PMO Conversion Nearly Complete - Thanks to all!

[EWPurdy]

Thanks to all who offered advice either knowingly through responses to my questions or, more often, though my searches of the archives. Except for the sump breather setup, the project is nearing completion and the car runs (and sounds) like a champ. Unfortunately I have several bad oil leaks now - The car sat for a year w/o running after the CIS airbox blew and I was away attending to the nation's business in the skies over Afghanistan. Anyway, here's a few pictures for those who care. Thanks again all.
Before:

During:


After:

[Wayne 962]

Here's another shot in case someone is wondering what these are:



-Wayne

[CamB]

Much better

How does it drive compared to before? Did you do anything else? More power? Better? Worse?

Sound good - of course it does . My 2.0T sounded great making 110hp. Carbs are cool.

[A Quiet Boom]

Hey Purdy, carb fan here too! Whaddya say you let another carb guy borrow that work vehicle of yours for a few days? LOL

P.S. what size (venturis and throttles) did you go with on that 3.0?

[Phoenix]

PMO's are terrific. I manage 133hp/ 113ft# at the wheel in my 2.4T with "L" cams (formerly CIS). The tricky part is getting them set up right (I still have mild hic ups between 3800&4200 rpms as it moves from idle jets to the main jets). Also, be prepared to get better aquainted with your local gas station. All-in-all well worth the extra expense if it's not your daily commuter.

[JBunkley]

In total what is the cost for the PMO conversion?

Parts
Labor
Ect.

Thanks
-JB

[EWPurdy]

The car has SSI's and a Monty Dual In/Out muffler so the major performance gains were made there. The carbs have much better throttle response than the CIS and feels more powerful but I suspect the HP gains from the carbs alone are minimal. I love the sound and with the exhaust changes, the car drives like a scalded cat. As far as driveability, I see very little difference from the CIS. These carbs are very well built and engineered to overcome many of the shortcomings of the Weber carbs. The idle is remarkably smooth and the part throttle cruising is flawless. The car also has an MSD Digital 6 ignition and MSD High Vibration coil. This allowed me to run a larger plug gap which improves idle and lessens the chances of the plugs fouling with the fairly rich mixture carbs require. Here are the specs:

Carbs: 46mm PMO
AV: 4.5
VEN: 36
MAINS: 145
IDLE: 55
IDLE AIR: 130
TUBES: F11

I suspect this is the standard setup PMO sells for 3.0L engines previously equipped with CIS. The tune seems to be right on.

As for costs, the carb conversion kit from was obtained from Rennsport Systems in Oregon for $3000. Steve Weiner was of great assistance with all my questions. Other costs included recurving my distributor for about $120, and a Racor Model 110A fuel fitler/water separator for $80. This would be all you need at a bare minimum. I chose to go the extra mile with Aeroquip fittings/hose and a Mallory adjustable bypass fuel pressure regulator - all for about $400 more. (The PMO kit has all the hoses and a pressure regulation device included so they are not a necessary expense). As for labor costs, those were all free as I did it all myself.

Hope I got all the questions. As for borrowing the keys to the F-18....I don't think I'll be able to swing that one. If it's any consolation, driving a 911 can be just as fun as flying a Hornet, just a bit slower. Cheers all.

[Doug Zielke]

Say EW.....Did I miss something here?
If your '80 SC makes it's home in CA, how is it going to pass smog with the PMO's?

[EWPurdy]

The car is not registered in CA as I am in the military and am a resident of TX.

[Doug Zielke]

Texas rocks, Eric!
I wish you'd have dyno'ed the car before and after. I bet the carbs *will* net you a HP increase, once you get them dialed in.