32/36 DFAV Carb. Identification

[TimW]

The PO installed a carb on now my (WooHoo!) '73 914 1.7L.

The plate on the carb reads: 32/36 DFAV 32A 4A/25.

I have no idea what the "32A 4A/25" means (anyone know?), but the "32/36 DFAV" appears to identify the carb as a popular Webber with a "Water Choke". Umm, how can that be? It’s an air cooled engine.

Please excuse my ignorance if this is a dumb question, but I haven't worked with carbs for 10 years when I installed dual-Delortos on a different 914 after the engine fire (it wasn't pretty, a total FI loss, and I was poor and foolish).

Anyway... There is a red wire going from the distributor to the back of the carb. What's that for? Was the carb maybe converted to an Electric Choke? Can that even be done?

Obviously I need to (and want too) learn as much as I can about this carb. Can anyone suggest a good web site or book on this carb?

I can be emailed at timw70@hotmail.com, or reply here.

Pictures of it can be seen at www.coolfuelcells.com/914/carb.

Oh, yeah. Can anyone tell if it needs rebuilding just by looking at the pictures?

Thanks,
Tim
'73 914 1.7L

[This message has been edited by TimW (edited 11-21-2000).]

[red-beard]

You have a 32/36 DFEV. They are the same carb as the DFAV, except that you have an electric choke instead of a water heated choke. The rebuild kits are different, in that the choke gasket is different.

I don't know if the carb need re-building, but the rubber seals from the intake to the runners are cracking with dry rot.

What is the idle vaccuum ? If the vaccuum is normal and you don't seem to have an operating problem, I'd say leave it alone.

[roadtrp204]

This is an inexpensive and unfortunately popular carb convertion kit. For starter, find another ignition switched power source for the choke-stat. The large draw is robbing energy from the coil. The whole setup works, but not very well. The long runners tend to drop fuel out of suspension when cold, causing a lean condition (no heat is provided to warm them in the first place). The power valve comes in too early due to the low amount of vacuum, causing a rich condition. Hope this sheds some light on the qwerky nature of this setup.
Chris

[TimW]

Well, it runs pretty poor right now; starts hard, idles poorly. But then again the car is sitting in a cold garage. Perhaps on a warm summer day it would be more forgiving? I'll take a very close look at the seals, and check the vacuum.

I'm still not sure how my 32/36 DFAV ended up with an electric choke (I read a DFAV is a WC and DFEV is an EC), but it gives me something solid to go on. Thanks.

[red-beard]

It is a DFEV. The cast body is the same and it has the DFAV marks on it.