Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 22:10:38 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: How bad is it to have dual carbs instaed if the FI on an 84
In-Reply-To: <20130821004844.5b1abfb42e68152b2ba559f3@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I'll take a poke at this one....I just revived a couple of carburetor
motorcycles after a long storage period and I have been working on a few
4cylinder motorcycles with EFI, concurrently.
First, if you know nothing much about carbs...you will be learning as
you take the ones you are looking at apart, most likely multiple times, to
get the old gas gunk out of all the jets and stuff...Carbs do not go into
storage or take kindly to not being run with our 'new' crummy blended gas...
.Carbs also are pretty crude when it come to the ability to run well at
various altitudes...If you go from a well tuned sea level area of operation
to anything above about 5000'....you will be running poorly...EFI...fuel
injected cars, they can vary the fuel mixture and the timing... by reading
the exhaust gas, etc and sensing knocks as the fuel explodes rather then
burns as it should.....Carbs do not...you must change the jets, etc...as
you move the vehicle up or down in our atmosphere...Maybe "your" van still
has a knock sensor on it...probably not though....
On the other hand, you can get surprising power from a carburetor
vehicle without messing with programs and chips....Certainly won't pass any
stringent emissions testing..
Finding mechanics that are comfortable with carbs is becoming difficult.
Fuel injection is really much better, even the fairly crude Digifant that
vanagons had/have is much less troublesome to keep running right than a
carbed engine....
Unless you are getting a super deal on this van, skip it. It *may* be a
perfect conversion from fuel injection...but even that is a step
back....and chances of it being perfect are pretty slim.
On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 9:48 PM, A J <flavanagon@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
> I am looking at a van it is an 83 or maybe an 84 but it is water
> cooled,and it seems to have been converted to dual carbs from the fuel
> injection. Im not sure if such was available factory so I am wondering if I
> am going to be in for a bunch of hassles? It doesnt looked butchered or
> anything but it is weird to open the hatch and look at dual carbs with
> little individual air filters and a connecting rod connected from the
> accelerator linkage to a long pivit rod that connects both carbs. Im not
> positive but it kind of looks like a dual carb setup that would be on an
> aircooled.
> With just a quick look around it seems like some of the wiring and "boxes"
> that are on my 87 arent on this at all. Was told it did run fine but has
> been sitting. Am I asking for a whole big bag of troubles if I do go on and
> buy this van?
> I personally wouldnt have a concern about the carbs other than would they
> be more of a hassle and is there a power loss/increase. Can anyone
> enlighten me with the pros and cons with this setup? Im thinking without
> the electronics all over the engine it may be a more reliable,less costly
> motor to care for but Im just guessing. Any input/opinions appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> A J
>
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