engine and drivetrain Weber 38 Upgrade Question

[bcarey]

Quick question here. The Solex on my 73 automatic is gunked up, and rather than clean/rebuild, I'm considering swapping on a Weber and just starting fresh. The guy at Redline recommended a K204-38 kit, and I just wanted to see if you all agreed that's the right fit for a daily driver. Also, he indicated it was a simple bolt-on replacement on the stock manifold, but I wanted to see if any of you all have had that experience, or if I need to consider other changes/upgrades in my plans.

 

Thanks!

[jrkoupe]

whats the guy's name?...

[jrhone]

I'm pretty sure that you need to hog out the manifold if you use the stock manifold.  When I installed my weber 38, I got a new manifold with it so I did not have to modify the stock manifold.

[Tombonetoo]

Bcarey,

You should be good to go with the K204-38 kit. This kit is supposed to contain a spacer plate with gaskets for each side of it to be placed between the carb and the stock 2 bbl manifold. This spacer prevents the 38 mm throttle plates from contacting the 32 mm.manifold openings at WOT. Verify that you are getting the spacer in the kit. Otherwise you should have the existing manifold openings bored out. I had mine done at the machine shop for $60.

There is a lot of good advice by members on setting up this carb - huge improvement over the Solex.

[bcarey]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I've been in touch with Bud Pauge at Redline, and he seems very thorough and is super responsive and detailed in his emails. I'll make sure I get the spacer plate; that seems like the easiest solution. Thanks!

[Rustpile]

As a guy who decided that downdrafts were for girls and sissys, and went with a pair of big sidedrafts in an unknown condition: Go with a downdraft. A 32/36 is a strong carb as well, but a 38 gives a bigger gain in performance.

 

The least amount of modfication is good as well. It ends up eating a lot of time, the installation and modfication itself is a cakewalk. Getting it to work, is not so cool.

 

So yeah. Get a 38, and should it be so, you could just get another manifold that bolts on if you don´t want to bore the one you have. And when you are doing ignition. Get the 1-2-3 Ignition Tune. EDIS and MegaJolt might very well be good, and if you are luckey, it is not a difficult upgrade. But if you usually get potato when you roll a dice it is a lot of work that too. Ask me how I know.

 

I really believe, that if everyone on this forum were to start all their projects all over again, a lot of us(me included) would have opted for something easier. Just remember that as much as you might enjoy wrenching, you want to be able to drive when the weather is nice.

[simonr]

Buy the ticket and take the ride!! I went from the 32-36 to the 38-38 and the difference was dramatic. You will need to modify your linkage or get it from IE. Don't wait to get your kit and then realize you need the throttle rod modified and reversed. Ask me how I know !! Best of luck with the new set up

[1972_Targa]

Along these lines 38/38 wise, I recently installed a cold air induction carb hat and filter from Classic Inlines:

 

http://www.classicinlines.com/products.asp?cat=149

 

I wanted a less than stock look (I realize that the adapted stock filter/air cleaner is a great option as well). Went with the small kit with a 45 degree elbow and 2 1/2" filter. Hat can be swung 360 degrees and pretty adaptable. Easily clears my alternator and dipstick. Weighs very little, so not concerned about excess weight on the carb.

 

The air cleaner sits right behind the nose opening above the battery, so seems to get plenty of air. Highest clamp just touches my mylar/foam hood insulation, but I've haven't noticed any wear on either the clamp/elbow or insulation.

 

I did have to grind out and tweak the mounting hole positions on the base plate (two were off just a bit). Also drilled out the plate to accept the vent hose off of the valve cover. Runs pretty strong, and interesting look.