imhousing

After much debate and hesitation I bit the bullet and ordered this kit off of ebay for $250 shipped from long island, ny. I figured an up to date 2013 review of these carbs and the merchant is useful for prospective buyers. while researching the carb i found many posts on forums and blogs flaming these guys so i was stepping out on a limb so to speak.

2 days later I received the carb (and word from my mechanic that he'll overlook the missing emissions bitties) and started the install. the kit came with everything needed to get the carb installed and running.

the carb obviously consists of cheaper manufacturing judging buy the low finish quality of the exterior of the cast parts. inspection of the internal fit and finish ended positively with everything looking perfect on the inside (which is all that matters right?!). It did not have any cast 'w' stamps but instead a cheap sticker so I suspect it is not a true spanish weber. no matter as long as it works!

whilst installing the 2nd adapter plate I failed to ensure that the head of the bolts for the first plate were COMPLETELY sunken into the first plate. so of course 20 mins away from completing the install I snapped the metal holding the threads on the second plate eliminating any chance of having an air tight seal.

I hit the crack with RTV, waited a day and fired her up. No leaks so I tuned her up, took her for a test drive (WAAAY to lean on that first run). i attempted to address the leaness but 3/4 counter clockwise turns had no effect on the tune and the adjusting screws range of function was like 8 full turns, obviously not good. a quick retesting of the seals with carb cleaner confirmed the RTV had failed and I gave up on the plate.

The next day (monday) I called up the 866 number that was supplied with my weber's paperwork. I reached the guys at webercarbsdirect (and yes the 866 is a direct line, how nice) and explained that the adapter plate had snapped and before I could even tell them how they told me they'd ship me a new adapter kit (both plates and plate hardware) under warranty. and tada, on weds it arrived i used the mean time to remove a large portion of the vacuum lines and valves (much nicer to work in that engine bay now!). I also grabbed a holley fuel pressure reg and gauge from the pep boys speed shop near me (for $10 less than anywhere online) and hooked that up too.

the adapter kit they sent obviously was exposed to water for some time as the bolts light surface rust (and were of a lower quality machining than the set that came with the carb) and the plates had oxidized and started to pit a little. A piece of sanding paper on a flat surface made short work of the oxidation and exposed very minor pitting to one side of the 2nd adapter plate. A 1/8" bead of rtv around that side of the new gasket took care of that. 20 mins later she was bolted together and running without any leaks.

finally the adjusting screws were much much more sensitive like they should be and i was able to get a nice tune out of her. incase you're wondering I set my mix/idle speed like so:

basically you are trying to find the perfect mix which is tough to do perfectly by ear so I tend to try to keep it just a pinch rich. honestly the MS was very sensitive which is a good sign of a healthy carb so I'm confident in the part.

all in all the guys at webercarbsdirect were prompt, sold me what I paid for at the best price i found, and had decent customer service when i had a problem. the second rate replacement part a little disheartening but really never ended up being an issue as i only needed one piece and i know how to use sand paper. sending me that crappy adapter set honestly was a good call on their part as I was able to get some use out of that otherwise unsaleable bag of metal, and for christs sake i only paid $250 for the thing!

so basically i took a chance ignoring all the blogs and forum posts blasting these guys and it worked out just fine. i don't care if it has a sticker or a stamp as long as the tolerances are tight (check) and it works well (check). satisfied customer is satisfied.

scottt80

Thanks for the review! I'm carb shopping... how is this one holding up? Still satisfied with it?

imhousing

Well here's an update on my purchase!

It's not going well. While it has held the mixture screw fine, the linkage is miserable.

at first the linkage was binding, which I attempted to treat with a lubricant and backing the arm nut off a hair. this did not work. soon it would not return to idle without being 'snapped' back with a quick blip of the throttle. and now it is locking up completely. it seems whatever holds the axle the linkage is actuating in place has slacken and now there is much play in the linkage. this results in unintended acceleration when in gear and is TERRIFYING

also the cold idle screw does nothing, it is loose and wobbly.

also the casing around a bolt that holds the choke in place has snapped away


it's been less than a year since I've purchased it so lets see if they cover a new one under warranty

bumpinkota0303

so did they cover a new one under warranty ?

HighLux

you guys realize these are not real webers right? These are the chinese ones? You want one made in spain. These are turds.

bumpinkota0303

Can you post a link to the good webber?

HighLux

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Redline-kit-Toyota-20r-22r-Weber-Carburetor-32-36-k746-/370166724369?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item562fa7f711&vxp=mtr

jayinva

I researched these forever and decided the cheapest probably would cause me trouble. Yesterday I ordered it from LC Engineering. In the mean time I pulled the original carb out. Not as much of a job as I feared. (I am 67). Will post the results of the new one which won't get here till the end of the first week of Apr.

bumpinkota0303

Sounds good thank you

toyospearo

yes. I had the same carb and the linkage sucks
I had to modify it to get it to work. I still didn't seem smooth. Overall the carb worked fine other than the linkage

HighLux

When you install a new weber...replace the stock return spring with a stiffer spring....solves the issues above. My old spring was weak sauce. New stiffer spring...works perfect.

jayinva

Update on my LC Engineering werber. From Az to Va in two days! Great shipping. Today I installed it, hand tight, didn't want to crack the plates. Damn if it didn't fire right up after a moment or two to get the gas through. Since it is the weekend I can't call for help. I still have to wire the electric choke (should be simple). The fuel regulator which was included doesn't seem to vary the pressure at all. I need help with the EGR. I connected the hose from the dome cover to the plate supplied on the manifold. Don't know what happens to the other end that goes back into the engine, made a plate to block it. I like the kit, but the instructions need to be redone. The video skips alot. Anyone know what I should be doing?

scottt80

Any luck with it?

jayinva

How many morons does it take to put a gauge on the input side of a regulator? Pressure set fine, adjusted the carb screws and she purrs. dId what I could with hoses, took belt off air pump??. I filled her up and will see how the mileage is affected. Overall I am pleased! If LCEngineering did a little more with the instruction, I think more people would attempt this job.

jayinva

Finally checked milage on my new Weber. The old carb was down to 17mpg today it was 28! Yipee

bumpinkota0303

That's wonderful news. Thanks

jayinva

Well, another tank of gas on my new weber and around town its still 27.7 mpg. I don't know why I waited so long to try it.: