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ontheroad68
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2012
Posts: 8
Location: Seattle
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 Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 9:32 am Post subject: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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I'm bringing a 1982 Westy back to life, it hasn't moved in 22 years. 123,000 miles and I am the third owner. I took the injectors into the injector shop and the guy could not get 3 of them to fire, even after 5 cleanings. The engine has good compression but I have not tried to fire it until I have my new fuel system in place (tank/lines/filter etc).
I've heard these old FI systems can be problematic and am considering buying a new dual 34mm Solex kit instead. I live in Washington State and there are no emission requirements here.
So I could spend $250 on some new injectors and hope the FI system works, or I can buy a carb set up that I know will work.
I'm good mechanically and with carbs so I'm confident I could get them set up and jetted properly.
What are your experiences with dual carbs on a 2.0L Type IV? How is the fuel economy vs FI?
Thanks in advance |
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michaelasnider
Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2013
Posts: 369
Location: East Kootenays, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 10:49 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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| The fuel injection system in the 2.0L works great, is relatively simple, and straightforward to diagnose. I would not swap to carbs. I also have no emissions testing in BC. |
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jismay
Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2010
Posts: 219
Location: Norco, CA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 11:04 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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I put new injectors from Rockauto into my van and have had no problems at all with them.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=47508&cc=1430504&jsn=901
$35 each
_________________
1970 Squareback with 1915cc dual 40idf
1979 Beetle Convertible
1980 Vanagon Westfalia
1989 VW Cabriolet |
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khughes
Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2013
Posts: 747
Location: Phoenix AZ
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 11:13 am Post subject: Re: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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| ontheroad68 wrote: |
I'm bringing a 1982 Westy back to life, it hasn't moved in 22 years. 123,000 miles and I am the third owner. I took the injectors into the injector shop and the guy could not get 3 of them to fire, even after 5 cleanings. The engine has good compression but I have not tried to fire it until I have my new fuel system in place (tank/lines/filter etc).
I've heard these old FI systems can be problematic and am considering buying a new dual 34mm Solex kit instead. I live in Washington State and there are no emission requirements here.
So I could spend $250 on some new injectors and hope the FI system works, or I can buy a carb set up that I know will work.
I'm good mechanically and with carbs so I'm confident I could get them set up and jetted properly.
What are your experiences with dual carbs on a 2.0L Type IV? How is the fuel economy vs FI?
Thanks in advance |
I did this conversion on a 78 van. Poorer mileage, considerably poorer high elevation performance, and the linkage system was dodgy and needed constant tweaking to keep the carbs in sync (many years with SU and Hitachi sidedrafts, so I know how to sync carbs). I ditched the duals for a 2-barrel (progressive secondary) Holley, and a lot less tinkering was needed, but still couldn't match the FI performance. I ended up fixing the FI and reinstalling it. We do have emissions here, and it was a monumental struggle to get it to pass with carbs.
Just my experience, but I would never convert from digifant to carbs.
_________________
'86 Westy FAS GenV Turbo (Marvin) |
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ontheroad68
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2012
Posts: 8
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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I saw the injector at Rock Auto but they wanted 10 days to deliver them and I have a bit of a time constraint here. I just purchased the new injectors locally so I'll get everything set up but can't run it until Monday when my new fuel tank arrives.
Thanks for the feedback, more is welcome! |
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AZ Landshaper
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2009
Posts: 1698
Location: The Old Pueblo
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 5:02 pm Post subject: Re: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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digifant all the way. works well once you fix the vac leaks.
Ive never liked the dual carb setup, between hesitation and endless need to tune they were always problematic.
_________________
Support Small Business.
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85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug. |
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khughes
Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2013
Posts: 747
Location: Phoenix AZ
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 6:24 pm Post subject: Re: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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| AZ Landshaper wrote: |
digifant all the way. works well once you fix the vac leaks.
Ive never liked the dual carb setup, between hesitation and endless need to tune they were always problematic. |
True that. Don't get me wrong, I love carburetors. Nothing like a couple Dominators on a tunnel ram on a big block...but that's for getting here to there at WOT. FI just has it hands down for driveability. If you like tweaking things, and you want to get the best WOT performance, under a given set of conditions, carbs are great and infinitely tuneable. But, if you want to turn the key, have a nice idle, and drive away with no hesitations, no bogging, and best HP across the RPM range, FI is the best. Even a relatively primitive system like Digifant.
_________________
'86 Westy FAS GenV Turbo (Marvin) |
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ontheroad68
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2012
Posts: 8
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 7:00 pm Post subject: Re: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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| khughes wrote: |
| AZ Landshaper wrote: |
digifant all the way. works well once you fix the vac leaks.
Ive never liked the dual carb setup, between hesitation and endless need to tune they were always problematic. |
True that. Don't get me wrong, I love carburetors. Nothing like a couple Dominators on a tunnel ram on a big block...but that's for getting here to there at WOT. FI just has it hands down for driveability. If you like tweaking things, and you want to get the best WOT performance, under a given set of conditions, carbs are great and infinitely tuneable. But, if you want to turn the key, have a nice idle, and drive away with no hesitations, no bogging, and best HP across the RPM range, FI is the best. Even a relatively primitive system like Digifant. |
Digijet came on 1984+ waterboxers, aircooled have AFC, perhaps they are similar, not sure. Either way I'm going to start with the FI system and hope it goes well. I have enough projects to tinker with, need the van to start up and go. This think has been sitting for over 20 years so I'll be replacing a lot of rubber lines and hoses. |
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surfwagonorangevw
Samba Member
Joined: February 06, 2013
Posts: 111
Location: Hawaii
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| Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2019 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: 2.0 Air Cooled Vanagon: Fuel injection or Dual Solex carbs? |
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Aloha , 1981 vanagon tintop , 200000 miles came to me with dual weber 34 ICT carburetors . I rebuilt this engine with new Spanish AMC heads , put the ICT carbs back on and reworked the jetting . I've not had any problems and not had to fiddle or adjust anything, couldn't be happier but I have not had the original fuel injection to compare with. Do a search on the samba and you will find plenty posts with dual weber 40 IDF carburetors . I had thought of going that route but just keep driving what I have. I know the stock fuel injection is well recommended but carbs can be an alternative , seems most people with carbs have also modified heads ( larger valves ) and different camshaft more suited to use with carbs . Just my two cents worth  also added a dakota cylinder head temp gauge to watch those head temps !  |
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