Club 80-90 Forums

i have a 1981 1600CT air colled, its a VEGE engine, standard setup. electronic ignition, not points.

i keep picking up comments regarding twin carbs, it it something i shoyuld look into?

would it improve performance, i'm not after fast speeds, but a little extra for hills wouldn't go amiss?

an improvement on fuel consumption would be very gratefully received.

Hello,

monkeyboysee wrote:i have a 1981 1600CT air colled, its a VEGE engine, standard setup. electronic ignition, not points.

So far so good....

i keep picking up comments regarding twin carbs, it it something i shoyuld look into?

would it improve performance, i'm not after fast speeds, but a little extra for hills wouldn't go amiss?

an improvement on fuel consumption would be very gratefully received.

The Solex 34 Pict 4 carb you have has a 28 mm venturi for a 1600 cc swept volume..

Twin solexes for a 2000 cc swept volume have 22 mm venturi..

There is a reason for this...

If you fit twin carbs..you will lose the very good preheating 'plenum chamber' inlet manifold.

The Hall effect ignition and so on will not help..

There are several ways to up the power on a CT engine without spending much.. say from 50 to 60 bhp.

Before anything else, the engine must be in good condition and well tuned...

I get 28 mpg in my tintop..on a basically standard engine.. max speed 115 kph..(after that you run out of revs).

I will be doing a CT engine 'boost' this summer....and get it all on video..

Just to whet your appetite....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOiSOObjk2E" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cordialement,

Question for sarran1955...

I've also got a 1600 CT...

The 'plenum chamber' is gone from my engine. i.e. the exhaust pipes into the chamber are gone and the exhaust outlets were welded over by a previous owner (possibly had started leaking due to rust holes?).

Are they a big loss to the engine? Should I be looking to replace them?
Up to now I'd heard they were only there to stop the fuel icing up in very cold weather.

Looking forward to seeing the engine boost video!

Hello,

pat_cope wrote:Question for sarran1955...

I've also got a 1600 CT...

The 'plenum chamber' is gone from my engine. i.e. the exhaust pipes into the chamber are gone and the exhaust outlets were welded over by a previous owner (possibly had started leaking due to rust holes?).

Are they a big loss to the engine? Should I be looking to replace them?
Up to now I'd heard they were only there to stop the fuel icing up in very cold weather.

Looking forward to seeing the engine boost video!

Sorry to have been a while replying...I've just got back from Germany..meeting among other people a racing colleague of Sebastien Vettel..

Right....yes you really must have the preheaters to the plenum chamber... if nothing else, you will notice a significant increase in fuel economy.

As these are no longer available new.. here is what to do..

Get a standard T1,(beetle or van) 1600 inlet manifold... cut and trim the feet.. and weld them into place on your CT inlet manif. Be careful to align the plates and holes, then tack weld, then weld to finish. Make sure that the tubes are clear.. like about 1/2 way through this video..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YCecJ-J__s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If this is beyond your means. PM me, and we can see about you sending the stuff to me by post, and I'll do it here..

I hope to make a start on the CT uprated engine soon, but the workshop is very busy at the moment...and I have to finish a guest bathroom..

Cordialement,



Cordialement,

Thanks for the info sarran, I'll put it on my to-do list...

I bought the van almost a year ago and it hasn't moved since, I drove it home (limped home morelike) on 3 cylinders.
At the time it had no power at all, it was horrible to drive. It had the Hall disconnected, had a 009 distributor, front brakes were seizing, it had a burnt exhaust valve and badly damaged rings. Blue smoke, backfiring etc. Since then I've done tons of work on it including fitting a new exhaust valve, new cylinders pistons and rings, and a new SVDA distributor, and I've set the valves + timing. It starts and runs now but I haven't had it on the open road yet because I'd been getting on with fixing the brakes and lots of cutting and welding of bodywork. I hope to take it for a test drive soon. It has all been an education!

I'd have a go at welding those heat risers and see how I get on. Thanks for the offer though, much appreciated!

Hello,

Aaah..I like an Aircooled build-up..

A few tips for the welding...

Get any 2nd hand beetle inlet manifold centre section in good condition..no corrosion..

Remove and strip the CT inlet manifold..

find 2 x 50 mm sections of steel tube with an ID to 'slip ' over.

Determine your cut lengths.. brighten the metal..

Bolt everything up gently, and tack the over tubes in 2 places..

Finish and paint..

Deplace fuel lines, disconnect battery, alternator, and radio before welding.

Have fun..

Pictures would be good..

Cordialement,