Violet Vivid
Part of things
Reports of my demise were somewhat exaggerated
Posts: 734
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Heya!
had a conversation in the pub the other night about my Imp, and one man i know said 'i havea Reece Fish that might fit'
which prompted a very bemused look from me, and the slightly blonde-esk comment of 'isn't that american sweets?' 
This lead to him telling me about Reece Fish carbs, how they were suitable for small engines, ie under 1000cc
and saying to do some reading on them 
soo naturally I googled them & came up with the wiki link
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reece_Fish_Carburettor
Aslo found this on the imps4ever site:
Carburettors; Reece Fish
Martin Bristow has a Reece Fish carburettor for an Imp, but 15 Dec 99 he hadn't fitted it yet.
Appartently when it's well set up, it should give performance similar to the 28/36 Weber.
It's a very strange thing to look at and it's simplicity is legendary! It has no jets as such and is completely adjustable by screws
Whether this means that you can get the settings more accurate, or whether it means that you fiddle with it every week to try to get that little bit more has not been decided yet.
Literature
Little fishes! - Hot Car 1975, April. - p. 66-67
"How a smaller carb can improve power and performance": the 1½in. SU on a 10,000-mile standard Triumph Toledo was changed for a 1¼in. Fish. It was rated a good buy.
which isn't very detailed.
Now I figure this is the Best place to ask about them, about peoples experiance, and any adivce.
Unfortunately he hasn't got any manifolds with the carb, is anybody aware of if tehy fitted in the place of the standard Solex?
I'd love Any information about these, as tehy say every day is a school day!
and some pics off google:
xXx
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Violet, purple-loving Landy obsessed Purple-haired CyberPunk Almost model & occasional word wrangler regarding Landies
xXxIf she can't decide on what kind of genitalia she likes to play with you're better off without her. Move on... play with Land-Rovers. 
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Wow, haven't heard that name for a few years. i haven't got any first-hand experience with them, but the Beetle community of old used to swear by them. i'll see if one of my old tuning mags has any sage word, I seem to remember a coupla features in Hot Car, CCC about them back in the day.     Of course some Reece-fish-minnow zen meister will no doubt present themselves in due course, surely someone in the dim distant past has fitted one (or two...) to a Coventry-Climax engine. In the meantime, I've quickly found someone's transcribed text from an instruction book: The words of Leonard Reece:
Maximum power and Cruising range.
Maximum power is obtained by using the socket key provided and adjusting the fuel flow regulator screw in the fuel pickup arm with engine running at full throttle under load. Turn clockwise to weaken and the reverse to enrich until the optimum is reached. As can be seen in the diagram, this screw is only accessible at the full throttle position after the blanking plug has been removed.
This operation should be carried out on a roller dynamometer for the quickest and best results. Alternatively, adjustment can be made on the road by using an uphill section of about half a mile, approaching a roadside marker 40 mph and opening the throttle fully as the marker is passed, noting the speedometer reading at two or more points on the climb. With the engine stopped, the mixture strength should now be weakened by turning the regulator screw one clockwise on the hexagonal key. Replace blanking screw.
Repeat run under exactly the same conditions, again noting the speedometer readings. If an improvement is shown, weaken the mixture still further by the same amount. If there is no improvement, it can be assumed the mixture is already too weak and must be enriched by turning the regulator screw two "flats" anti-clockwise i.e., one "flat" beyond the initial setting.
Continue runs, adjusting one "flat" at a time until power is noticed to drop off, then return regulator screw to previous best setting.
These runs may be taken on a level road, remembering to hold the throttle fully open for the length of the run after passing the first marker until max power is attained,
Cruising range.
For maximum output and peak efficiency of an engine, the ideal air-fuel ratio of fifteen to one should remain constant throughout the throttle range. As peak efficiency produces the highest manifold vacuum reading, it is obvious, once such reading is obtained, the air-fuel ratio is correct. Therefore, by altering the relationship of the butterfly controlling the air, and the pickup arm controlling the quantity of fuel metered by the groove, radially upon the spindle until the highest vacuum reading is obtained, the correct air-fuel ratio and peak efficiency will be assured. A good quality vacuum gauge must be used when making the adjustment:
Close air bleed screw against seating and open half turn. Remove plug and connect gauge.
Start engine and run to normal working temperature. Partly loosen butterfly clamping screw to allow restricted radial movement (using key).
Adjust throttle stop screw for engine to run 2000 rpm. Using scriber, block centre hole on butterfly spindle - note effect on vacuum gauge reading.
Vacuum rise indicates weak mixture and can be corrected by closing the butterfly slightly, thereby admitting less air for the same amount of fuel. This can best be effected with a light tap on
the butterfly using the blunt end of the scriber.
