Interesting you should say a twin choke should give more mpg, I assumed the reason they stick that tiny little thing on the transit was to improve economy? By the way, can I use unleaded without aditive? It is a 1988 so I am guessing I can?
Engine seems happy on semi synthetic - used it in my scimitar for years so it should be OK - interestingly most scimitar specialists recommend using straight 30W oil on an essex.
60 mile journey to work caused many smiles, although the stupidly low geared steering gave me a few frights on the lanes!!
I was told (by madmark) that the essex has hardened valve seats so doesn't need addative. The theory behind a larger carb giving better MPG is you don't have to put your foot down so much to achieve whatever speed, so you are only using the second chock when you need it. On choke of a twin choke is less that the whole of a single.
no 38dgas carb only ,and yes unleaded as she is a transit and yours is a 87-88
the small carb set up is to keep the power down its a horrid set up and starves the 2 back pistons of petrol!
by fitting a webar 38dgas or dgav i think its called you will be shocked at the difrence!
regarding carbs I think you all misunderstand how the 38 DGAS works. The 38 DGAS runs both chokes all the time even at partial throttle openings. The 38 DGAS starves pistons 1,3,4 and 6 despite the difuser fitted below the carb - I accept it may be better than the single choke carb but it still aint brilliant. I am going for throttle bodies on an old IDA manifold I have managed to pick up - you can get manifolds from Burton Power to take twin 38 DGAS's and the results are quite impressive! Some scimitar racers use holleys instead.