Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

This thing is fitted to the carburettor flange on my Morris Cowley.
Is it an original fitment or some sort of aftermarket device?
Its clearly intended to introduce a swirl to the incoming mixture.
I suspect the car would go better without it?

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

It reminds me of an aftermarket economy accessory, various types were produced over the years. I've a booklet somewhere on one of them from the 1930s, I'll see if I can find it. Whether it's the same I can't be sure from memory - neat thing though.

RJ
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alanb · Joined: 10 Sep 2012 Posts: 516 Location: Berkshire.

I have seen an advert for something similar many years ago, the idea I believe was to create air turbulence in the induction, thereby improving air /fuel mixture. Whether it was fitted to your Morris from new i wouldn't know.
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Peter_L · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 2:59 pm Post subject:

I have seen similar things too, I think the idea was to spin and atomize the fuel for better performance and increased mpg.

Back in the day there were so many of these "things" that in theory, by adding them all, my Mini would have done at least 150mph and managed 200 mpg, all without burning a single drop of oil. Wink

Rich5ltr · Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 678 Location: Hampshire, UK

Get rid. If they worked we'd be fitting them now.

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

Peter_L · Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 8:09 pm Post subject:

Look here.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a310/1802932/

Scroll down to "Vortex Generator" . The full article is interesting

There was likely more financial savings in not buying these devices in the first place.

Rich5ltr · Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 678 Location: Hampshire, UK

I'm a great believer in getting back to how the original designer intended and then applying basic tuning theory; improve inlet flow with porting and polishing, increase compression ration to benefit from modern fuels, look at exhaust routing and finally ensure carburetion, timing etc. and spot on. There's not much more to be done with 80+ year old engines.

Rootes75 · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 12:46 pm Post subject:

I can't really see it helping either but I wonder how many years your Morris has been running with it fitted?
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jp928 · Joined: 07 Jun 2016 Posts: 249 Location: Australia

I recall seeing something similar on a car from the 70s - large SU, had a brass plate behind the butterfly with many short pointy teeth on the back, facing in toward the head, at an angle to the airflow... Cant remember what it was now.

jp 26 Rover 9

Kleftiwallah · Joined: 27 Oct 2016 Posts: 222 Location: North Wiltshire

Good afternoon Miken, don't bin it. It may be a good item for a "What is it" question at some future club quizz night.

I wish I had hung onto some of the 'stuff' I've had instead of binning it.

Cheers, Tony. Smile

Paul fairall · Joined: 17 Nov 2016 Posts: 429 Location: North west Kent

mikeC · Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 2:51 pm Post subject:

I had something similar on an Austin Seven I once owned. I never did any scientific side-by-side tests, but that car was the most economical Seven I have ever had! I believe the item fitted to my car was called a Cox Atomiser, but I can't find any information on that name on t'internet, so I may be mistaken. It was a different design to this one, having a sort of conical mesh centre,; it certainly didn't appear to do any harm!
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Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4756 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi
It definitely looks like it is thought to improve combustion by swirling the fuel intake, in a similar way to the swirl valves which were eventually fitted to diesels.
Unbelievably there are still such devices available.
https://thunderproducts.com/shop/quad-flow-torque-wing/
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alastairq · Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1954 Location: East Yorkshire

Skoda Estelles [at least, the one's I took apart?] had something similar in intention.

The twin choke [Jikov..an improvement to the Weber copy]....carb sat cross-ways on the manifold.....with the primary choke furthest from the manifold runners.

Underneath the carb insulation block was a plate with a similar idea to the topic of this thread.

Without the plate, running was often a bit more 'spluttery'...so it seems the intention was to create a swirl effect?
[Skoda engineers were not known for 'getting it wrong'.....]

This would be on the 5 port 105/120 engines.

A known mod done by the 'rally' folk was to grind out the basic figure-8 hole on the inlet manifold, to make a bigger hole altogether....then remove the plate! It was also easy to modify the diaphragm-controlled linkage that opened the 2nd choke, so they both opened together! That did nothing to improve fuel consumption. The Jikov carb was also useful, from a performance viewpoint, because the driver could acquire high-speed enrichment 'on demand'...by using the choke lever! Since the choke system was passageways, etc..and not a flap over the venturi, like many other carbs...there was no restriction to airflow if the choke lever was yanked.

I used to trial a Skoda Estelle more than 25 years ago....all a bit pre-internet, so made useful contacts amongst the old rally competitors...who competed in the production classes, with very tight sets of rules...back in the '70's and early '80's! Amazing the tricks that could be practiced, yet remaining within the rules!