Club 80-90 Forums

Does anyone know if the webber 34 ICT carbs are any better than the stock solex on a CU ?

Are they likely to give a better performance ?

Webs are like Marmite. Better off with dellortos on a 2.0.

Hi

It is so difficult to find definitive answers for replacement carbs on the internet. I was going through a similar debate about 12 months ago.

Delortos are no longer manufactured and so you need to find a second hand pair on ebay or somewhere. They are more expensive (twice the cost??) but do seem well regarded.

However, I decided to replace with twin Weber ICT 34s. My view is maybe slightly tainted as my twin Solex carbs were knackered so comparisons are a little futile. Comparing 34 year old worn Solex carbs against new Webers carbs is perhaps unfair!

I now have far more power, pulling up hills is easy, motorway cruising at 65mph is possible, 23mpg on motorways achieved. I do think using a reliable source to fit the carbs is advantageous as I suspect many of the reported 'issues' are due to the initial set-up. Mine were running a little rich but my mechanic has adjusted and now runs really well. Only struggle is that they do not have chokes, so I need to warm up a little to begin with (a little throttle for 30 seconds and then idle for 5 minutes is my usual routine). No great shakes though and probably better overall for the running gear.

So, if you are having trouble balancing the carbs, poor running, no power (all related to your carbs!) I would recommend the Webers!



Mike (2.0L CU)

Thanks for your inputs,
So do the webbers go straight on with no modifications needed ?

I believe the kit from VW heritage is a 'simple' fit. No fabrication or other parts required. I had my fuel lines replaced at the same time too. I didn't fit myself so cannot be completely confident, but I didn't get charged for any other parts, just labour....

Obviously they need to be set-up correctly.

Hi all,
Just had the stock Solex carbs on my 2.0L CU replaced with Webber 34 ICT's. The work was done by Graham at Rawspeed in Plymouth. I cannot recommend an engineer more highly. He is an expert on air-cooled VW engines, has a rolling road, built his own VW engined dragster and is a really friendly guy!
As to the van, the difference is incredible. I'd had the stock carbs refurbed by Steve at Gasure so I was pretty sure they were wern't too far out but the engine lacked power and wouldn't pull on hills. Now it pulls like a train! Smooth, even power right through the rev band and much better acceleration. Too early to report on fuel consumption but Graham reckons I'll see an improvement there as well!
Happy days!
Rob

I've never had any success with webbers in 30 years (and don't think much to them) but if you do fit a webber, you'll definately need a rolling road to make it work. Add that cost on. You'll never get one running perfectly at home. Everything else needs to be in A1 order too. A new webber will always work better than a worn solex but doesn't mean its a wise or even cost effective move. Just my two penneth.

You can get more power if you force more fuel in but theres a cost attached to that, plus what goes in has to come out. The exhaust plays a part as does timing and advance. They're hardly efficient engines by todays standards. To get the best out of an engine you have to work on everything.