Tuning a single 40MM Kadron?

[Joel Mohr]

I had the same problem with the same kit. I went to a 50 idle, and got SOME adjustment. I think it's important to note thaty EMPI does not make the carb, SOLEX does. The carb in question is the new one WITH a choke. I took off the single and installed duals and the buggy runs fine now.....without chokes.....I dynoed a 1915 last week with a pair that had chokes and they worked just fine....for dyno time we unhooked the chokes so that we didn't have to wait for them to "warm up" every time we wanted to do a pull.....ran great and made 109 toque and 86hp with stock heads..
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SEE YOU AT THE RACES!!!!

[Wayland]

The heat risers on these single Kadron kits don't look adequate to me. If you live anywhere where the weather is the slightest bit cold or damp (anywhere other than So. Cal.) you need good manifold heat, and maybe warm air to the airfilter too. I had a pair of dual kadrons once that refused to work properly no matter what I did. Turns out that one of the emulsion tubes wasn't assembled properly at the factory. On these carbs they are 2 piece, not machined out of 1 solid piece like the old solexes, and the lower half wasn't pressed onto the upper "jet" part, but sitting in the bottom of the emulsion tube well. (hope this all makes sense). After that was fixed they worked great.

[thrown_hammer]

[Loopole]

weber or dellorto.

[thrown_hammer]

Andy,
I can turn the mixture screw all the way in and it still runs rich it never stumbles. If I turn it out at all it floods itself out and dies. With the mixture screw all the way in there was actually gasoline puddles in the intake runners.
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1974 Superbeetle Bright Orange

Keeper of the Titanium Monkey

[andk5591]

Maybe I am reading this wrong - on the mixture screw - you turn it the screw in till it stumbles or dies - I think you said this happened., then you turn it out for max RPM - then stop. You can keep turning and turning if you want, but you are not supposed to.

Once again - maybe I read the posts wrong, but I think you kept cranking past the max rpm point.

I hope its that simple - Gotta tell ya - I sympathise with your frustration with the car. I have quite a few times that it feels like my buggy is fighting me. In fact - she and I had a long talk this weekend about it (must be the exhaust fumes). We determinbed that my buggy is an older female and she does not like messed with too much. She absolutley refuses to go to a storage unit for the rest of the winter- so stupid crap keeps happening that I have to fix. Everytime I am done - something happens. So - try to relax - these things aren't rocket science and 99% of the time, results are predictable. Take a break - have a beer and talk to your car. Andy

But - try to chill out -
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D-Dubya Manx clone 1914. Ex wifes car.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Ex-wifes car.
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[thrown_hammer]

Talked to Serranos. They are taking the carb kit back and sending me a new pict-34. When I took the intake off there was actually gas pooled in it! That was with the air/fuel screw all the way in. I put the old junky Solex back on until the new one gets here. I would steer clear of the single Kadron kits. I don’t know if I just got a junk one or not but I haven’t talked to anyone that hasn’t had some sort of issue with that kit.
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1974 Superbeetle Bright Orange

Keeper of the Titanium Monkey

[thrown_hammer]

I am still waiting on the jets from the place that sold me the carb. I decided to at least give that a shot. They are sending me a 50 idle jet. A.J. sent me a 58 idle and that didn't work so who knows if a 50 will work. If it doesn't the carb is going back.
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1974 Superbeetle Bright Orange

Keeper of the Titanium Monkey

[splitpile]

We just dynoed an engine with new EMPI Kadrons. It took major jet changes to get them to operate properly.

Even though they were duels, according to EMPI they should have been jetted for a 1600, the engine was a 1904 and ran so rich it wouldn't idle

We needed to change the idle jet, go down in the main jet, drill out the air jet 20 larger and we put a spark plug tip between the nut and the rod on the accelerator pump to get a longer and earlier squirt for better throttle response. Timing set at 29 at 3000 with 009 and Compufire.

After all the jetting and dizzy change (had an EMPI dizzy that did not work first) we gained over 20 hp, it was a lot of work.

