Solex or Carter?

I'm ashamed to ask this question, but this is my first 4-banger... Is this a Carter or aftermarket Solex carb?

It seems to be running rich (fuel smell and slight black smoke). My next question is going to be, is the air/fuel mixture screw the one just to the right of the idle screw in the third picture? Is there a standard "starting point" for adjustment? I.e. 2 turns out or something like that? I would like to get somewhere in the correct neighborhood before fine-tuning...

 

Don't over-estimate the level of my carb knowledge... Do I adjust until it smooths out, then repeat until the idle is down to around 600?

And thanks for the clarification on the Carter vs Solex Billy!!

 

I prefer my idle to be higher 900 to 1k. That is just me. feels smoother at that speed than at the lower one.
So, yes adjust the mix screw for smooth.
After it is warm (say 10 minute idle) turn the mix screw in untill it starts to loose that smoothness, then back out 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn.
That is after setting the initial with a could engine. Turn the screw in gently until it just touches, then back out 1 1/2 turn (no more than 2 full turns out from gentle touch).
On mine I set the idle then drove for 5 to ten minutes, then reset the idle to the 900 mark on my tach. I repeated this 3 or 4 times and now it is where I want it.

That screw with the spring is the mix adjustment, although I seem to remember it being called something else.

 

Solexes tend to run rich, oftentimes you can't fix it. Some people add a fuel pressure regulator to them to adjust the pressure down to about 1.5 lbs (I think) and that can fix it but not always. I have a brand new Solex and couldn't stop it from running rich even with a pressure regulator. I'm not a master mechanic but I do know my way around a carburetor and feel marginally comfortable with my skills and I just couldn't get it right -- still had the fuel smell out the tailpipe no matter what I did. It ran good but just smelled of fuel.

 

I fiddled around a little more with the Solex tonight. It seems like it runs the smoothest with the mix screw ran all the way in?? Does this indicate a vacuum leak somewhere, allowing more air in? Doesn't make sense to me... It'll run with the mix screw out about 1.5 turns, but I have to crank the idle up pretty high and it is so rich it'll almost sting your eyes in the garage.

 

Oh, and one other observation, just in case it matters... I pulled off the ghetto-fab air duct/radiator hose thingy that was hose-clamped to the neck of the Solex and ran over to an aftermarket air cleaner. With it off, the carb sucks air like a 300lb woman at the end of a marathon. I was afraid to get too close, lest my shirt might get sucked in. Is that normal? Talk about VACUUM....

 

Lol!

I think you're probably onto something with the timing... I think I need to be adjusting all the variables (timing, dwell, idle, and fuel/air mixture) at the same time. Otherwise I'll never get it fully "tuned". I have to get my hands on a timing light and a dwell meter. I stopped at the FLAPS last night and they have stopped renting electronic equipment...

 

It is possible that you have the wrong idle jet ( in the Solex, might be an air jet), which is allowing too much fuel to enter at idle.

Or maybe the solex for the flat head instead of the one for the F head.

 

One more question on the Solex. Is it possible to run a cheap FLAPS 4" air cleaner on one? I didn't see any provisions for a threaded stud inside the carb, but I didn't look too close. For some reason, I still feel like its sucking in too much air around the booty-fab air horn...