Amazon Chinese Carburators

[cancelja]

Do those cheap Amazon Chinese carburators work properly??

[wcfvw69]

[wayne1230cars]

[PuddleRainbow]

Yes. Put 2500+ trouble free miles on an Amazon EMPI.

[vamram]

The only one I've ever had luck w/is an Empi I installed in my '74 last fall. After a year, I've put about 9k trouble-free miles on it, w/only minor adjustments after the initial tune-up. Not bad for less than $100 shipped.

I tried a Euromax 7 years ago...pure CRAP. It's a piggy bank/conversation piece/paper weight on my desk at work. I would assume the same about any no-name chinese ones.
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'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
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[Zundfolge1432]

Anybody old enough that remembers how they performed back in the day can tell the difference. Anybody with a background or training in mechanics should be able to tell you why OEM was and still is better quality. Cut a corner here use a cheap copy there is not going to work as well, sorry no fee lunch

What we see here is just part of a larger trend where folks use cheap knockoff parts, carburetors, distributor, fuel pump, even sheet metal then wonder why shit doesn’t line up or why their chinese pump is throwing fuel into the crankcase. Again if you want it to perform and last buy quality once. Often you’ll find that it’s cheaper in the long run with less headaches.

[Glenn]

Buying cheap and substandard parts only encourages the manufactures to cheapen other parts.

It tells them that the VW community will accept crap.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[bugbyte]

I bought this one in June: https://www.amazon.com/maXpeedingrods-Carburetor-D...ef=sr_1_2?

It worked right out of the box and has been great for me. I tweaked the tuning a bit and no problems. I would gladly buy another one.

[runamoc]

[vamram]

I have an original 34-3 rebuilt by Volkbitz that worked great for 5 years or so. It's still fine, I pulled it because I had stripped one of the mounting studs. I fully intended to re-install it, bought this one as a temporary fix while I figured out how to fix that stud (yes, i'm not the most mechanically savvy out-of-the-box and will often stare at something for a VERY long time before trying to resolve it.). I've long-since fixed the stud, but have kept the Empi in place, since it's running so well, as much out of curiosity as anything else. I'm curious to see when and why it will die.

That said, I have an original 34-4 on order w/Tim that will grace the engine I rebuilt from my '73 Super.
_________________
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition
to put moral chains upon their own appetites. -Edmund Burke
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!

'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...languishing since 2022.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!!

[baldessariclan]

I'd say it sounds like about a 50-50 "crap shoot" nowadays -- some people report having luck with those units, others not so much.

If you "roll the dice" on the ~$100 EMPI/aftermarket carburetor bet and lose the first time, then you'll have to lay down at least another ~$100 to "play again"...

With Volkzbitz, it's about $200-$250 for a rebuilt unit (depending on carb type), but you'll basically win on that "bet" every time, since he has a well-deserved reputation for doing great quality work, plus offers a 3-year guarantee to boot.

In the end, the choice mainly depends on your "tolerance for risk", along with what your spare time is worth to you...
_________________
1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver

baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt...

[gt1953]

When it come to carbs the German ones are the ones to use. Try finding the stock dual carbs for a type 3. Tim at Volksbiz rebuilt mine, upon arrival installed them, put fuel to them, engine fired right up.
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Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[heimlich]

Redline is one company that takes the Chinese carbs and rebuilds them.
_________________
www.vwnos.com [email protected]
Classic Brands. Classic Quality.
Not all parts are made the same. NOS OE/OEM parts made mainly in West Germany, Early Germany, and Early Brazil are where VW produced the best quality parts and best fitting products.
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[curtp07]

Tim. Only way to go.
_________________
Subaru

[daven]

Send it to Tim - you won't regret it.

[heimlich]

Plenty of other folks out there besides Tim.
_________________
www.vwnos.com [email protected]
Classic Brands. Classic Quality.
Not all parts are made the same. NOS OE/OEM parts made mainly in West Germany, Early Germany, and Early Brazil are where VW produced the best quality parts and best fitting products.
5% Off your order with coupon code: 5%OFF
Restored Distributors Available (<--Click here)

[Xevin]

It’s a fair question to ask. Good on you to research. Maybe they do work great. My thought, is if a $70 carb performed properly and was reliable for years. We’d all know about it because people would be posting how great they are. The $100 EMPI reviews are mixed. The VolkzBitz rebuilt carb reviews are consistently great. Choose wisely.
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Keep on Busin'

[BenJAMin]

Never bought one for a VW but in the Citroen 2CV community the ebay ones from "Sherryberg" have proven to work well. These cars also used Solex and I've put about 20k miles on my Chinese carb with success.

[wcfvw69]

[wayne1230cars]