From what I have seen Kadrons are set up all wrong and take some serious work to make right. At least you are smart enough to listen to AJ, he'll help you get it right.

I am ready to go through the kadrons on my bus after over 65,000 miles
they are starting to act up.
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Stocking distributor of "The Funky Green Panels"
www.BUSTORATION.com metal and more for your bus
"no more hacking my sig line"

[synapticburn]

Man, I just read this whole thread and I have to tell you, screw the crappy EMPI stuff. I mean if you buy it from A.J. he checks them out but from someone else..

I mean you just want the car to run right don't you? Get a refund, or if they won't take it back, buy another one, try it, and if it works return the old one with the new reciept! Screw em!

When you factor in the money / time you've already spent, you're better off just switching to a new setup entirely. I had nothing but problems with my Kad's, my 48 dells on my 2275 pull like a mother and always start up with no problems. (BTW, A.J. did the heads on my 2275 too, he knows his stuff)
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Ronnie
'66 bug, 2275cc slowpoke (no name yet)
'98 GMC sierra (grandpa truck)
'05 Vstrom

[thrown_hammer]

Okay. I will wait to see what they have to say. Should I Swap out and try a new carb or just send the whole kit back and be done with it?
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1974 Superbeetle Bright Orange

Keeper of the Titanium Monkey

[sloans265]

Back when I use to sell VW parts a customer bought a Kadron kit that had one bad carb(acting similar to yours) , I called them up and explained situation and they shipped out another carb no problem. Hope their still as helpful now!
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1970 Lotus White Panel
In search of any Pensacola Fla dealership items

[mharney]

ONE idle size should not be causing this mess.

There's just no reason for it unless something is wrong with the carb, and if it is EMPI, that's a distinct possibility. OR you're missing something. Good luck.

[thrown_hammer]

Put in the new needle/seat. Also the new jets. A.J. sent me a 58 idle and a 135 main. The jets that came with the carb were 55 idle and 130 main. I figured he would send me smaller jets, but what do I know. Runs exactly the same. I called the place where I got the carb. They said I needed to try a 50 idle jet. Will this make any diference or should I just give up? He is checking with Empi to see if they will take the carb kit back since it has been on the car almost a month.
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1974 Superbeetle Bright Orange

Keeper of the Titanium Monkey

[thrown_hammer]

I hope this fixes the problem. I am becoming a pessimist with this carb. Every time so far I am sure I have found the problem it doesn’t help. But if this isn’t it what else could it possibly be?
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1974 Superbeetle Bright Orange

Keeper of the Titanium Monkey

[krusher]

It can be hard when your chasing problems and your learning all the time. Pity its costing you money to fix a bad carb, sending stuff back can be a real pain in the ass though. So if this fixes it no harm done.

[mharney]

This kind of goes with the suggestion to check the needle and seat, but not exactly. I guess I figure I'd find things like this while I was checking the needle and seat. I'm glad you discovered that. It'll go a long way toward solving your problems.

[thrown_hammer]

[Loopole]

if that was the case when you looked down the carb throat while the engine was running you would see fuel, lots of it running out the float bowl vent tube, send it back, also you saw no changes when you pinched the fuel line off, didnt run any different, you are wasting your time.

[thrown_hammer]

A.J. told me to take the top of the carb off turn it upside down and blow into the fuel inlet. He said if I could overcome the needle and seat by just blowing in the inlet they were bad and needed replaced. There was no resistance at all. I verified this test with the two other Solex style carbs I had in the garage and I couldn't blow past either of those.
So I ordered a rebuild kit and jets from A.J. so I would be sure to get the correct shim for the needle and seat. Also ordered a main and idle jet from him just for insurance purposes. Heck if I was sold a Brand new carb with a bad needle and seat who knows what size the jets are?

Stay tuned.

P.S. That A.J. Sims guy really is the man.
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1974 Superbeetle Bright Orange

Keeper of the Titanium Monkey