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ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Technical Discussion - Beginner / Repair => Topic started by: Stevey_c on June 09, 2010, 05:21:56 PM

Title: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Stevey_c on June 09, 2010, 05:21:56 PM
Hey everybody! I just bought a Samurai, rebuilt the whole engine (1.3 L), and I'm trying to get it road worthy to drive around. I thought I had everything right, and then I couldn't reach speeds above 65 miles per hour, and even then the sammy struggles to keep that speed going up hill on the highway. Is that normal? What is the max speed of a sammy? I figure it's the carburetor which is an EMPI 32/36X. I've leaned it out by screwing in smaller jets because it has been running way rich, but it still doesn't have the power I thought it would gain. On top of that, I can't pass the Utah emissions test because I'm still running too high of CO.  Thanks so far for all the great info I've read on the other posts, but was I hoping I could get some specific answers.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Bobthebiker on June 09, 2010, 05:44:21 PM
mine has a top speed in 5th with the pedal to the floorboard of 75,   but 55 is about the fastest I'd say is SAFE to go.   above that, I feel its too twitchy.  yet another reason I'm getting rid of mine.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: cmatt1605 on June 09, 2010, 06:15:55 PM
ive never passed 70 in mine, it feels like theres an earthquake at that speed  ;D
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Bobthebiker on June 09, 2010, 06:25:35 PM
mine gets that at 60-ish.   to me, just because the speedometer SAYS  85, doesnt mean you SHOULD go that fast in/on some vehicles. 
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: crgm101 on June 09, 2010, 06:26:10 PM
i have 32 inch tires on my Sammy and have had my speedo above 60 but i don't know how fast that really was. It felt fine till i needed to slow down then it was a little scary but that's the fun. Don't get rid of the Sammy bob or actuallyill take it of your hands.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Bobthebiker on June 09, 2010, 06:37:23 PM
I actually need to get rid of it for personal reasons.  namely I need a motorcycle or I'm going to go INSANE.  the driving thing isnt for me.  not like motorcycling, which is way more fun.   

I'm looking at a bright red Honda VFR 750 right now,  quite possibly THE best bike in the history of amazing motorcycles.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Skyhiranger on June 09, 2010, 06:42:18 PM
I've ran mine up close to 80 before.  It would go faster, I just didn't really want to.  Stock EFI 1.3, a little bigger than stock tires.
Remember, even on a newly rebuilt engine, you are only going to have about 60-some horsepower....don't expect it to hold speed on hills and be a racecar....because it isn't.
Sounds like you could have a carb issue.....even a carbed samurai should run at least 65, with stockish sized tires on it.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: truckpdlr on June 09, 2010, 06:47:46 PM
Mine is comfotable in the 60-65MPH range. Much above that I feel like I'm being too hard on everything. It was not made to be a highway cruiser just a fun car.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: oak_raid on June 09, 2010, 07:03:52 PM
Had mine to 75, but that was with a tail wind, lol.  65-70 on flat ground sounds about right. 

Hills are another matter.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: ack on June 09, 2010, 07:43:14 PM
One of these days someone will hold a mini "gumball" race for Samurais - something like St Louis to KC or Veedersburg to Indianapolis just to see how fast these puppies (and their drivers) will go.

I have driven 65 MPH for extended times on the Interstate with 30" tires and 4.625s with very little downshifting.  It helps to have OTT on those rough Missouri highways  ;)
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Stevey_c on June 09, 2010, 08:03:33 PM
Hahaha! Dude, i would so enter a sammy gumball race if they had one! Thanks everyone, now I don't feel so bad about my sammy going what seems to be slow to newer cars. I can now let people pass me with pride knowing I own a sammy and they don't.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Bobthebiker on June 09, 2010, 08:20:36 PM
I know I've gotten up to a LOT higher speeds on my old bikes.  I almost think my old 2000 XR80 was equal to the sammy in speed.      now I'm 100% sure though I NEVER want to try doing 140mph in a samurai, EVER.  purebred suicide move, assuming it doesnt flip upside down when it hits the ton.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Zukill on June 09, 2010, 09:48:49 PM
bone stock, i got mine up to 95ish mph bump drafting my friend in his jeep downhill

when he pulled away the air flow slowed me down to 80 in about 200 feet



scared the piss out of me
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: tkmehomeplease on June 10, 2010, 12:08:19 AM
I actually need to get rid of it for personal reasons.  namely I need a motorcycle or I'm going to go INSANE.  the driving thing isnt for me.  not like motorcycling, which is way more fun.   

I'm looking at a bright red Honda VFR 750 right now,  quite possibly THE best bike in the history of amazing motorcycles.

 You shoul message me.. I got a bike you might like and could trade your sam for it maybe? Let me know.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: tkmehomeplease on June 10, 2010, 12:10:50 AM
I have had mine about 70 ish 75 ish this last month. I was hurrying home to meet my spouse before work lol
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Bobthebiker on June 10, 2010, 04:20:14 AM
I actually need to get rid of it for personal reasons.  namely I need a motorcycle or I'm going to go INSANE.  the driving thing isnt for me.  not like motorcycling, which is way more fun.   

