Carb/cam ?s, OK... Maybe FI. Options

[Bob L.]

Hello (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

I'm pretty new on this "side" so some background.

Got my '73 1.7 back in August, she ran (a bit rough). After rebuilding the brakes and replacing the alternator I was able to enjoy it for a day until it coughed, sputtered and stalled. The fuel filter was clogged and the tank had some crust in it.

I have flushed the fuel lines, had the tank cleaned and lined and will be replacing the rubber lines. now I need to address the single (yes, Single) carb which could probably use a rebuild. I don't know if the cam was changed to be carb friendly. I suspect not.

So now I've got a couple of questions, I'll just put 'em out there...

-Is there a way to tell if the engine has been opened? Or to know that it hasn't been opened?

-Is there a way to tell, from the outside, if he cam has been changed?

-Are the "twin Weber carb" packages on e-bay worth a shit?

-What size is right for a 1.7? I have read about the drawback of too large a bore. I'm guessing 36-38 should work.

-Is there a difference between exhaust mountings on a 1.7 head and a 2.0(or larger) head?

-Can anyone identify the carb pictured below? Should there be an adjuster or screw in the hole with the arrow?

- Can anyone tell me how to adjust the position of pictures in these posts?

That's all I can think of for now.
Your thoughts, Please.
Thanks.

[jcd914]

IMHO Don't waste your time on the single carb, get rid of it.
I don't know anything about the carb kits on E-bay but just about anything will be better than your single carb. The dual Weber 40's seems to be the popular choice here.

Your car should run well with or without a "carb" cam but a cam specifically carbs will get you more power.

No guaranteed way to tell from the outside if the engine has been apart or if the cam has been changed. Often you can tell if an engine has been a part due to different or sloppy sealants, new or different parts but if it was done well and like OE you may not be able to tell.

The exhaust mounting on all the stock 914 (4cyl) heads are the same.

It is a Weber progressive 2 barrel carb, decent carb bad application for it's use.

Jim

[SUNAB914]

Can't tell anything by the pics, but I have used these for years with good success as daily drivers. Look at the back side of the carb towards the rear of car, should be mixture screw if it is a weber progressive carb, I would think they all would be designed the same. Timing, valve adjustment, and distributor used are the important when making any of these engines function properly. Do a proper tune up and continue to play with it, you may get it to run correctly, but it may be so old and gummed up it will need a rebuild or replaced. Make pic of your whole engine bay and post here, but from what I see, I would just take everything off, replace wires, plugs and cleaning is in order. We can help. rebuilding that carb is not difficult. good luck. Your question about the duel webers on ebay: don't buy them, find Italian duel Webers or Dell's. You could get a good set for 300-500 dollars and rebuild yourself.

[Jake Raby]

Don't EVER expect that engine to be optimized with that particular carb and intake.. They sucked on Ford Pintos and they REALLY suck on the TIV.

I used to sell them for 5 bucks each when I would get them on core engines, but they aren't even worth that.. Now we just belt up the Browning 1919 and do the world a favor by sending them to orbit!

(IMG:https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s320x320/383019_2948970680889_1160006259_33298074_129335593_n.jpg)

[Bob L.]

I have no illusions about what that carb is going to do for me.
Hopefully it will just work now that the fuel tank and lines have been refreshed. I'm considering a dual 40's setup.

Jake, do you still like (relatively) the EMPI Weber copies?

When I'm done maybe I'll let my .380 have a crack at it. Wont shoot it into space but it'll dent it real good. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/boom.gif)

[Bob L.]

You wanted pic's of the engine bay... Here you go.

While taking these photos I found the little carb screw in the last pic. It fits in the empty hole referred to above.

Could it's absence be responsible for (or contribute to)rough transition from idle starting out in 1st or going to 2nd? I'm sure the crud in the filter had something to do with it.

[Bob L.]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Good news, She runs again!! Apparently the carb isn't screwed. I was hoping it was just a clogged filter. At least I have time to think about what improvement to make.
I have one vote against the e-bay Dual Webers. Any other opinions? One(1) is not a very large sample size

[Socalandy]

I went direct to http://www.webercarbsdirect.com/ instead of dealing with Ebay and have had not issues with the carbs after 4 years but the linkage arms broke and I bought the Redline kit

[Bob L.]

