Hello everybody,
i am still joning this forum since 2 years (only reading) but now it’s time to make a new topic, here are my questions:
1.) Everybody wants a elan whit weber carburettors, the delorto should be also ok but nobody likes the strombergs, what are the reasons?
2.) And next question: is it possible to change only the carburettors or must also be the head changed?
Thanks.
Hi and welcome,
I can answer No. 2 easily - they are different heads.
Dario
The impression I get, based on others experiences, is that each have advantages and disadvantages to a similar degree. The fact is, though, that the Webers are seen as more desirable so therefore are. Choosing between identical cars, one on Webers and one on Strombergs, most people would choose the Webers car so that fact alone makes the Webers car more desirable, Why are Healeys so much more expensive than Elans? Why are +2s worth so much less? Its all about subjective opinion.
Jim
Webers look better than Strombergs (at least IMHO 
)
Webers can develop more power and the engine response is better, How relevant this is for a road car depends on how much engine development you want to do. Both can get you a 140 to 150hp in a 1600 cc road engine relatively easily. A Stromberg head cant go much further a Weber head can get you another 30hp if you want to spend the money.
Strombergs get much better fuel economy in most circumstances though some of the recent work done by Keith (see the Yahoo sidedraft_central group) is getting Webers to a similar economy level.
Strombergs have also had better midrange torque but again with careful tuning and jetting based on Keith’s work most of the midrange torque issues with Webers can be corrected.
Strombergs can have icing problems in freezing wet weather. Not a problem here in Melbourne or for most other Elans in the world these days which just get driven in fine sunny weather.
You need a bonnet bulge in your Elan to fit the Strombergs in.
You can convert a Stromberg head to a Weber head if you really want to by sending it to John at Omnitech who machines off the Stromberg manifold and bolts on a new cast Weber Manifold.
Strombergs sometimes have a problem with starting from hot if the car is shutdown for 5 or 10 minutes
cheers
Rohan
Thank you for the answeres, it’ brings a little bit brightness in the dark
For me it means that the stromberg are not so bad as often written…
After a fairly good summer (by UK stds at least) I forgotten about Stromberg carb icing but it’ll soon be rearing its head once more. Anyone got any advice on how to minimise the problem - fuel additives, carb heaters, bus pass?
Keith’s put a lot of time and effort into fixing the various Weber shortcomings and seems to have achieved some substantial results. I’m not aware that anyone is doing any similar development work with Strombergs, even on other cars that use them, so the best we can do is keep them as close to factory spec as possible and cross our fingers. If someone was doing as much with them as Keith has been doing with the Webers we might have even fixed the hot starting / cold stopping issues by now.
The members above did not make it fully clear that the Webers and the Dellortos use the same (4 port) cylinder head. It’s the Strombergs that use the different (two-port) head.
As Rohan points out above it is possible to get a Stromberg head converted to a 4 port Weber/Dellorto head.
I often wonder why Lotus did not make the original engine with a removable inlet manifold to give them a wider choice of carburettors. I suppose it was cheaper to make it as one piece.
I had an early Saab 99 that had twin Strombergs. It had a thermostatically controlled air feed system that blended hot air from off the exhaust manifold to heat the intake air in winter to stop the carbs icing.
cheers
Rohan
As far as I can remember my old Stromberg Elan ran a lot hotter than my current Weber Elan (of course, it was an S4 with the narrow radiator and today I have a wide S3-style radiator, so perhaps that was the real issue).
Also, it loved to pink, even on good old leaded 5 star. I never figured out what was going on.
And the icing drove me crazy - early morning Winter commutes (it was my daily driver) were always miserable. I never figured out how to fix that, either.
Nick
I can never work out or understand the infatuation people have with weber carbs? I have a Stromberg S4 and it runs much more sweetly than any weber version (in my opinion) and the engine bay (again in my view) looks cooler - webers are ‘ten a penny’ and to me are a bit ‘boy racer’. Controversial comments I know but does anyone feel the same as me?
Fair comment - I was looking at the glass half empty. Aside from the few minor niggles that I had, my Strombergs were fine. And there’s so much information in this forum that I don’t think there’s any issue that couldn’t be quickly fixed today! Well, aside from the icing, which doesn’t matter any more. But in those days I was in the hands of the local Lotus dealer…
Nick
Didn’t know about the icing issue. My Stromberg car was converted to SU’s by the PO and seems to work fine. just another option I guess. 
Mario,
Looking at your note at the bottom of your post. If you want a low cost DHC LHD elan, an S4 with strombergs will probably be your best bet. The early cars, Sprints and cars with webers will be the most desired, but in the end all are elans and drive very similar. Some others on the continent have found that buying one in the US and shipping is the most cost effective. There are enough members in the US, that someone can probably view the car for you.
Good Luck.
Dan
I always assumed the better fuel economy of the Stromberg engines was due to the fact that they run a vacuum advance that one can’t run if you have a throat for each cylinder.
I have run other engine’s with out the vac advance and they got lousey fuel economy as well. At cruise you want a lot of advance.
Personally never liked the Stromberg’s since they have a reputation for burning up cars once they get some age on them.
Like Stu I am a SU fan.
The Weber is fine except I don’t have boxes full of bits for tuning them! Of course they will give better throttle response and maximum power once they are right.
Kurt
26/3754
The carbs are not really an important criterion for me, I’m looking for almost 3 years, but up to now there was no viable ELAN to find sot the slightest problem are the carbs…
But good to know that the Strombergs are not so bad as often heard.
Do you mean a vacuum advance mechanism on the distributor as my UK spec S4 has doesn’t have that and never has. The distributors run a different advance curve and static setting but that’s the only change from the Weber setup that I’m aware of.
Tell me more about the burning up problem - it’s not something I’ve come across (or even heard of).
The problems with Strombergs:
US Federal needles are too lean; makes engine run warmer than Webers.
Fix: change to “Rest of World” B2AR or B1Y needles.
Distributor has too much advance; makes the engine run warmer than Webers.
Fix: recalibrate advance curve to Sprint specification. Do not use vacuum retard (emission equipment).
Strombergs were current with narrow radiator; makes engine run warmer.
Fix: convert to S3 wide radiator.
Temperature Compensator and the emissions Vacuum Limiter (on side next to throttle spindle) are old and cause “variable tuning” problems.
Fix: block off.
Plastic fuel T deteriorates and leaks. Ensuing fire causes entire car to run warmer than Webers. 
Fix: most are already gone, but a change to a steel or brass T at minimum is necessary.
Few mechanics understand how to set them up.
Fix: ask someone who drives a fast Stromberg equipped Elan.
They can be upgraded to work on a 1700cc engine with a fairly wild camshaft profile.
A great “must do” list, thanks.
I have no experience with the Elan carburetion specifically but am talking about experience with other cars here in the States. When MGB’s were near the end of their production it was common to find the later Stromberg equipped cars in salvage yard’s in various stages of immolation. The carb would start to run rich which would make the catalytic converter run red hot then the carburetor which was above it would begin leaking. Also had a friend with a V12 Jag with Strombergs catch fire. He changed to the later fuel injection.
As to Vac advance I assume that the cars that are fitted with it run more maximum advance at cruise than the non vac advance cars. The cars I have dealt with did.
Kurt.
Kurt, no Twink was fitted with vacuum advance. Federal spec engines have vacuum retard at low revs, part of the emission control encumbrances fitted to Elans and Europas.