Any Mikuni Solex experts in here?

[Synergic]

Hi, I have a Mikuni Solex 30-32 feedback carb off my 1987 Dodge Ram 50. It seems the internet is devoid of information on these carbs and that alarms me, because I am rebuilding one.

One thing in particular I need to know is... I was blowing out the passages in the float bowl when suddenly a copper colored spring, ball bearing, the bore's cap (?), and possible more flew out at the speed of light across the shop. Surely I'd never find any of them, but I managed to locate the ball bearing, copper spring and a small rod (related?) but no bore cap.

Specifically, these components:
http://i.imgur.com/fCoGH.jpg

They seemed to shoot out of this bore (screwdriver pointing to):
http://i.imgur.com/sDGOL.jpg

I've already consulted the exploded view in the carb kit but it does not note these parts.
Can anyone tell me if anything is missing? What is the correct lineup of parts in the bore? Is there a substitute for the missing cap? I am convinced it is gone forever and none of the junkyards around here have these trucks. Can I just roll without these parts?

Really stuck here, any pointers in the right direction will be sincerely appreciated.

[pennyman1]

These carbs are so problematic that hardly anyone tries to fix them when they break, they replace them with a Weber 32/36 that is much simpler and works much better. I doubt you could run without those parts, and I don't have any old ones for that year truck to look at - the carbs are year specific and can change mid year and are different for auto and manual. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[Synergic]

Thanks for the reply. It has the manual transmission. Is the Weber 32/36 a direct bolt-on or will it require an adapter?

[pennyman1]

It will need an adaptor and swapping to an electric fuel pump to get the pressure and flow right without a regulator. The adaptors come with the kit, the electric pumps are separate. My 1980 has had a Weber on it since 1983 and I have never regreted it.

[Synergic]

Looks like i'll be buying the Weber conversion kit. The main reason I bought the truck was for its supposedly good gas mileage. Will the weber carb hurt that? My plan is to make this my econotruck. There doesn't seem to be any method of pre-heating the throttle body of the Weber like there is on the Mikuni (the water line). That would affect the gas mileage. Any way around that?

[camoit]

It looks like the accelerator pump check ball and spring. I can't tell you if the rod goes with it. As for a cap take it over to a machine shop and ask them for an oil galley plug that will fit it. Thats all I can think of.
Sorry you have major dilemma there. One of the other guys might have more in site for you.

[pennyman1]

The electric choke is adjustable to set the time to full open - the water to the choke causes the thermo -wax element to open the choke - bad idea when new, even worse 25+ years later. With the weber setup properly, you should see even better mileage than a good working Mikuni. The intake manifolds on these trucks are heated by coolant to help emissions - it is a common mod to eliminate the heating on starquests running high boost as it affects intake charge temp and causes detonation.