I'm looking at a bright red Honda VFR 750 right now,  quite possibly THE best bike in the history of amazing motorcycles.

 You shoul message me.. I got a bike you might like and could trade your sam for it maybe? Let me know.

I just shot you a personal message on here.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: lv2fsh on June 10, 2010, 11:41:46 AM
I go as fast as the terrain will allow. If it's downhill, I've pegged the speedo many times so I don't know how fast it will go. Flat ground around 75-80. In the wind..........well, it's like riding a horse, don't fight it just stay with it.
Motorcycles scare the hell out of me cuz I know I would push them as fast as they would go.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: jow003 on June 11, 2010, 06:27:24 AM
fastest i ever got mine was 55 with 29s, no lift.  ill let you know after i finish my build this weekend fingers crossed. ill still need lower gears but until those 29s wear out im not gettin new ones
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: LilRed on June 11, 2010, 11:45:17 AM
My stock Sami will run 75 on flat ground no problem.  I've been passed on the interstate before by a Sami running over 80mph but I don't know what he had under the hood.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: blaster716 on June 22, 2010, 07:41:32 PM
Mine will run somewhere between 65 and 70 depending weather im heading into the wind or not.
Thats with 235 75 15 tires on it with no lift
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Stevey_c on August 18, 2010, 10:29:36 PM
So I finally figured out my problem. I had a major vacuum leak which sapped all my power. I machined the intake and it fixed the whole problem. Now I have no problem hitting 65 in my sammy with a weber carb. Thanks for all the intel yall! And sorry bobthebiker, but I'm addicted to sammy's now and I just can't give mine up. =P Thanks anyways!
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: airmanwilliams on August 19, 2010, 05:05:23 AM
how did you end up getting it to pass emissions? I just got mine back from doing emissions and they said it had way to much hydrocarbons.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Bigzook on August 19, 2010, 05:18:54 AM
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/bigzook/work/08-26-06_1223.jpg)

16v
30" tires and a 4-1 tcase.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Rhinoman on August 19, 2010, 05:42:55 AM
The British importer claimed a top speed of 81mph.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: wildgoody on August 19, 2010, 08:13:37 AM
([url]http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/bigzook/work/08-26-06_1223.jpg[/url])

16v
30" tires and a 4-1 tcase.


It doesn't count if the wheels are off the ground  :)
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: fordguy79 on August 20, 2010, 09:19:15 PM
just got a ticket in my 87 sami   75 in a 40      16v 6.5's and 32's
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Bigzook on August 21, 2010, 08:28:59 AM
Nope, wheels on the ground, flat ground freeway. I just wanted to see how fast it would go. Eric builds a killer motor.
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: wildgoody on August 21, 2010, 10:18:19 AM
Ya, I figured, just wanted to get a laugh

That's about the speed I got in the 1/4 mile with my turbo installed

Wild
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: Bigzook on August 21, 2010, 07:41:55 PM
I should have known you were messing with me. I mean, you have SEEN the power of little red. ;)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/bigzook/Moab%202009/Moab20092090.jpg)
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: ft6crt on August 22, 2010, 10:26:54 PM
So I finally figured out my problem. I had a major vacuum leak which sapped all my power. I machined the intake and it fixed the whole problem. Now I have no problem hitting 65 in my sammy with a weber carb. Thanks for all the intel yall! And sorry bobthebiker, but I'm addicted to sammy's now and I just can't give mine up. =P Thanks anyways!

Tintop with a Weber - cruises comfortably at 65. I don't even bother to push it past that. First off - this engine is in its third truck - and - these things were really only built for third-world countries.  8)

Cheers
Mike
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: wildgoody on August 23, 2010, 12:28:50 AM
You know, I really never felt real safe at speeds over 65 on
the highway, the trucklet is just too light, and I have a Sidekick
 
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: my996duc1 on August 23, 2010, 07:55:35 AM
I am sure each setup will act differently when going down the road.... since most of the setups are not going to be installed and setup exactly the same, a person will get the same setup driving differently when going down the road.

Mine runs solid down the road with no issues. I have had mine up to 80mph (GPS real speed), for a few miles with, no problems. Usuallly keep it around 60-65mph just because of the high rpms. I drive it too work a couple of days a week.

I am running a 1.6 16v, 4.30 r&p(just swapped from 5.12) , on 31" tires with YJ missing links front and rear.
No sway bars and no panhard bars.... no issues

Kinda a balance between being a good driver on the street and good off-road.

(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs589.snc3/31069_393131883882_588853882_4172100_7313616_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs178.snc4/38245_411995088882_588853882_4672983_1162322_n.jpg)
Title: Re: How fast should a Samurai go?
Post by: wildgoody on August 23, 2010, 08:18:27 AM
Nice truck.........and a cute kid too  :)