Fitting a Weber to a MK2 Golf

[gezzard]

My AUTOMATIC 1.6 Driver is having idling problems, I've changed the carb flange and some vacuum hoses but it still wont start with a few presses of the accelerator, and even then I have to keep my foot on the gas else it cuts out, meaning I cant drive anywhere!

So, rather than chuck money at the Pierburg it'll probably be easier to just buy a Weber and be done, what I'd like to know is if it's an easy job to tackle? there are several vacuum pipes going into the Pierburg will they all be needed?

Any input on swapping them over would be grand.

Thanks!

[bortaf]

Does it have a leccy idle solenoid? if so try running a wire from the block to the carb body, i've had a few that wouldn't idle cos there was no earth path on the carb? worth a quick try ?

[Rich]

Just sounds like the autochoke needs adjusting. on some vw's You set the auto choke with a press of the throttle before starting it anyway so that side of things is normal enough. With it cold take the air filter off and see if the choke flap is closed. I have a manual here for all pierburg carbs if you'd like a scan of the choke setup info. Finding an auto weber will be getting hard nowadays. There is a slight difference.

[Fungus]

I have a lot of experience with fitting a Weber to an early polo so this may help;

Vacuum hoses will be for Vac Advance on the distributor and the hot air flap on the filter housing (goes to the exhaust manifold).

My 1.4 golf engined polo has a 32/24 dmtl twin choke Weber. All i did was buy an adapter plate to mount the carb, i use all of the original air filter parts. I had to buy a universal choke cable and run this through to the dash but that didn't really bother me. There will be at least 2 vacuum take-offs at the base of the carb for various pipes.

A weber on a mk2 polo gives a 12hp increase over a pierburg, this has been proven. So even if the pierburg is working properly, it's still a good swap.

[gezzard]

May 29, 2014 21:18:09 GMT Rich said:

Just sounds like the autochoke needs adjusting. on some vw's You set the auto choke with a press of the throttle before starting it anyway so that side of things is normal enough. With it cold take the air filter off and see if the choke flap is closed. I have a manual here for all pierburg carbs if you'd like a scan of the choke setup info. Finding an auto weber will be getting hard nowadays. There is a slight difference.

I took the airbox off, and the flap is open, I can move it with my finger but it doesn't stay closed.


 

[Rich]

May 30, 2014 5:24:11 GMT gezzard said:

May 29, 2014 21:18:09 GMT Rich said:

Just sounds like the autochoke needs adjusting. on some vw's You set the auto choke with a press of the throttle before starting it anyway so that side of things is normal enough. With it cold take the air filter off and see if the choke flap is closed. I have a manual here for all pierburg carbs if you'd like a scan of the choke setup info. Finding an auto weber will be getting hard nowadays. There is a slight difference.

I took the airbox off, and the flap is open, I can move it with my finger but it doesn't stay closed.


 

That's your problem. Mark the autochoke unit to the carb loosen it and see if rotating it when the car is cold has any effect to the flap. If not all you need is a new autochoke unit..

[composimmonite]

I bought a new kit, rather than making up / adapting the parts from secondhand items, for my G reg 1.8GL auto MKII Golf.
Everything, and I mean even down to the screws and cable ties, was included in the kit along with comprehensive instructions. Textbook job of fitting and passed MOT on emissions straight away without any adjustment. It had previously failed the MOT a few days before and tester couldn't adjust Piersburg the carb to get a pass hence buying a new kit almost as an emergency to keep the car on the road. End result was better all round with smoother tickover (essential for an auto) and better economy. Can't comment on performance as that wasn't my aim. Full kit cots just over £200 which was a lot for me but proved well worth the cost as quickly recouped on fuel savings alone.

Paul H

[steveo3002]

May 30, 2014 9:06:56 GMT composimmonite said:

I bought a new kit, rather than making up / adapting the parts from secondhand items, for my G reg 1.8GL auto MKII Golf.
Everything, and I mean even down to the screws and cable ties, was included in the kit along with comprehensive instructions. Textbook job of fitting and passed MOT on emissions straight away without any adjustment. It had previously failed the MOT a few days before and tester couldn't adjust Piersburg the carb to get a pass hence buying a new kit almost as an emergency to keep the car on the road. End result was better all round with smoother tickover (essential for an auto) and better economy. Can't comment on performance as that wasn't my aim. Full kit cots just over £200 which was a lot for me but proved well worth the cost as quickly recouped on fuel savings alone.

