Date:         Fri, 6 Mar 2009 10:00:39 -0700
Reply-To:     Keith Hughes <keithahughes@Q.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Keith Hughes <keithahughes@Q.COM>
Subject:      Re: Replacing FI with Carbs on WBX 2.1L
In-Reply-To:  <BAY0-PAMC1-F3gHb2G10000b02e@bay0-pamc1-f3.bay0.hotmail.com>
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> Date:    Thu, 5 Mar 2009 23:36:18 -0600
> From:    John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
> Subject: Replacing FI with Carbs on WBX 2.1L
>
> I've seen mention of this a time or two, and wondered of any advantages.
> No experience to compare, so wondering what others have done, and what
> was the outcome. I have a project in mind, and FI is of no advantage in
> the application. I've got a basket case engine I'm sot of interested in
> building up as a test bed for a new kind of carburetor that may
> adequately compete with FI, of maybe even better it. Part of an ongoing
> mileage quest. The idea is not so much to make the newest and greatest
> and most efficient new car, but to make old cars more efficient -
> because if fuel ramps up again, there is going to be a lot of old cars
> resurrected from the bone yards because the new ones are going to cost
> so much as we switch over to electric or green or both.
>
> Anyone notice that fuel prices are climbing again - not so fast, but
> rising none the less. Makes me nervous.
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 Gl Driver
John, the only advantages of carburetor(s) vs FI are system costs, and
ease of repair (*if* you know carburetors).  Dual carbs creates other
routine adjustment requirements as well.  If FI wasn't more efficient
and reliable, production cars would still be using carbs.  Yes,
emissions was a big factor in necessitating the switchover, but ask
yourself why that was true - to more precisely adjust and control
air/fuel ratios in response to varying engine operating parameters.
Something a mechanical carb cannot do at all.  There were some hybrid
electromechanical carbs (Hyundai made a particularly execrable version),
but none met with any great success AFAIK.

I haven't tried carbs on a 2.1L wbx, but I did switch over to a
progressive Solex 2bl on a 2.0L air cooled in a '78 Westy.  Never liked
the throttle response, had issues with emissions, and couldn't get as
good of mileage as with FI (well, until the ECU croaked, which is what
started the process).  I went to a Weber 2bl, and it was no better, and
then went to dual DeLortos.  The DeLortos were great for throttle
response and performance, but worse on mileage and impossible to pass
emissions.  After a couple years of dinking around, I went back to FI.

Keith Hughes
'86 Westy Tiico (Marvin)