I've seen the advice... dual carbs or FI... DON"T GO SINGLE CARB! I plan to return to FI, possibly over the winter, but unfortunately right now all I have is a single carb and it's not running very well and I want to drive the car for a while before winter.

Anyone have a single progressive carb setup that runs OK? Not looking for blistering acceleration just something driveable. My problem is giving gas off idle causes a stumble and I need to work the gas to be able to accelerate. Don't know if single carb can be driveable or if just something wrong with my setup. Have tried different settings of mixture.

The car is a '71 1.7L with Weber 32/36 DFEV.

It's a continuous nightmare......

I have been living with the same setup for the last couple of years. I am also planning on going to stock FI this fall. I am currently using the car every day, including during our CA central valley winters. It is OK in the spring, summer, fall, and a dog in winter. Have you checked the idle speed and mixture? I don't seem to have too much trouble once the car is warmed up. My idle is set around 900 rpm, with the mixture set about 1/2 turn counter clockwise from a just smooth idle.
Sorry if this is not much help, but it can run well enough to be a fun drive in not too cold weather.

it's a good setup.....well
depends on your engine size....

what size is your engine?

mine is a 1.7.....was told that anything over that would need a dual carb....

i'm waiting for the winter...

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Aug 29 2005, 07:10 PM)

it's a good setup.....I was told that anything over that would need a dual carb....

Stop listening to that guy.

Single carbs SUCK.

How many times do you have to be told???

Mine is also a 1.7L. The single carb is a terrible induction system in the winter. The fuel seems to settle out of the air in the runners, and the car is very difficult to keep running. If its cold enough outside its like the car never warms up!
At other times of the year it is fine as long as I don't park for more than 15 minutes and less than enough for the engine to cool. The elec. choke likes to close before the engine is cold, and is too slow to reopen. This makes for a hard and smokey/smelly start. Once it reopens all is fine. Acceleration is adequate, and milage is OK. I've been averaging about 26 mpg on my daily commute.
No flat air cooled engine should have only one carb.

you can make a single carb work on a 914.i drove for two years on one.you have to run rich to get it to work right with your motor.this is the reason why people recomend againts using one.YOU CAN MAKE A SINGLE CARB WORK.you just wont be doing your motor any favors in the long run or get anytype of performance/economy period,but you can make it run smoothly.i ran a dgav weber.make sure your ignition is all in order first.b4 you start on adjusting the carb.you may have to jet up to get it to work right.a single carb can get you by.till you get a better fuel system.
james

Aw for Cryin' out loud....that carb was made for a PINTO!!!

Doesn't that tell you something?????

i dont care either way....i'm staying out of this one. I'll watch


where's my popcorn?

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Aug 29 2005, 08:10 PM)

it's a good setup.....well depends on your engine size.... what size is your engine? mine is a 1.7.....was told that anything over that would need a dual carb.... i'm waiting for the winter...

who tells you these things??

do you have a little BS fairy whispering in your ear at night????

that carb will flow enough to feed a motor up to 3800 cc's (depending on rpm of course)

it has nothing to do with size, it's the piss poor logistics of getting air AND fuel from the carb to the cylinders....

now back to the question...can you adjust the accelerator pump? (these should have "something" akin to that I would think???)...it sounds like it's starving for fuel at acceleration (which is why one person recommended to run the carb a tad rich)

I ran a real great t4 Bus engine on a single carb. Ran great and it was so powerful I could pop wheelies. It was even faster with dual carbs.

Hmmm, I ran a single 1 barrel weber in my 1.6 Ghia and it ran like a tank. Warm and cold weather. Zero problems. Dirt cheap. Bought it at Buggy House in Hayward, CA. Did I mention it was dirt cheap? Hot and cold? =-)

I did hear of a guy who heated his intakes in the winter... Didn't get the details though.

Quote from another website:
Are you running with the vacuum advance on the distributor? If so plug the vacuum hole in the carb and the line to the distributor and see if that helps. I tried using the vacuum advance without luck and am now only using the mechanical advance. I set my timing at 34 degrees total advance at 4000 rpm and let idle advance work itself out. This eliminated the stumble I had with my setup.

Hope this helps..

Oh and for the FI option. Hot VW mag just had a FI setup article in detail. Probably search for it. $3K with everything included. U install the O2 bung and the laptop for tuning.

Roger

Cold weather solution for the flat 4 engine. See "rear view" discription.

QUOTE (rogergrubb @ Aug 30 2005, 02:50 AM)

Hmmm, I ran a single 1 barrel weber in my 1.6 Ghia and it ran like a tank.

T-I manifolds have heat risers.

this isn't the best for performance but it's what you have to do to keep the fuel vaporised in a long-runner manifold.

i have no idea how to add a heat riser to a T-IV -- especially since there are real solutions available. (like the ones the engines were delivered with...)

All you guys with a 1.7 I have excellent F.I.set up on E-Bay now. Item # 7996678699. Also had a single Carb on the same engine, I have a big bore ,short stroke,engine with webers. If the F.I. could be modified to fit and run right it would be on there NOW. Good system for someone. Dave (this is a blatant commercial i know)

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions. I'm running at 34 deg advance at 3K, have no vacuum line to the distributor (there is no port for it), and the vacuum hose plugged at the carb. THe carb primary seems to dump a lot of fuel when revved from idle so I think if anything I've got too much, not starved.

As for cold operation, not driving in winter (no heat exchangers) so not an issue.

I have been running the single carb on my 1.8L for quite awhile. It is not ideal, BUT it has NEVER stranded me. And it ALWAYS starts. Mine was set up by a professional mechanic with lots of 914 experience. It also has an aftermarket cam (not stock FI cam.....it is my understanding that this make alot of difference).

