Picked up my '74 2.0 this evening after getting a new set of EMPI 40mm's in place of the Weber Progressive that was on there when I bought the car last year.

Wow. It's like a different car.

I was expecting a little better throttle response and less gurgling/flooding, but here's what I found:
No gurgling or stumbling at all... big difference there.
Instantaneous throttle response
Quicker throttle take-up - I think the cable has less play than before. This is the biggest change and one I'll have to adjust to... I found myself revving to 3K RPM to get rolling in 1st gear. Got to get used to a softer touch.
Smoother running at idle and throughout the rev band
Big difference in sound.... this one I wasn't expecting. With the single Weber, there was a lot of burping, popping, etc, sounded pretty mean. Now it's got a deeper, throatier, smoother howl. Didn't touch the exhaust, but I swear there's a big difference in the sound. Can also hear the carbs sucking air at times.

All of this is more impressive since I was driving home in 30-something degrees. The Weber carb had major issues with cold temps, due to fuel condensing in the intake runners.

My mechanic also changed the trans fluid.

So far I've only driven it ~10 miles on a scenic drive home from the shop. Hope I get another drive this week, although they're predicting snow... which means heavily salted roads.

Oh, and here's my "ask":
My mechanic had a very hard time getting the carbs dialed in. It's running rich right now, but he said the engine doesn't seem to like when he leans it out. Can others please share tuning/setup/jet sizing/etc. tips for my setup? It's new EMPI 40mm carbs on a stock 2.0 motor, for street use.

Much obliged, and happy

The cars like to run a little rich, helps to keep them cool. Do you read plugs? You may want to go to the next hotter plug.

My dual Weber 2056 runs a little fat and it likes it that way.

I edited your title BTW.

You will love it , I felt mine was dangerous with the singel Carb.

When your in a safe place to due this , Peddle to The Metal, Sweet music.


Dave

P.S. If you don.t have them allready get some ," Rain Hats "

I still have an intact rain tray... still a good idea to get rain hats?

After bringing her home last night, I figured she ran so well in the cold (and with snow predicted Friday, didn't want to miss a chance) that I'd drive her to work today.

But when I walked up to the car, I noticed a small puddle. Under the FRONT.

Brake fluid.

It's a slow drip that probably started on my way home last night.. I had to make one quick/sudden stop. Appears to be coming from the vicinity of the Master Cylinder, dripping from the dirt shield below there.

Didn't drive it to work... but here's a question: If I top off the brake reservoir, is it safe to bring it the ~3 miles to my mechanic's shop? I'm afraid how much more fluid will have leaked by the time I get home from work today...

Don't sweat it. Totally safe so long as you never need to stop.

Play it safe and get it towed, or jack it up and remove the cover and fix it in your garage. Replacing a master is not hard to do, but it does take some time, especially to bleed it all firm again.

As to jetting, I don't know where the stock EMPI 40s start. Do you know if you are fat at idle, or at revs.

Zach

The fuel enrichment valves have a tendency to stick open on those empis and go full rich. I jb welded them shut.

what is a "fuel enrichment valve"?

how low was the resevoir? I would not gamble with brake issues

any chiltons book at FLAPS has a spark plug reading guide in it. slightly rich is OK but if it lays alot of black soot in the tail pipe, that's too rich and will dirty up the oil quickly

single center mount weber is a good carb only if your low on dough and you need it to kinda run ok to get you places in warm weather above 3000rpm

intake sound (carbs) are a large portion of the total engine sound. modern cars have big air boxes designed to reduce this. rain hats will reduce it and change the tone. Porshce six music is enhanced by it. we useed to flip the air cleaner lid on our muscle cars to make it louder

ps. winter tuning may be too rich in teh summer

Damn... Just got back from Fairfax Station, VA. I spent two weeks there driving around; DC, MD, VA. Didn't see a single 914! Glad you are there to represent.

There aren't many on the roads around here. I know of maybe half a dozen in northern Virginia (mostly members here).

If I may hijack my own thread...

My 914 has a 19mm master cylinder, installed by the previous owner. Assuming my new brake leak is going to require a new MC, do I keep with the 19 or take it back to the stock 17mm?

