TheSamba.com :: View topic - Manx type - dual carbs near tires -Water issue?

Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:57 am

this may or not be a concern. Going to dual Kads on my buggy. This is a street car, but I do run in the rain on occasion. As I look at the back of the car, I envision water coming off the tires and soaking the carbs and air filters.

I am kicking around a couple things (real preliminary thinking stages)

#1 fabricate a plate or partial box to kind of wrap around the tire side of the cars and filter (making sure not to restrict airflow)

#2 some sort of large tubing (PVC or something) to run to each carb throat and move the air filter to a dryer location, like closer to the single carb location. Maybe run a single K&N or something instead of duals. Of course want to have large as possible tubing and smooth bends.

I would almost think that someone has already come up with something like this, but I havent been able to find it. Thoughts....

Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:12 am

Laugh if you will but take a small trashcan (plastic) that fits over the air cleaner and some or all of the carb put a hole in the top and use the air cleaner wing nut to hold it down over your airfilter. . Mud and water protection.

Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:25 am

Anything to divert water is good. I'm a big enough freak about this that we don't drive open engines in the rain.

Tim

Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:50 pm

Tim10 wrote: Anything to divert water is good. I'm a big enough freak about this that we don't drive open engines in the rain.

Tim

Oh boy, If I was that concerned about rain I'd never get out of the garage :lol:

Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:40 pm

LOVE the trash can idea. Simply and I can color coordinate LOL. I just got back from teh shop that is buiding me 1776 and I had lots of time to think. I have a couple braces that run from the rear body panel to the rear seat back that are going to be in the way of the new carb set up. So I have been rethinking this- What I am now planning is to kill 2 birds with one stone. I can fabricate a solid panel that wll shield the carbs from most of the water and function as a brace for the rear panel. Will be kind of triangular shaped. (about 10" high and 10" wide at the base)

Now - here is another question - limited metal or glass fabrication abilities and resources. What about using 3/4 treated plywood with a serious coating of auto undercoating on it. Then use the killer adhesive, Polyurethane caulking, to secure it. If I still have an issue with water, then will hit Big Lots for trash cans.

A note on the driving in rain - In central PA, it would sit in the garage all year if I waited on perfect days. We keep the vinyl top rolled up (like a regular rag top) and ready to put up at a moments notice. I know they look cleaner without a top sitting on the back deck, but just so its not pouring in the morning or way too cold, we drive it as much as possible.
Plus the kids think its cool when we drop them off and pick them up at the babysitter's LOL.

Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:46 pm

Just bear with this 'cause I had a great day today. Part one - my one daughters science teacher screwed up and misplaced a couple of her projects and just found them, so her grade just went from a D to a B+.

Then spent a little bit of time with the engine builder. Was expecting off the shelf heads on the new engine. There they were on his bench getting a beautiful port job......No additional charge - just how he builds his engines.... Ya know - it doesnt get any better than this LOL

Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:23 pm

Just shield the carbs like you said. Water really shouldnt be a problem unless it is spraying right into the carb. Moisture is normal will all cars.

If your car is trailerable and if you are bringing it over toward WB, I could give you a hand fabricating a metal sheild, welding it on etc. I have 3 welders, torches, plasma cutters, brakes, bender...pretty much everything needed to do the job.. I'll be home in a couple weeks.

Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:35 pm

My buddy has a Manx with duals, no protection other than aircleaners, and no problems with water.
We drove it from Pheonix to Seattle last year, through some terrible rain in OR and WA, with no problems.

Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:50 pm

I run Outerwears with my duals, never had a problem in the rain.

Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:04 pm

i believe they now have waterproof outerwears as well

Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:02 pm

Really appreciate the offer Jowlz. but I don't have a trailer. (Trailer queen she aint, LOL). Will wait till I get the engine back home and see for sure what I have and then go accordingly. Is supposed to be done mid week, so if I can get out there Thurs, will play with it next weekend and decide what I am doing.

Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:35 pm

I also have run dual carbs on a manx as well as a baja in some pretty good rain. Well it's nothing compared to what you get out east but for the west it was a good storm. I actually drove from Salt lake city to LA in constant rain once in my manx. man that was a long trip by my self. Any ways. I had no problems other than my condenser shorting out because the insulation on the wires was gone. So I would personally say don't worry about covering the carbs form water. I would say get some of those nifty round dual stage filters and it should be fine. Or those water proof outers if they really exist. Any one know about those? I would be very interested in finding some of those for myself if there actually out there.

Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:25 am

airraid prefilters are water resistant, check it out

http://www.airaid.com/prefilters.asp

i know outerwears makes them too, this is just what i found first.

Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:14 am

Hey andk5591, little Off topic but thanks for the tins I took a bunch of pics today and will post them later on tonight. On topic though, I made shields that wrapped around 1/2 my aircleaner (tire side of course) before and they attached to the wing nut. That way I could have them removed for show but If I saw a sign of rain it was as easy as 2 wingnuts to put them on. I got stuck in a mild downpour once and they worked great, too bad I forgot to waterproof the distributer though :cry: