Empi or Weber Dual Carbs????

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I am considering going from stock carb to a dual carb system and would like some advice. I have a 72 beetle with stock 1600cc engine. I am considering either the Empi Dual Carb kit with 40mm Brosol carbs or the Weber Dual Carb kit. Is one better than the other? Are they comparable? Are there other things I should consider while making this modification? I will likely go to a 009 distributor, but what about other considerations? Any advice is appreciated.
thanks, pete.

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It is no contest IMHO, the EMPI (formerly Kadron) Brosol/Solex 40 mm dual carb kit runs smoother, is less troublesome and is about the same price as the Weber ICT kit. I've owned four sets of Kads(sold all the previous Beetles and Buses after restoring them) and they pretty much run great right out of the box. They also have bigger venturi's (28 mm) than the Webers and you will get better gas mileage than your stock carburetor, unless you are having so much fun racing around! You will definitely need a 009 or similar distributor and a basic 1 3/8" header will go nicely. Some 1.25:1 ratio rockers would give some extra power, if you do not wish to split the case for an Engle 100 camshaft, but the stock cam is also fine. Check out the website: lowbugget.com for more info on the extremes to which "Kads" can be tuned. Because they are so similar to your stock Solex carb, any experienced VW mechanice can help you out if you ever encounter problems. I've never had to lay a finger on any of the sets I've had, except to adjust the linkage-to-carb screws, which is very simple to do. Neil.

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Neil, thanks for the great advice! Hey, do the carbs come ready to run out the box or do they need to be adjusted or tuned once installed?

thanks, pete

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I can't find the website you mentioned. Are you sure that's the right URL.

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Yes: lowbugget.com is the website.
The proprietor is A.J. Sims and I have seen a lot of good feedback on his work on other websites. I have this site bookmarked, so it should work...maybe try it again later. By the way, I just bought another new set of EMPI carbs, so I'm excited about starting my next project...a '68 Beetle with the original engine that will soon need a rebuild (complete with those twin carbs). Neil.

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Neil, sorry to keep bugging you with carb questions, but it sounds like you have the experience. My next question, will the EMPI dual carbs fit into the engine compart without any modifications? Will the decklid close properly without modification?
thanks, pete

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Yes, the EMPI carbs fit without any mods, at least in the late '60s and '70s Beetles and Buses that I've owned. It is a tight fit for one of the carbs (the right one I believe) in a Beetle, as the #1/2 cylinder head is positioned slightly to the rear of the vehicle, compared to the #3/4 side. I have talked to some owners who needed to slightly dimple the sheet metal near the air filter, but I believe that was only an issue for the older Kadron-style kits, because they had tall air filters. I have not yet installed my new EMPI kit, so I cannot say for certain if any adjustments are needed to the accelerator pumps, etc but the Kadron version never required any. However, the lowbugget.com site does mention that the current EMPI carb does require some adjustment in order to even out the fuel squirt of the accelerator pumps. I bought my set from a local supplier, so I will have them help me when the time arrives. Are you ordering my mail? If so, then you might want to order from lowbugget.com or CIP1.com (where I've ordered from previously). Make sure your supplier can assist you with these adjustments with telephone technical advice. Good luck! Neil.