaranteed to make originalists and the purists’ heads explode—is to run a length of heater hose in place of it.
Save that, you could likely buy a new one from SNG.
Problem is that your old one has a T which is unused with the tri-carb. I just put mine in a box with the rest of the ZS parts (if someone wants the car original sometime in the future I’ve got everything, not my problem). Getting one from the usuals wasn’t in the cards at the time (quite expensive, and not in stock), so I just went to the hardware store and got some appropriate sized copper pipe. If memory serves I ended up with a reducer on one end to match the rubber pipe diameters (which is a pain, a simple rubber hose is the wrong size at one end or the other). I even painted it black so it doesn’t scream “wrong” when I look at it.
