Inspection Criteria for a Used Carb Purchase

[RONIN10]

On Saturday, I'm going to meet a seller from Craigslist to possibly purchase a pair of Italian Weber 40 IDFs listed at $400 OBO. They come with the carbs, manifolds, and velocity stacks. I've not done too much work with carbs before so I'm looking to put together a list of considerations I should make when inspecting these carbs and determining a fair price to both myself and the seller. Here's what I've put together based on the research I've done over the last day or so:

1. Are these really Italian Webers? I'm using this website as a reference.
2. Review overall condition of the carbs, looking for material defects.
3. Look for loose play in the throttle shaft.
4. Look for ease of throttle plate return.
5. Remove carb top (if owner allows) inspect floats, needle, and interior condition.
6. Have the manifolds been modified in any way?
7. Have the venturi been changed from stock? Stock venturis for a 40 IDF are 28mm if my research is correct.
8. Remove and note current jetting.
9. Assess condition of the jetting ports.

So does anyone see any missing considerations?

And keeping in mind that I'll have to buy air cleaners, linkage, rebuild kits, and possibly jets, does $400 seem like a reasonable price? The seller says he has not used these carbs before.

Thanks in advance for your input!
_________________
Andrew

Oscar: 1976 Westfalia Deluxe Camper, 2.0L FI, Manual Transaxle

[volkyoo]

28 is the ventury size on 40 webs. check the needles sometime they get damage and allow the pass of fuel all the time no matter if it suposedly close.
would be great to check the size of the jets , not just by watching the numbers stamped on it , they could be bored out.

[earthquake]

I paid $300.00 for a really clean set of spainish 44 IDF's with 2 set of air cleaners, CB linkage, extra 6" V stacks, a extra set of vents and a pair of rebuild kits. What I'm saying is don't jump on the first set of carbs that comes along, do you live where VW parts are hard to come by? If you are you might have to pay a little more unless you want to take a chance buying in the classifieds or off E-bay. I think the spainish ones are as good as the Italian models, make sure he not selling a set of EMPI HPMX's, I once drove 30 miles to buy a single 44 set up only to find out it was a EMPI, he called it a IDF in his add, he all most took the $75.00 offer I made.

Casey
_________________
74 CLASS 11 LOOK-A-LIKE
69 DUNE BUGGY
79 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
05 SCION XB SERIES RELEASE 2[#437]
95 Chevy C3500 dually
98 Ford E150
Link to Kelly J. Nolte 3/20/53 - 11/6/08
https://time-zonelabs.blogspot.com/p/about-kelly.html
DEATH TO CHINGERS!
[From a military recruitment poster in the novel "The Stainless Steel Rat" By Harry Harrison]

[RONIN10]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be sure to check the jets for modification.

Parts are reasonably available and the seller seems to be helpful enough via e-mail. I don't get the sense that I'm about to be bent over a barrel, but you never know. I'll give the carbs a downtown inspection and feel out the owner, especially given he doesn't have any working knowledge of these particular carbs. As of now, if the carbs are good, I'd think $300 is reasonable, given the undetermined history.

Cheers.
_________________
Andrew

Oscar: 1976 Westfalia Deluxe Camper, 2.0L FI, Manual Transaxle

[Ed Carp]

$250 sounds nice.
_________________
1969 money pit, i mean baja.
chenoworth look alike sand rail
i believe bugpack rail?

[jfats808]

I realized that your in Seattle and that may not have much places to take your VW to for work, but have you considered also---->

#10. Take a friend with you on the purchase that happens to know a little about carbs and possibly have rebuilt any setbefore. OR Local VW club acquaintance maybe?

#11. To wean out a possible JA, have him agree to meet you at a Local VW/Porsche shop and set up/pay the owner there to assess the carbs. If he wants the money, he can mutually meet you at a shop. You may consider paying him $10 for gas as good faith to meet halfway ( what's another $10 bucks?)

#12. Pay more and buy from a shop with their backing on the product or purchase a set from someone here on The Samba with a great feedback record.

We all want to pay less for more quality/quantity. But all the while fighting the belief that if we just paid the right price up front, we wouldve had no problems from the get-go.Thats the breaks of life.

Potentially additional helpful info:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=437637&highlight=ida

As with any set I buy, I automatically factor in rebuild costs/kits and know that I will open it up from top to bottom and inspect it after a purchase. No matter if seller tells me it was just rebuilt. Its just my normal practice. Good luck with your purchase.
_________________
2276 IDA's 86C 11-1 DD !
2017 48 Trijet DRLA's W125

[RONIN10]

Thanks for all the great feedback. The carbs were definitely in need of a rebuild, but I pretty much completely disassembled them and while in need of a good cleaning, all seemed well. The only thing that really concerned me with them is the throttle shaft on carb didn't rotate as smoothly as I would have like. The other carb was as smooth as silk. This could be a bad bearing or simply accumulated grit. We settled on a $300 price tag, though I think I could have gotten him lower if I wanted to be a hardass. Not really interested in creating some animosity over $50 though.

I'm away on a business trip for two weeks, but when I get back, I'll bathe them heavily in some carb cleaner and really see whether that throttle shaft loosens up, otherwise it looks like I'll be doing a downtown rebuild. Either way, it should be fun!
_________________
Andrew

Oscar: 1976 Westfalia Deluxe Camper, 2.0L FI, Manual Transaxle

[Rome]

Good going, Ronin. I once had a set of dual carbs (Weber IDFs, I think; though possibly Kads but the same applies) in which the one carb also had a slightly sticking throttle plate/would not close easily. Examined it closely and saw that the rod connecting the accel. pump actuator (with the preload spring around it) from the throttle to the accel. pump actuating rod was bent slightly instead of being totally straight, causing slightly more friction. Once I carefully straightened the rod, the throttle moved easily and uniformly.