What is the right way to attach the Micarb to the engine head of my Enfield Bullet 500?

Question

Before an upgrade to a new Hitchcock conical air filter, the carburetor was held in place by both the original (massive) air filter and the rubber manifold attached to the engine head, and it was fine.

Since the new air filter is not attached to the body of the bike, the carb plus filter combination is attached to the bike solely by the manifold, which tends to bend and move, problem aggravated by the vibrations, and I fear the carb will simply fall at some point.

Is there a metal manifold out there that would hold my carb tighter in place?

Answer 1

In the images I've seen of the engine/carb setup, the original rubber intake manifold piece, due to design, could not be made out of metal. You still need a way to attach it to the engine, and that is going to be some sort of rubber part to connect the two pieces. Due to this, I have two suggestions:

• Make a mount out of metal which would go between the carb and some point on the engine. This would be a small strap or metal piece which would, for instance, go between where the current rubber manifold mounts to the engine, down to the screws at the bottom of the bowl. This could be done with two thin strips of firm (not flimsy) bendable metal, cut to the right length, and drilled the proper size on each end for mounting. I suggest two strips, one for either side of the carb, to add rigidity, as well as symmetry. Paint them mat-black if you don't want them to look out of place (versus a shiny piece of metal). Powdercoat them if you want a durable finish.
• Fit a different carburetor to the engine. I did see a manifold which has a bolted boss on both sides. This might take a little work, but seeing as how you have an aftermarket air filter, I'm sure you are not looking to keep your bike strictly stock. The one I saw from a google image search, appears to be from eBay (UK). Here is a picture of it: