Sambar Timing and Carburetor Tuning

In this video I adjust the cold/warm idle setting, distributor timing, and idle mixture screw on my 90s ks4 Subaru Sambar

[@postbreak]

Thank you for this video, this is my first carbed vehicle and you explained everything very well. I'll be using this as a guide for mine!

[@Ronnach16]

Good follow-along through your adjustments. Thanks for the clarity on exactly what you were adjusting on the carb. Much appreciated!

[@millenniumtree]

Great guide to adjusting a carb. The procedure on my '69 MG Midget with a Weber DGV carb was basically the same. Thinking of getting a mini truck soon. Thanks for the great content!

[@1555yodude]

for those doing this in the future i pulled the wires out of the wire combs and timing was much easier to manipulate finely

[@CabezaDePistacho]

its RARE for a carburator to go bad in a subaru sambar.... its usually ALWAYS a worned out distributor cap that makes it bog down when accelerating... i replaced, the timing belt, fuel pump, fuel filter and didnt fix the 'bog down' problem... as soon as i changed the distributor cap it started running like a champ!!

[@wrenchfriday]

I’ll double check mine but the new one I put in there is only a year old so I’d be surprised if that was it. I raised my idle a little and it definitely help

[@CabezaDePistacho]

@@wrenchfriday if you bought a Geneuine one, then its a good chance its still ok.. but if you bought a fake one maybe it got worned out too quick... but the carburator should always be the LAST thing to look at.

[@wrenchfriday]

Will check

[@tsikada]

You are a legend thank you!

[@wrenchfriday]

Thank you!

[@jmont7828]

Great video! I followed along to adjust the timing on my Sambar. I want to eventually get a timing light on it to double check, but it definitely runs/idle smoother with more overall power. I fell like I had to advance the timing quite a bit though (almost all the way) Wonder could that be an indication of something else needing attention.

[@wrenchfriday]

Glad to hear your truck is running better! Definitely wouldn’t hurt to check the timing with a light to make sure you’re not too advanced because pre-ignition can be pretty hard to hear in these trucks

[@prestonlynch2512]

Hi, appreciate the video. So on my 91 Sambar it sat for about a year. I have filled with new fuel, cleaned carburetor , replaced fuel filter, fuel pump, fuel cutoff solenoid on carb, accelerator pump, distributor cap and rotor, installed new vacuum hoses (all of the 1/4” ones) and am still struggling to keep it running. Ran fine before! It only starts with carb cleaner then seems to run fine. Def has fuel pressure to carb. Plugs are not wet nor running lean. Bogs out and dies after running 20 seconds or so like running out of fuel. Revs up to high RPM just fine. I’ll be honest and say that the small needle screw that you were adjusting I have found the very tip point, bottom of it broke off inside of the carb making adjusting impossible. Would this present this type of issue? Odd how it runs fine, then dies out completely like starved for fuel but could be wrong. Float height issue? Thanks!

[@wrenchfriday]

I think that would cause an issue- with the tip off the needle you might not be pulling enough fuel through or the opposite and it’s stalling from being rich. You might be able to find a new idle jet to replace it

[@lovesautodetail]

Nice video

[@matthewcondie2048]

So on the Sambar’s mixture screw, is counterclockwise lean and clockwise rich? Most carbs are the opposite, but I’ve been trying to figure mine out and that could be the problem.

[@wrenchfriday]

I think so yes. I’ve tuned the screw all the way clockwise/rich and it still ran so it makes sense

[@jacobboles2712]

So does turning right on the idle fuel mixture screw make it more lean or rich?

[@jacobboles2712]

Also is there a stop when turning left (counter-clockwise)?

[@Melicoy]

This seemed purely subjective... here...there...here. Is there any objective points you can give.... not sure what I am actually trying to accomplish....