Vacuum fall indicates a rich mixture- in this case it is necessary to admit more air by opening the butterfly
Reset engine speed to 2000 rpm.
Repeat operation until vacuum gauge reading remains constant as the centre hole in the spindle is blocked.
Tighten butterfly clamping screw.
Check gauge reading using scriber as before to ensure butterfly did not move when tightening screw.
Adjust throttle stop screw for tickover, and, if necessary, alter air bleed screw.
Cruising range adjustment should always be checked and reset if any alteration is made to the maximum power mixture adjustment.
Ignition timing can generally be advanced some five or more degrees beyond standard setting. Adjustments should be made progressively and tested under similar conditions as used for maximum power. „
Cold starting.
No hard and fast rule can be given, but it is usually best effected by sharply depressing the accelerator pedal once or twice to prime the manifold, closing the throttle completely and operating the starter. The engine should start immediately and may be assisted by gentle pumping on the accelerator until even running and a fast tickover is obtained, which should be held a few moments before moving off.
Important.
When making any adjustments, the throttle should always be opened very slowly to reduce the efficiency of the fuel pump, otherwise the manifold will become flooded and subsequent starting made difficult. Opening the throttle fully and operating the starter will usually rectify this.
Cleanliness of the fuel supply is of utmost importance - an additional filter should be fitted wherever possible. By removing the float chamber and the diaphragm, the "innards" can be cleaned by the use of an airline. No attempt should be made to dismantle the carburettor further as no useful purpose will be served. Care must be taken when replacing the diaphragm that it settles into the register provided. To ensure freedom from obstruction, fuel can be pumped through the spindle into a container after the carburettor has been removed from the engine. On transverse engines, a mirror held in the left hand, and used as by a dentist, is helpful in locating the butterfly clamping screw and centre hole on the spindle.
MECHANICS AND STAFF SHOULD BE ADVISED AGAINST ALTERING SETTINGS AND IGNITION TIMING DURING ROUTINE SERVICING.
AMENDMENTS
Ensure the engine temperature does not exceed normal when making "Cruising Range" adjustments as this will result in leaning off the mixture strength, which will then be too weak when temperature returns to normal.
The importance of LEAVING WELL ALONE cannot be over-emphasised. Apart from removing the float chamber for cleaning, further dismantling will serve no useful purpose.
The position of the butterfly or the setting of the fuel regulator screw MUST NOT BE ALTERED unless facilities for re-tuning are available.
The control rod or cable should be disconnected and the free movement of the butterfly spindle checked when replacing the float chamber. Do not overtighten the five securing screws.
ICING
With some engines, irregular rich running may be experienced immediately after cold starting. This is caused by ice forming over the fuel discharge holes on the upper side of the butterfly. It is particularly prevalent in cold humid conditions and will persist until the "under bonnet" temperature rises. An electric heater can be fitted and is usually quite effective, but in extreme cases, the only cure is to stop the engine, hold the throttle fully open for about half a minute to allow the engine heat to melt the ice.
BMC TRANSVERSE ENGINES
As the manifold-carburettor studs are not perpendicular, it has been necessary to elongate the carburettor flange holes. Ensure throttle spindle is horizontal by aligning the float chamber face joint square to the rocker cover when viewed from front of engine.
Mount cable strut on manifold-cylinder head stud (third from left) with rib to rear. Pass loose end of cable through strut and telescope, secure inner cable with 3 B.A. grub screw immediately behind clevis pin.And finally a simple guide to setting up the carb (again, 'acquired' from a VW forum): SETTING UP
The setting up of a Fish carburettor is, quite honestly, straightforward. All you need to do the job is a ballpoint pen, a stop-watch, a flat piece of road which is little used and - its a help but not essential - a rev counter. Before starting to calibrate the carb. it's a good idea to check that its functioning properly, especially if you have bought second-hand. Remove the air filter and check the accelerator pump action of the carb. To do this. open the throttle quickly and look down the bore of the carb. What you should see is petrol squirting out of the holes in the throttle spindle. If it doesn't do this, then the chances are that you have a blockage somewhere in between the point at which the petrol comes into the swinging arm and the point it comes out the throttle spindle, or your feather valve is not working properly. When the feather valve is pressed against the dividing plate, it should cover the 3/8 in. hole entirely. If it doesn't, position it so that it does. In its normal relaxed position, this feather valve should be about 1/64 in. away from the dividing plate so that during acceleration it can quickly seat down on the dividing plate and provide the restriction that it ought. The next thing to check is the fuel level. In the side of the float chamber you will find a brass screw. With the vehicle positioned level, undo the brass screw. and the fuel level should be such that the fuel is flush with the bottom of the hole. If its too low, then make adjustments to the float, is bend the float arm up to bring the fuel level up; if it s too high when you open the side plug, of course petrol will run out. Make adjustments to rectify this by bending the float arm down. Lastly, check that you can get full throttle when the accelerator pedal is pushed to the floor. If all these things check out okay, then we can start.
PART THROTTLE
Start up your engine and set the tickover via the tickover speed screw on the throttle arm such that you have about a 2000 rpm. tickover. Now get the ballpoint pen mentioned earlier and put the tip of it in the centre hole of the spindle. As a result of doing this one of three things will happen the revs will either go up, down or stay the same (I mean, what else can they do?). If the revs decrease then the mixture is rich. To compensate this, unclamp it from the throttle spindle and open the butterfly very slightly. When I say 'very slightly' I mean very slightly. One degree can make quite a bit of difference. While you are doing this, you must leave the throttle spindle in its original position. Just remember, you are in fact turning the butterfly on the spindle. If, when you put the pen in the centre hole, the revs increase, then you do the opposite-you close the throttle very slightly. In fact you go on making such adjustments until placing the ballpoint pen in the centre hole makes no difference to the engine rpm. For the moment that's your part-throttle mixture set.
FULLTHROTTLE
Now on to the full-throttle mixture. To get at the main jet screw you will need to remove the little socket grub screw which plugs the access hole to the main jet screw. Once you have removed this screw you can get at the main jet adjusting screw by opening the throttle fully (with the engine switched off, of course!) and inserting an Allen key into the head of the screw. Now by turning this screw in, the mixture is weakened; by turning it out the mixture is richened. The idea is to use the stop-watch and time your acceleration time between, say, 40 and 60 in third and make adjustments until you get the best acceleration times. It is always best to start off on the weak side and work upwards enriching the mixture. You will find that as the mixture becomes nearer right, so the difference in times that you check with your stop-watch becomes less and less until there finally comes a stage where richening the mixture up makes no difference at all and then after this point, the performance starts to drop off. Now to get the best compromise. between power and economy, you will need to come back from this setting until you can just detect the performance dropping off again. From here, just tweak it a shade richer and leave it at that. Just remember, you can have quite an excessively rich mixture without losing performance-all you do is burn holes in your pocket,
IDLE MIXTURE
This now leaves us with just the idle mixture to do. Re-set the idle speed on the throttle arm to give a tickover of around 1000 rpm. Now screw the idle adjustment screw right in and then back it off about a quarter of a turn, and from here twiddle with it (hello, he's getting technical Ed.) until you get the smoothest tick over. Most settings are between a quarter and half a turn out. Adjusting this screw may cause quite a bit of rpm change so you may need to go back to your idle speed adjustment screw and reset it to about 1000 rpm. Once your idle is set, then as a final thing, just go back and check your part-throttle mixture, and on completion of this, your Fish carburettor is now set up. Now I ask you, what could be easier than that? Yes, did I hear that man say a rolling road dynamometer? Well if you think you can get hold of one in your area for enough time - about an hour if you're lucky-that won't cost you a bomb, then I suppose you would be better off. But results using the open road are more efficient than you'd think |
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Dec 31, 2010 12:38:39 GMT
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My humble collection:  But never got round to fit one of them... Maybe next year when I build me a 998 engine for the Mini. Two custom made stub stacks:  Cheers, Jan |
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Dec 31, 2010 15:44:06 GMT
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Amazo's posted the setup info, that's all I've got.
Leonard Reece still operates from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire I think. Close to Lola racing cars
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v8ian
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,764
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Dec 31, 2010 16:06:47 GMT
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IIRC the Reece fish is also very good for supercharger/turbo installations
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Atmo V8 Power . No slicks , No gas + No bits missing . Doing it in style.
Austin A35van, very different------- but still doing it in style, going to be a funmoble
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Dec 31, 2010 16:21:55 GMT
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IIRC the Reece fish is also very good for supercharger/turbo installations Now you've said that, IIRC a few 80's turbo installs used Reece Fish carbs. |
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Midas
Part of things
Posts: 505
Club RR Member Number: 14
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Dec 31, 2010 19:38:38 GMT
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I think there's a section on them in the Vizard A Series book, I seem to remember emissions were the reason they didn't become more popular.
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Kyle67
Part of things
Posts: 554
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Dec 31, 2010 20:40:31 GMT
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Ran them on a Cooper S and a Sunbeam Imp Sport (SAX 526 where are you?) and they were fantastic, much easier to keep in tune than SU's.
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ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,117
Club RR Member Number: 134
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Dec 31, 2010 21:51:06 GMT
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I love the simplicity, but the devil in me questions how many you could squeeze into the valley of a V8....
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Great little carbs, dead simple.
They are prone to icing up in this weather though, but that can be got round by wrapping them in copper pipe and feeding hot water from the cooling system through it
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CIH
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,466
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"Only three moving parts, none of which work"
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