Date:         Fri, 6 Mar 2009 12:16:47 -0800
Reply-To:     Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Replacing FI with Carbs on WBX 2.1L
In-Reply-To:  <ccafde090903052343o9e8c185s2c03ecc0e62d086d@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I love to see my name in PRINT!  :-)  I bought my 91 syncro westy with a Solex carb and a home made adaptation of a beetle air- intake manifold.  It worked fine, but when I bought a real European carb air-intake manifold, I also bought a new Weber 2 barrel progressive car (DFEV I think) and had an adapter plate made for it.  Both carbs started with just a touch of the starter (no crank, crank etc). and the real benefit is the simplicity (as has been mentioned) as they are a "1 wire engine" and they use cheaper lower pressure fuel pumps.  I got about the same gas mileage as other syncro westies.  Folks who drive the van commented that the power was "right now" as the carb poured fuel into the engine.  I should say that I ran it with  a Cat-converter.  I was VERY happy with the set up, it performed well from the deserts of Egypt to the mountains of Switzerland.

I sold the 91, and I was going to convert my 89 Dehler Syncro 16 to carbs too, but I went the Bostic Zetecroute instead (I'm also very happy with this set up  http://www.bostig.com ).  If I could find a carb for the Zetec, I'd convert in that too.  Carbs give a lot of warning before they fail, unlike EFI which can strand a person anywhere without warning.

One item that anyone much consider and that is exhaust emission testing in your state.  Carbs may not pass.

If anyone wants to, try searching the vanagon archives for Stebbins Carb for more information.  m2cw  Malcolm






________________________________
From: BenT Syncro <syncro@gmail.com>


 John,   As Tom Hargrave said, no carburetor system can approach the efficiency of FI system.
However, if you want to know more about carbs for Vanagons, drop Malcolm Stebbins a line.
IIRC, he took a stock European spec T3 (Vanagon) intake manifold and substituted a Weber
in his older Syncro.    BenT