best carb for 914 2.0

[Randy158374]

I have a 73 914 2.0 that I have not driven in 5 years. it has a single carb and it leaks when i turn on key and fuel pump. Would you replace with new carb or rebuild? If replaced what would be the best one to use. Randy

[RandyLok]

A single carb is the worst possible configuration on these things.

Is the motor stock? If so, the stock Djet FI would be the best. Any chance you still have access to the parts that came off it?

If you want to run carbs, dual Dellortos or Webers would be the best choices.

[HarveyH]

A real possibility for leakage is if the stock fuel pump is still on the car and it is overpowering the float valve of the carb. The stock pump puts out about 28 PSI, while carbs tend to run best with a pressure of about 3 to 3-1/2 PSI. Still, if you must use carbs, the dual Weber or Del's are much, much, much better than the single carb, particularly if it's the Pinto 2 barrel. There are setups for a center-mounted single Weber IDF or DelOrto, but the long runners tend to cause feed problems.
HTH.
Harvey

[Randy158374]

I don't have any FI parts and all 4 of my 914's have single carbs. I bought all 4 to end up with one good driver. I had a 914 1.7 in 1975 while in college and it was stock with FI but I haven't found a FI system to put on this car. I want what is best for a fun driver ( no racing) and would like to find a source for the best simple system. thanks for the help Randy

[Randy158374]

which is best a 40 idf or 34 ict?

[RandyLok]

40 idf for sure. But I'm not the carb expert, so I hope others will chime in with more details.

On a stock motor, it's pretty tough to get any kind of carb setup to work as well as stock FI. But the 40 idfs can do well if set up properly.

If you plan on doing any motor work, they are a great way to go because a cam swap can really bring the combo to life. The more you mod the motor for performance, the more the carbs can benefit you if you tune them to the motor as you go.

What are your future plans for the motor build? Looking for a more stockish reliable driver, or hoping to move towards future performance upgrades?

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Dell' Orto carbs have a good reputation in many circles. They're supposed to deal with transitions and light throttle settings better than the Webers, which work their best at WOT. Unfortunately, they're not being made any more...

Dell 36es supposedly flow about like Weber 40s. Probably a good size for a stock-ish motor.

Smaller carbs generally will limit your performance, but often offer better driveability and better fuel economy than larger ones.

Some of the guys over at the "Type 4um" on http://www.shoptalkforums.com know an awful lot about carb setup. Most of them are using their 914/VW Type IV motors in Bugs, but a lot of the information still applies.

--DD

[DonNewton]

Replace it with a 2.7 and 40s. That's what I did. Made all the difference in the world. You may not want that expense, so back to the stock injection. Cheaper all around to scrounge up the factory parts than just about any other thing you can do.