Paul H

yeah cant go wrong if you buy the proper kit meant for the car , very easy to tune up by ear too which saves paying a garage

[shin2chin]

Getting rid of the pooberg was always then 1st thing I did on my VWs. Makes a lot of difference to poke and economy and there is a lot less to go wrong.
I have a Weber 32/34 dmtl kit for a 1.6 Mk2 Golf for sale, recently rebuilt and cleaned £100.

[composimmonite]

May 30, 2014 16:15:07 GMT shin2chin said:

Getting rid of the pooberg was always then 1st thing I did on my VWs. Makes a lot of difference to poke and economy and there is a lot less to go wrong.
I have a Weber 32/34 dmtl kit for a 1.6 Mk2 Golf for sale, recently rebuilt and cleaned £100.

OP has an auto. When I bought my kit the auto was different to the manual version so they would still have to source the missing bits to fit your item to their car.

Paul H

[shin2chin]

Yes the kickdown linkage will be different.

[composimmonite]

May 30, 2014 18:58:20 GMT shin2chin said:

Yes the kickdown linkage will be different.

There is also, if I remember correctly, some vac solenoid that raises revs when a gear selected to avoid stalling.

Paul h

[gezzard]

Cheers for the input guys, I think that rather than faff around with the pierburg, myself and the Golf will benefit from a Weber.

I appreciate the offer on the weber, but as said mine's an auto and is different to the manual one.

I've found a place which sells them for a reasonable price £260 (http://www.fastroadcars.co.uk/shop/index.php) which is a fiar bit cheaper than webcon at £340! the replies here suggest it's easy enough and I'll get all the fittings and instructions in the kit.

I've never had a car with a manual choke so it might take some getting used too!

[Rich]

May 30, 2014 23:21:35 GMT gezzard said:

Cheers for the input guys, I think that rather than faff around with the pierburg, myself and the Golf will benefit from a Weber.

I appreciate the offer on the weber, but as said mine's an auto and is different to the manual one.

I've found a place which sells them for a reasonable price £260 (http://www.fastroadcars.co.uk/shop/index.php) which is a fiar bit cheaper than webcon at £340! the replies here suggest it's easy enough and I'll get all the fittings and instructions in the kit.

I've never had a car with a manual choke so it might take some getting used too!

They rarely need the choke anyway, we didn't get round to fitting the choke cable to an old friends VW Santana for months when we did it.
We did when the weather started to get cold though

[composimmonite]

May 31, 2014 7:21:53 GMT Rich said:

May 30, 2014 23:21:35 GMT gezzard said:

Cheers for the input guys, I think that rather than faff around with the pierburg, myself and the Golf will benefit from a Weber.

I appreciate the offer on the weber, but as said mine's an auto and is different to the manual one.

I've found a place which sells them for a reasonable price £260 (http://www.fastroadcars.co.uk/shop/index.php) which is a fiar bit cheaper than webcon at £340! the replies here suggest it's easy enough and I'll get all the fittings and instructions in the kit.

I've never had a car with a manual choke so it might take some getting used too!

They rarely need the choke anyway, we didn't get round to fitting the choke cable to an old friends VW Santana for months when we did it.
We did when the weather started to get cold though

That was my experience too - choke only needed when weather cold.

Paul H

[jpr1977]

I did this swap on a 'rocco many moons ago.

The only real difference between the auto and manual carbs are the throttle linkages/springs. The 'Auto kit' I recieved didn't have the right lnkage, but the parts from the Pirerburg fit straight on the weber and the choke cable is just a generic part that you can get from fleabay and as others have said i found i very rarely needed it...

However have a word with these guys, i used to use them for all my carb needs...

www.dellorto.co.uk/merchandise/products_details.asp?PartNo=22670.917&CategoryID=3&PartsectionID=52

Jp

[gezzard]

Quick update:

I fitted the Weber this morning and now she runs beautifully! was really quite easy to do, expensive mind, the kit and a new carb flange was just shy of £300, but I think it's the best £300 I've spent.

If anyone is thinking of swapping theirs, I would just say this, the cover for the choke unscrews from the back, and make sure you put the heater element thingy on before you bolt the carb down! pain in the rear trying to screw it on afterwards, especially ofter dropping the screw into the depths of the engine.

Finally I'd like to say thanks to the guys who've posted above, I was ready to give up on the old girl, but I'm glad I didn't.