QUOTE (jr91472 @ Aug 30 2005, 05:29 AM)

Mine was set up by a professional mechanic with lots of 914 experience.

O....k.....lot's of 914 experience.

you may have your advance set up alittle to far,try 30 /29 advance.
james

PP's tech article on carbs states to set the advance to 35deg....

QUOTE (SEEMORE BUTZ @ Aug 30 2005, 05:32 AM)

QUOTE (jr91472 @ Aug 30 2005, 05:29 AM) Mine was set up by a professional mechanic with lots of 914 experience. O....k.....lot's of 914 experience.

yep....my point being that I didn't do it, and therefore could not offer any advise on how to set up.

And my point was.....wait I had one....

Oh yeah...an experienced 914 wrench knows how to work on FI and would not throw a crappy Pinto carb designed for an INLINE Ford on a 914.....

But IF it's the only thing ya gots.....run it richer than a green burrito fart cause it won't run otherwise.

My '73 2.0 has a Weber 32/36 DFAV installed by the PO. Eventually, it will get duals or FI, but right now I have more pressing problems to address.

My ride is not a daily driver, and will basically be a good weather three seasons fun ride with an occasional autocross.

I know that a single carb is not the ideal setup, esp. in colder temperatures. But I have rebuilt it and it runs very well in 70+ degree days (have not used in cooler temps yet) albeit a bit rich (seriously, just a bit). Yeah, it was designed for a Pinto originally, but were the 40 idas, etc. specifically designed for the type 4? And what in the heck does that matter, anyway?

If you don't like single carbs, or carbs at all for that matter, great. Do not put them on your car. But what is with the "you are a dumb ass with a single carb who knows nothing" sermons? Lets give it a rest people, and simply enjoy our rides.

Cool yer jets Joe Bob ....I doan see anyone here posting that installed them....just guys that are stuck with them...

What I do see is people saying there's no problem with them. There IS a problem....they have been known to burp and cause fires.....the recomended set up is detrimental to engine life and does nothing for performance.

Most if NOT ALL single carb installs are done because an owner was talked into it by a wrench who doesn't know FI. So calling a wrench an experienced 914 mechanic that puts a single carb on a 914 is an oxymoron.....

That's the point I'm trying to make.....

are you talking about ME?

YOU cool YOUR jets.....

I didn't have the money/time to put into getting either the 1.7 FI or the 2.0 FI to work correctly....so the solution at present is what i did...


it runs good enough at over 90deg...drove it everyday. With the exception of my one problem, I spend less time on the side of the road now than I did before...and with that, I call that more reliable...

yeah I know that me getting high 20s/low 30s MPG is because my engine is breathing through a straw and that my engine won't last that long blah blah....I know that already, but this 1.7 was kinda just thrown in the car to get me going awhile so I can save up to build my 2.2 or bigger engine....with megasquirt.


so yes, I *KNOW* that my carbs worked way better than both my 2.0 and 1.7 FI systems in thier current state, but I know that I could do better too.



soapbox mode=off

is britt gonna cry?

no.

I have a computer I need to put linux on. I enjoy that.

sorry I brought it up

pretty much man, some people think it works from real-world experience and most think it doesnt work

if you go with FI, my advice to you is to go aftermarket.

if you go carbs, and you do single carb, dont tell anyone about it on here....

I had the pinto carb on Dad's car. It went lean & blew a hole in a piston. I turned the carb into a fishing weight.

QUOTE (markb @ Aug 30 2005, 11:35 AM)

I had the pinto carb on Dad's car. It went lean & blew a hole in a piston. I turned the carb into a fishing weight.

gave it the old float test....

I had a Pinto carb on a car that I had and it worked freakin great.






It was a '72 Pinto...

QUOTE (Headrage @ Aug 30 2005, 11:43 AM)

I had a Pinto carb on a car that I had and it worked freakin great. It was a '72 Pinto...

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Aug 30 2005, 02:29 PM)

if you go with FI, my advice to you is to go aftermarket.

Dude... would you freakin put that crack pipe down.

Maybe... just maybe you really oughta FREAKIN THINK before you post.

We've had the discussion before. There is nothing wrong with the factory FI system. Properly maintained with correct vacuum hoses, MPS in working order ect... it is flawless. Tell you what I'll give you my orginal FI system and you give me the money you would spend on an aftermarket system. Then I'll go buy another OEM system and pocket the difference.

Come on Sprout think

we need a britt dodd intervention...

screw the OEM stuff.....

I have a box with three harnesses that are shot
one new 1.7 MPS
two computers--a 2.0 and a 1.7


been listed in the classifieds for a long time, and nobody hooked it.

in my experiece, I spent more time splicing wires and fixing corroded wires than I did driving the car....

never smoked in my life.

b

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Aug 30 2005, 03:27 PM)

in my experiece, I spent more time splicing wires and fixing corroded wires than I did driving the car...

but this was, in part, because you believed it was more cost-effective that way, and because (i am ass-u-ming here...) you looked at it and said "how hard could it be?"

this is where a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

most people look at the harness and say "what a nightmare," sigh, and write Jeff Bowlsby a check for a reman harness.

the harnesses are old, the engines ran hot, and stuff gets brittle. you get wires with broken conductors inside the insulation inside the sheathing.

this is one reason 928's show up for next to nothing all the time - they have electric everything and all of it gets intermittent glitches. there's about a mile of wire in a 928...

but i didnt have the $$ to buy a new harness....

then replace my type3 MPS with one that actually was supposed to be on my car

then just when i thought i was taking care of the problem, my engine died....plugs were all super white, ash coated plugs from running lean.....

so i decided to just go with the carb until i could think things out.