TheSamba.com :: View topic - What make/model carb? Stamp shows 32/36DFEV160

Sun Aug 24, 2025 11:09 am

1974 Westy

Is this a Weber? Or? My mechanic thought it might be Chinese made. The only stamp I see says 32/36DFEV160 and 18011.

Sun Aug 24, 2025 11:21 am

If it doesn't say WEBER, then its a Chinese copy.

Known as a Weber Progressive, it was originally used on the Ford Pinto.

Sun Aug 24, 2025 1:14 pm

If it was a Weber made carb, above the fuel inlet close to your air cleaner it would be stamped Weber. Also below that big nut for the filter on the side of the fuel bowl it would say made in Spain for the more recent webers, earlier were made in Italy.

Sun Aug 24, 2025 2:25 pm

Thank you guys. If anyone has links to posts on Chinese copies I’d be grateful. I’m now on to researching whether to trade this out for a better one - Weber or otherwise. So far the rough idle and dying at idle was fixed by adjusting the idle and idle air screws, but I don’t like the idea of not having quality designed and built stuff… especially critical parts like the carb. Thanks again.

Sun Aug 24, 2025 2:43 pm

there's tons of info here already about the shortcomings of the single progressive (chinese or not) in a T4 application. take a look....

if you're looking for something better, the dual 40 HPMX is pretty much the best bang for the buck these days. i find them to be better than the (redline) webers that are available.

Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:17 pm

I have run a progressive for 35 years and was always able to make it run fairly well and once I figured out how the adapt it to the needs of the Type 4 it runs as well as any carb out there. The modification needed to make it match the Type four are easy to do and fully reversible, they do require rejetting.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 3:48 am

Thanks. I’ll start the research on whether to switch out my likely Chinese made “32/36DFEV160” for something else for my 74 westy.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 7:17 am

If you decide to go with a real Weber, I can tell you that the 2 idle jets are accessed on the outside of the carb, so very easy to change sizes. The main jets- and the air corrector jets are changed by taking the carb top off, with the carb body still on the manifold. Jets are kind of pricey at over 6 dollars each for real webers, so it gets a little expensive to have a jet assortment on hand. Good luck Bob

Mon Aug 25, 2025 7:25 am

Don't waste your money on another, bite the bullet and get a set of Weber dual IDFs.

You won't be sorry.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 7:35 am

X2, any money put towards a single carb on a type 4 is wasted, cut your losses now and invest in duals.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 8:33 am

This is definitely a case where a Chinese copy has every chance of performing as badly as a genuine Spanish made Weber.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 8:43 am

It was originally sold as a simple cheap replacement. The design limitations allow it to work but not as well as it should. If you build a manifold heating system and adjust it properly you can make it work. I would go with duals before I would go with the carb you have. FI works even better and passes smog tests, but these days one must chase good FI parts although they are still out there. If you ever live in a state that smogs vehicles, the bus now will never pass. And, the current changes at EPA ONLY apply to GREENHOUSE gases and not other regulated gases, so smog tests are not going away anytime soon.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 11:37 am

SGKent wrote: It was originally sold as a simple cheap replacement. The design limitations allow it to work but not as well as it should. If you build a manifold heating system and adjust it properly you can make it work. I would go with duals before I would go with the carb you have. FI works even better and passes smog tests, but these days one must chase good FI parts although they are still out there. If you ever live in a state that smogs vehicles, the bus now will never pass. And, the current changes at EPA ONLY apply to GREENHOUSE gases and not other regulated gases, so smog tests are not going away anytime soon.

I have one sitting outside on my junk pile because I hate it.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 12:00 pm

I am currently running a progressive I bought for £21 on eBay because in general it is pretty bad on an aircooled VW. I wore the previous one out in about 90000 miles.

On a T1 with heated intake manifold and heated idle air feed into the top of the carburettor at about 85F, they work quite well. Basically take a 34PICT3 out of the original stock plumbing and install a progressive, open up the air cleaner intake and it goes a little better.

On a T4 it needs tuning quite rich and comes with flat spots both off idle and mid-throttle as the second barrel opens if you do not tune it right .

It was intended for engines up to about 2.8L . So our bus engines are a little small for it.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 1:40 pm

the venturi are such that there is an uneven distribution of fuel when the secondary opens. The manifolds are too cold so the fuel does not properly vaporize. That makes it run lean. Adding more fuel may richen the mixture but it also sends unburned fuel out the tailpipe. On top of it, very few people understand how to properly tune them. My experience with them was a blessing because the cars I raced successfully used them, and we had to learn how to get every ounce of performance out of them.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 4:50 pm

Are your intake runners magnetic?