Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 14:16 -0600 (MDT)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: BLAINE_BACHMAN%PL-01M3@ccmail.plk.af.mil
Subject: Re: Lumberyard carb conversion
Chris-
Somewhat tongue-on-cheek, I'll suggest that you only accept advice on
wood at the lumberyard.
Don't fiddle with a half-baked solution. Chuck the duals (apologies
to anyone named Charles) and buy a Weber progressive conversion kit.
Consists of a complete manifold set (two pair of runners, center
plenum, hardware) and a dual stage progressive carb. The carb is
usually "spec'ed" to the application by the importer/seller, but
better check.
Used to be these setups cost about $150 new; they're probably more
like $250 now. Fortunately, I've seen several for sale at VW wrecking
yards and picked one up for under $100. It will need a carb rebuild
before I install it on my "Project 411", but I can do that.
Somewhere I have a Weber jetting kit that I bought for a reasonable
price. This allowed me to fine tune the carb over time to eliminate
hesitation and fouled plugs. You may want to consider same, if you're
mechanically inclined.
The Weber is a little finicky if the incoming fuel pressure is too
high. Most folks who I know who have used the stock VW mechanical
pump haven't had problems, but if you use an electric, get a
regulator.
Best thing about this system (beyond not having to synch two carbs) is
that the complex linkage is eliminated. Depending on the jetting, the
fuel economy may suffer, but performance is usually increased.
BTW, DO NOT USE a 009 distributor on the Type IV engine (this ought to
be one of the Ten Commandments). The advance-at-idle it requires to
run the engine at full speed advance will cause serious overheating.
I forget the exact number, but the Type IV needs a lot of advance
(twenty something, thirty something degrees), but it usually needs to
be at or near zero at idle to keep from cooking the heads and pistons.
With a little work you can actually use the stock distributor; you
just have to find the proper tubes to connect the advance and retard
sides of the vacuum unit.
-Blaine