Webers freezing WA State

[Baxter Brownski]

I have a 1979 SC w/ 3.2 engine & 46mm Weber's. The ~40F and moisture freezes the right side carb body. What are the possible fixes? Ducting the heater vent to carb? Electric plug to carb body? Other? No I do not want to park it till summer, it is cool and rains then too. If you have pics, please post.

[cgarr]

carb heat would help. Is it fine once its warmed up good? Are you getting ice inside the carb?

[LakeCleElum]

You saying moisture in the fuel and freezing in the float bowl or icing inside the venturi? I grew up in Port Townsend and it's a rare night to get below freezing over there?

If you PM me a phone #, I'll buy you a cup of coffee next time I visit my mother in Sequim.....Welcome to Pelican....

[eastbay]

cgarr is right, you need to get some warm air to the carb(s) Otherwise, you know the cold fog carb icing routine, drive until it stutters out, then pull over and wait for the carb ice to melt from the engine heat.

[Steve@Rennsport]

One can always remove the insulator plates under the manifolds to get more heat into the carbs for winter use.

Thats works very nicely here the PacNW.

[Canada Kev]

You don't need freezing temps outside to get carb icing. The speed of the air through the venturi will cool it to below the freezing point. My old Jeep used to get that until I blocked the rad with a piece of cardboard.

Sorry, I have no idea how to get heat to the carbs. You can't exactly block the airflow with a piece of cardboard. I hope others will chime in on this. Steve's idea sounds like a good one, though.

[john walker's workshop]

cover the engine lid grille. seriously. did that in the vw days and it worked. keeps warm air in the engine area. the fan gets enough past the edges of the lid and the sheet metal around the engine. (not good for summer).

[Hugh R]

stick a 40 watt trouble light under the hood at night.

[andrew15]

Keep an eye on frozen carbs as well - I've had one of the lead plugs on the side act as a freeze plug and pop itself out when I had -40 weather here a couple of times.
Car was hard to start and ran rough when it finally did start - I popped the engine lid and saw raw fuel pouring out the side of one Weber - thankfully it was still -25 and the exhaust was still cold.

AM

[JohnJL]

I keep it in a heated garage, but I swear the carb'd 3.0 runs like a raped ape in the cold...last weekend we hit -22C (around -8F) and I had to take the targa out of one bay and into another...the car is stored ~50F and started fine, it was SOOOO strong in the cold. Even took it to the local empty church parking lot for some drifting as those RA1s were like ice cubes.

When you say the right side (4-5-6?) is freezing, what are your symptoms?

edit: Steve and John have already spoken so two of the 4 'Yoda's are already helping you...

[Baxter Brownski]

Thanks for the replys. The outside of the Webers get white w/ frost. @ 10 miles into town, popped the lid & both carbs were dripping wet. I'm going w/ John Walker's suggestion and closing off the whale-tail vent. There is no airconditioning condenser blocking so sheetmetal will be installed. Till then the (OMG) 86-944 Turbo is working fine in this mornings 28F.

Wish I could play in that icie/snow parking lot.
DB