I've seen other threads debating/debunking the advantage of a 19mm MC - whether it actually improves braking or just changes the pedal feel. Would it be more work to switch back to 17mm? (e.g. would the 19mm MC use different brake lines or any other modifications that I'd have to undo?)

No other mods needed... If the car felt "hard to stop" I'd go to a 17mm. I run a 17mm on my autocross car for modulation purposes. More travel, but more 'resolution' at the pedal.

Its possible that the PO put one of the el-cheapo URO masters on it. I bought one a few years ago, and it started leaking from the top a few months later. Then I bought the real MC and its been great.

You can buy the real one in 19mm for a lot cheaper then the real 17mm.

Zach

It could also be somehting as easy as a split boot where the hose from the filler goes into the cylinder. its worth putting the car in the air and looking.

Zach

Thanks.

From the look of things before I left my house this morning, there were several ounces of fluid on the ground already... and the reservoir wasn't empty, so I'm afraid it's leaking out of the lines.

Come to think of it, my method of getting the car off the ground is to roll two wheels onto ramps - I don't have a floor jack. I wouldn't dare attempt to drive it up onto ramps without knowing if the brakes will stop it when I get to the top...

So chances are good that it will sit til I can get it towed.

Holy crap!
Several ounces?!

Are you SURE its not fuel? I would think that several ounces would deplete the reservoir. Both the fuel drain and master cylinder are in covered by the skid plate.


Zach

With that much I would expect no pedal left.

Yeah, fuel was my first thought too. But it was too thick/viscous and didn't smell of gasoline. And although I was rushing to get to work and didn't pull off the dust cover, the drip was coming from right below the MC.

I even opened the brake fluid reservoir to smell it and see if it was a "match" for the stuff dripping onto the ground... seemed pretty close. I'd compare it to vegetable oil for viscosity.

Babydoll lives in Fairfax Station. Henderson and Hampton roads are nice 914 roads.

Even in the height of the best weather of the year you won't see "any" 914's on the road in the DC area. I can think of at least 15 914'ers in the area, though. I'm tucked away for the winter with no heat (or electricity) in the garage. The track schedule for PCA Potomac is posted so we're looking forward to the track season. Roll call for DC area 914'ers...

flipb in springfield
pinetreeporsche in baileys x-roads
root in sterling
jmuriz in arlington
type47 in vienna
johny blackstain in new market (yea, not exactly DC area)
bob in ?
wrightee in montclair, VA
angerosa in reston
babydoll in ffx station
geniousanthony in alexandria
Gary Brindel in Bristow, VA
norustscott in sykesville
william1764 in MD
jimkelly in milton, DE but formerly from NOVA
sdubovsky in silver spring
Karl in Silver spring
Mike Spraggi in silver spring
zymurgist in hagerstown
plas76targa in frederick
914rat in Prince Frederick
nozzle in MD?
degreeoff in BOOOOOOWWWWIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE, MD
Rick L in Columbia
Crash914 (herb) in woodstock MD
evan b in MD
sorry, that's all I can remember off the top of my head.
also, jsayre in York, PA and Vacca rabite in dallastown, PA, saigon71 in dillsburg, PA, ghuff and kenshapiro in b'more, Dr Evil in western PA, scottyb in richmond

If you are able to keep the rain tray installed then no, you don't need rain hats.

First the carbs.
Find out what jetting you have on them now, get all the sizes and write them down, they can be tuned better, but you may need to change jets and venturis.

On the fluid...dab your finger in it and smell it...gas and brake fluid have different odors.

If you dont have jacks and a set of jack stands, now is your excuse to buy them....you cant own one of these cars without jack stands and a good floor jack.

Rich

Buy good equipment too. Your life depends on it.

The 914rat in Prince Frederick

Crash914 somewhere in the Howard County MD vicinity... (EDIT: Ooops, see now that he was in there)

Now that we have our distribution list, who's up for a DC-area winter gathering? I'm thinking we pick a couple dates so we can be flexible if the weather sucks... maybe a fun driving route that ends at a lunch/brunch/bar place?

I' m in alexandria on belvoir. Definately in for a meet thoufh.

There are informal Porsche gatherings for "breakfast/brunch" in the area; 1st Sat is a breakfast in VA and the 3rd Sat is a brunch in MD. Info can be found on pcapotomac.org (PCA Region site) and dorkiphus.org (DC area site). Maybe attend one of those...