When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I was looking at the carb stripping guide but it doesnt say anything about removing this other than "it can be removed" The problem is, in the carb manual it says that its un-removable. Can someone tell me how to do this or what it even does?
Air vent solenoid controls vapor recovery from the carb bowls. When the ignition is on, it opens the bowl vets to allow for required pressure equalization. Ignition off it directs the bowl vapors to the carbon canister, which for SA's is in the air cleaner lid and on FB's is on the fender well.
It's mounted on the carb below the fuel inlet plumbing. You want to take it off when rebuilding so you can clean inside and make sure it's moving freely. A hung up BVS can cause flooding and other unpleasant behavior.
On earlier Nikkis, it's held on with three phillips screws and comes off easily enough; the sleeve, spring, and plunger that it operates then just slide out the hole.
I'm not expert on the later Nikkis, but I believe the SOLENOID part is always removable (for replacement; being electrical it can fail), but on some later ones the sleeve or plunger parts of the valve might not be removable.
If you did remove it, you'd need to make some provision for the bowl vents to remain properly open into the air cleaner. Just taking it off without capping the hole would make for a vapor and possibly fuel leak source at some vehicle attitudes.
I believe most people who do a strip job leave it in place but shim it in the "open" position. That'd be the easiest route, I'd bet.
My carb is an 83' and the manual says that its "not removable" on my carb. what are the benefits of taking it off and leaving it open? other than one less electronic part to fail and less wiring . Thanks for the reply by the way!
No benefit to removing it I can see short of going for the naked look; but you need to keep it functional at least to the point of being in the open position when the engine is running, either by powering it when the ignition is on, or by shimming it in that position permanently.
Page 57 of the "Mazda Carburetor Manual 1979-1985" shows the solenoid portion as part 10, and includes the following note:
Details of the 1983-1985 air vent solenoid mounting. Note plunger is NOT removable nor is threaded brass air horn insert.
Pretty much what I said earlier; you can remove/replace the screw-in electrical part (and the gasket and spring), but not the operating plunger or the insert that holds it in place.
Based on that, I'd say leave it in place, and either power it, or shim it open if you don't want to have to worry about it failing.
what do you do to "shim it open"? I have mine on but I cut the wires off cause I thought it didn't do anything, ie its non functional. Reason I left in on is cause I found out you couldn't remove the plunger under it and it was a source of an air leak.
Well, haven't had to do it to mine (still full emissions) but "open" equals the plunger pulled all the way 'out' from the carb and into the solenoid.
Looking at the exploded drawing, I'd probably try something like taking the solenoid off, taking the spring out and then using a small piece of tubing or some turns of soft wire around the plunger stem, so it stays in the 'all the way out' position, then reinstalling the solenoid over it.
Or you could epoxy it, but that's not reversible. I try to avoid irreversible mods whenever possible just out of habit.
Air vent solenoid controls vapor recovery from the carb bowls. When the ignition is on, it opens the bowl vets to allow for required pressure equalization. Ignition off it directs the bowl vapors to the carbon canister, which for SA's is in the air cleaner lid and on FB's is on the fender well.
It's mounted on the carb below the fuel inlet plumbing. You want to take it off when rebuilding so you can clean inside and make sure it's moving freely. A hung up BVS can cause flooding and other unpleasant behavior.
On earlier Nikkis, it's held on with three phillips screws and comes off easily enough; the sleeve, spring, and plunger that it operates then just slide out the hole.
I'm not expert on the later Nikkis, but I believe the SOLENOID part is always removable (for replacement; being electrical it can fail), but on some later ones the sleeve or plunger parts of the valve might not be removable.
If you did remove it, you'd need to make some provision for the bowl vents to ain properly open into the air cleaner. Just taking it off without capping the hole would make for a vapor and possibly fuel leak source at some vehicle attitudes.
I believe most people who do a strip job leave it in place but shim it in the "open" position. That'd be the easiest route, I'd bet.
Hello, I'm experiencing all the symptoms of a bad Air Vent Solenoid on my 1985 RX7 12a engine with the Nikki Carb. Would you know if this solenoid is available new or used?
Thank you...
i just wanted to share that I was able to remove the plunger with a flat head by prying off the plastic bit. I'm just going through and double checking all of my changes. After removing plunger I just screwed the Solenoid back on, does anything need to be plugged with a Vacuum Cap?
10-19-10, 07:29 AM
. Thanks for the reply by the way!
