Pelican Parts Forums - 912 carburetors needed

For the 912, I believe Solex were OEM. However, I ditched the Solex carbs years ago and have used Weber 44 IDF's. The Solex popped too much, and the Webers rarely do. Webers overall seem more robust, which by definition means better performance over a wider range of environmental parameters (different fuels, timing, temp, mixture settings, etc).

In addition, just don't go for carbs alone, since velocity stacks will always reduce backflow (popping) for non-plenum carbs like Solex or Webers -- due to the resonance which builds up. I read somewhere, for the 1600 cc engine, the optimal distance between the top end of the air intake throat to the intake valve should be 16" -- and that's what velocity stacks do -- i.e. extend this distance. Change this distance, and you change low RPM vs high RPM torque.

Aficionados and restoration gurus treat Solex like gospel, but I like Webers for their performance and robustness. To me, Solex were too finicky and temperamental, and required more time & money to keep at optimal performance, whereas Webers are more like a Holley 750.