Switch to carburetors Options

[DenjaCol]

Greetings;
I have been away for the forum for awhile and my restoration project has stalled. I am thinking a switch to carburetors might get me motivated to get back on it and see if it will run. I got the car from my father in law who had it parked for almost 20 years..

Looking for recommendations on carburetors, I was thinking the single barrel carbs would be best since this is a bone stock 1.8. Which carbs are best? Which fuel pump should I use? How do you power the fuel pump? Would I need an inertia switch? Just looking for ideas.

Thanks

[Arno914]

Hello,

I would go through the injection step by step and get it running instead of switching to carbs which probably will cause other problems. A well maintained d-jet (or l-jet in your case) is very reliable and original, too.
Most issues with the injection are caused by some sort of air leaks.

This great forum offers a lot of help. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Just my thoughts…

Cheers, Arno

[GregAmy]

Yeah, the FI-v-carbs scene has changed, especially here.

I came into 914s preferring carbs, but that was really due to my ignorance (the true meaning of that term) about the Bosch EFI. Once I learned more about D-Jet and L-Jet I changed my tune.

The user-side knowledgebase of D- and L- is significantly bigger than it was 20+ years ago, and is now very well supported. I'd give it another shot before bailing on it.

[914Sixer]

NO good reason to go to carbs.

[wonkipop]

i dunno, i think L jet is great.
its a lot simpler then D jet.
there are not that many components to go through.
i'd stick with the L jet.

and......a 1.8 L jet in 1974 was the first car in the world to run it.
its significant.
but if you want to tear it off and replace it with carbs.
let us know, what parts you have and we (i and others) will be interested to buy.
post a photo of your engine bay.
keep everything. all those L jet parts are significant.

i haven't got any advice on carbs.
i ran a type 3 squareback with twin solex carbs back in the 80s.
it was sh$t. stayed in tune about 3 days out of 365 per year.
i admit they were solex carbs.
but my L jet just walks all over that experience.

[Ansbacher]

OP asked about carbs. I will address that and not try to shame him back to FI.

1. DO NOT attempt to run a single carb setup.
2. Go with dual Dellortos or REAL Webers.
3. DO NOT buy oversized carbs.
4. Install a decent linkage setup.
5. Synchronization is EVERYTHING.
6. Buy a good quality snail-type synchrometer.
7. DO NOT use the carbs out of the box- jet them appropriately.
8. Ensure you have NO intake leaks, especially where the manifold meets the block.
9. DO NOT use ethanol gas.
10. Install a rotary fuel pump that runs at 3.5 lbs of fuel pressure.

Carbs work just fine if done correctly. Good luck.

Ansbacher

[bbrock]

+1 on sticking with FI. To get the most out of carbs requires changing the camshaft, which means splitting the engine. FWIW, I just got my 914 back on the road after 35 years. I rebuilt the engine with carb cam and dual 40IDF Webers. I have 600 miles on the restored engine. It runs amazing. Much better than I had hoped for at this point, and I'm already plotting a switch back to FI. I'll spare details but FI is just better. There are good reasons to install carbs, but if I were to do it again with the information now available, I would have restored my OE fuel injection rather than switching to carbs.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

don't do it

Greetings;
I have been away for the forum for awhile and my restoration project has stalled. I am thinking a switch to carburetors might get me motivated to get back on it and see if it will run. I got the car from my father in law who had it parked for almost 20 years..

Looking for recommendations on carburetors, I was thinking the single barrel carbs would be best since this is a bone stock 1.8. Which carbs are best? Which fuel pump should I use? How do you power the fuel pump? Would I need an inertia switch? Just looking for ideas.

Thanks

[mb911]

If I could easily have FI on my -6 it would be there already.. don't do carbs

[Shivers]

Just my opinion so take it with a grain of salt if you wish. 1970 Lemans, we know what happened with a carbureted 6 cylinder 914, only 5 places behind a 12 cylinder fuel injected 917. And three Porsche 914/6 GTs entered in the Marathon de la Route at the Nürburgring also in 1970. 1-2-3rd place with an induction system that I have heard described as "old technology". The turbocharger showed up in 1925. New fuel injection has become the go to system, the factory system in in my 72', in 1982, was the thing that nightmares were made of. I built the engine with a cam ground for carbs, put 40 webers on and drove it like I stole it. Other than cleaning the jets once in a while weber carbs have been trouble free. Yes, a lot more knowledge is available here now about the stock FI systems. And if you want to sell down the road, I'd say leave the FI. If not, and you can't get enough of the sound of duel carbs, make them webers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Justinp71]

Fuel injection is more advanced yes. Also burns cleaner... That being said I put carbs on my six in 2008 and its still running great! If you do it correctly it can be very reliable. They also created lots of raw power for me. I don't know much about L-jet or D-jet to be fair, I was getting rid of CIS.

My buddies car had problems with his L-jet so we switch it to carbs and it ran good for him for a few years until he sold it. Make sure you change the fuel pump to low pressure.

But because carbs have some flatspots in the acceleration and they run so rich at cruise and idle to get them right, I am going to put on a new throttle body injection setup soon. I am hoping I can keep my reliability.