There are currently two good options, I think, currently on e-bay. One is a set of weber 40s and the other, dual dellorto 36s. Both come with linkage hardware and manifolds.

Any input on which would be better??

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190629482360?_trks...:IT&vxp=mtr

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/220933080252?_trks...:IT&vxp=mtr

[Valy]

Much easiesr to get rebuild kits for Webbers but 36 would be good for 1.7.
the 40 are for 2.0 and a bit big for it as well

[Al Meredith]

The big problem with the 32/36 is that they "ice". The aluminum manifold under the carb will get very cold and even ice over in damp weather. If I do install one I don't use the thick stock gaskets, I use steel caskets so the inlet runners get heat from the heads transfered up tward the manifold.

[Bob L.]

Valy, you hit the nail on the head, I'm leaning towards the dell's based on the size matching the 1.7 better. I 'm not aware of Weber making a 36 or 38 dual setup. Do/did they?

I've read about the "icing" problem before, but I think they were referring to the single carb setup with the long runners.
So, it happens with duals also?
Strange phenomenon! I wonder why that happens.

[Dave_Darling]

Icing happens because the venturi effect that is the main operating principle that carbs work on lowers the temperature of the air as well as its pressure. Even more importantly, the fuel atomizing into the air stream lowers its temperature as well. Add water to that, and you can get ice forming.

Duals generally don't suffer icing problems because they are just a few inches above a nice hot cylinder head. They also don't tend to get that much drop-out and manifold wetting because the metal is warm and the run is short and straight.

The single-carb setup has long (relatively) runners that make about a 135-degree turn. So a good bit of the fuel winds up on the manifold walls.

Those, and other reasons, make tuning a single-carb setup on a flat-four engine a real b*tch. And are some of the reasons that VW installed "heat risers" to warm up their manifolds on the single-carb-equipped Bugs.

--DD

[Valy]

Valy, you hit the nail on the head, I'm leaning towards the dell's based on the size matching the 1.7 better. I 'm not aware of Weber making a 36 or 38 dual setup. Do/did they?

I've read about the "icing" problem before, but I think they were referring to the single carb setup with the long runners.
So, it happens with duals also?
Strange phenomenon! I wonder why that happens.

I had Weber 36 on my Alfa Romeo. Original equipment BUT this was and European model.
It was a 1.5L with 115 HP

[Bob L.]

missed out on the Dell 36's (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

Can the 40's be choked down to a 38 or 36 by changing the inlets?
That goes for Webers as well as Dell's.

[Mikey914]

The best bet is really a stock injected system. You will get better gas milage, and you will not really see much of any increase in performance for the gas burned. The cam profile of the stock cam is not ideal for a carbed motor.

I had a webber cam installed to take advantage of the carbs, rebuilt a set of used webbers, and just got it running. It sounds cool, but we'll see how much more power it gets. I have no idea about hte millage, but i guess we'll see.

[Bob L.]

After searching for a nice dual carb setup to replace my crummy Weber progressive, missing out on 2 e-bay auctions for dellortos, I a pleased to announce that I have made arrangements for and await delivery of a...

Complete fuel injection system?

Yup!

Don't ask me why. It's exactly the opposite direction from what I intended to do when I bought the car.
So, what the hell am I going to do now!

[saigon71]

After searching for a nice dual carb setup to replace my crummy Weber progressive, missing out on 2 e-bay auctions for dellortos, I a pleased to announce that I have made arrangements for and await delivery of a...

Complete fuel injection system?

Yup!

Don't ask me why. It's exactly the opposite direction from what I intended to do when I bought the car.
So, what the hell am I going to do now!

Bob:

I don't have any experience with carbs on a 914, but I think you made the right choice for long-term driveability.

If you went with a a stock D-jet setup, you need only reference this page:

http://members.rennlist.com/pbanders/djetparts.htm

Bob

[LotusJoe]

I replaced the 32/36 progressive with a 38 DGAS Synchronus and have run it in 5 LeMons races with excellent results. I've not experienced any of the icing problems your referring to. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) I have found this carb to be very easy to tune. I think it is an inexpensive alternative to the dual down draft setup.

[Bob L.]

"If you went with a a stock D-jet setup, you need only reference this page:..."


yes.
Stock D-jet, Ive been reading up.