Has anyone had any experience fitting dual carbs to a 36HP motor? There were a few kits using two 28PCI carbs. What are they like? What jetting should be used? Does anyone know where I could find some manifolds etc.

I am more after the vintage speed look rather than any huge performance increase. As I need to rebuild the engine, I could install a mild cam as well. Any benefits/problems there? I have a '54 oval cabrio, so the extra weight tends to slow it down a bit.

Any comments on peoples experiences would be appreciated, as I will need to be building up a motor in the next couple of months.

Angus (Brisbane)

good question. I'm interested in this mod too.

there was an article in one of the last aussie veedub magazines on an appendix J racer here in australia running an oval beetle and he had a fully worked 36 hp motor I think he was getting 115 MPH out of it?
cant find it right now but somebody else must have a copy handy
I think stan pobjoy had a hand in it as well as a company called 36hp racing? not sure
marcel

There are 3 different type sets of Carbies for a 36hp.

1. The main one you find in Aussie is the Ken Virgin set that was made in Adelaide by Ken. The carbies as 28 picts ofa 36hp, and have differnt jets. The carbies attach or sit on the mainfolds with the throttle shafts running across the car like the rear axles. These use 2 steel mainfolds, there about 8 inches tall, and have a cross bar linkage that runs behind the fan housing. They work well and give the motor more torque.

2. theres another Aussie set similar to above, but uses alloy mainfolds marked left and right. The carbies sit at 90 degrees to the virgin set up. The throttle shafts run from front to back, and use a cross linkage that sits in front in the fan and under generator.

3. this is a German made set I carnt remember the name, but it was sold with 2 mainfolds 1 air cleaner 1 carbie, and had short alloy mainfolds. You had to use yr existing carbie and air cleaner.

Yes I had the virgin kit attached to my 56 Oval and its was great, I only removed it to fit a Judson.

I have a set of # 1s and 3s for 36hp complete and a set of virgins for a 40hp, but sorry there NOT for sale .

The Ken Virgins set perform better than the Judson, more torque and better responce.

I bought a kit decades ago for my 1st car- a Manly Tan oval. It was a George Reynolds kit. From memory, it had 2 aluminium manifolds & the carbs (28PCI) mounted at right angles to the orig posn. It came with all the linkages but had no choke I think. I also have vague re-collections of jets etc being included & a couple of pancake filters. On the question of choke, I think early Porsche 356's had no chokes anyway- the explanation being: to start, pump the pedal to prime the engine via the accelerator pumps then let it warm up a bit before you drive off!

Geodon

Yeah thats the type number 2 kit i am describing, you maybe right there with George Reynolds... they would have to be an Aussie kit, Ive only ever seen the mainfolds for sale and one actually fitted toa car. Carnt remember the air cleaners

if anyone has a linkages for the 2nd kit (george reynolds?), i would be interested in getting photo's and dimensions for them as i have a set of manifolds but no linkages.
thanks.
henry.

type82e, there was a 58/9 (bigwindow)
car that used to run in group NA (part of the old appendix J).
of course his name has compleetely left my head...
the car had a 36hp. ported bigvalve heads (done by the drivers relitave), pobjoy CW crank, pobjoy cam (the same as in his 1916's), pobjoy sump, homemade steel manifolds and linkages.
most of the 36hp parts have since been sold as he stepped up to a 40hp motor.
the heads and sump are now in a warm 36hp hopefully soon to be on the road (not my car unfortunately). the crank was unusable (the metalurgy of 36 hp cranks wasn't quite up to scratch, i know 5 standard cranks were checked before an uncracked one was found for the fresh motor).

Thanks for all the info so far. Am I correct in saying that all the kits mentioned above are straight bolt-ons, ie there is no bottom-end work to cams etc.

Dave do you have some photos of your kits. If I can't find one I might try and make one up.

Angus

just remembered... the guy who ran the race 36hp was alan challis (sp?).
karmann, i'll see what i can do about pics of the manifolds for you.

whatnow

some photos would be great. Any chance of getting some measurements - height flange to flange, and offset of top flange to bottom flange.

Then I'll just need to figure out the linkages........

Angus

I bought the heads, anti surge sump and the carbies from Alan's motor.My 36hp motor is now complete and ready to run but I need to make/fit linkages. The cam "whatnow" quoted is not quite correct, it has the similar rev range as Stan's 1916's, not the same. I have also used the same grind as Alan. Give Stan Pobjoy a call for all the specs. Vintage Vw will also help with all the bearings, gaskets, seals etc

It must be the most expensive $perHp motor I will ever do !!!!
All in the name of fun !

there was a set of carbs on buy and sell :vader

what sorta horse power do you think it will make Craig.

???????????????

next dyno day, I will shred tyres :sandrine

Alan dyno tuned his so I will try and get you some figures.:thumb

heres a few pics

more

these are pics of the second set i mention

Lets call them George Reyonlds, not sure who made them but they work

just done some research. We believe that the alloy mainfolds were made also by Ken Virgin, I forgot the pics last post

forgot the pic AGAIN

what dont u have dave??????
cheers
rhys

I'm glad other people have a bit of an interest in this.

Dave

Can you take a photo of the linkage assembly, a close up of the connection to the carb and also the centre arrangement where it attaches to the accelerator cable.

I am surprised at how tall and how much offset to the side the inlet manifolds have. height is probably to fit the linkages in, or make easy access to the plugs?

I have a cheap Brazilian standard inlet manifold, that I might try cutting up to make the dual manifolds, just need to make an extra carby flange.

I also have two NOS 28PCI carbs that I will use. They will have standard jets, what size should they be?

Craig, I'll be interested to see how yours goes, how far away are you from starting her up?

I am only really aiming for a vintage look, but I think a mild cam would really help to use the extra carb. I'll try Stan Pobjoy for the cam specs. However if I put a standard one in it means I can swap back to a stock motor easily.

I am a bit worried about height, as although my cabrio doesn't have the correct decklid now (it has louvres cut into a sedan lid) one day I hope to find one. I don't want the carbs interfering with the cabrio rain guards.

Karmann54

Which type or set do you have. The pics aabove are of the type 2 set as described and i dont have any of the linkages for these.

I only have a set of linkages for the Ken Virgin set or type 1

and i have a set for the German carbies but they have shorter manifolds and would be different to the type 2 or George Reynolds.

But i will take some pics. I remember i measured the jets in the GErman set and made them to suit. I presumed that the Germans would have tested there twin carby set and fuel air ratio would be right, and i was correct as they ran sweet.

I also had a Kombi 010 mechanical dissy and a set of Jack Brabham ?Lukey Ehaust system so the performance was enhanced.

I used the STOCK 36 hp cam and found it worked great. Dont think u need that


Rhys

Remember the crank is the weak link, so think long and hard before you attempt to extract any power from a 36 HP. I did it because I wanted the ultimate 36 HP period race motor !!! :thumb

thanks for the photo's Dave :thumb:thumb

keep em coming:beer

Craig

I hear what you are saying about the crank. I think I will just go for the carb set-up alone and remain stock otherwise, except probably a 010 dizzy.

Dave

I don't have any set at all, only the carbs. Because of my concerns with height as far as the cabrio decklid rain trays, perhaps the shorter german set is the way to go. Are you able to send some pictures and dimensions of that set - it would be much appreciated.

I think I would prefer the linkages to go in front of the fan housing as you look at the engine, for easier access. Is that how the german set goes? Did you have any concerns with the virgin kit linkages going behind the housing?

There is a repro kit being made by a guy in the US, manifolds and linkages. It is a copy of the old EMPI kit. However it isn't cheap, I'd like to look into doing my own first.

Angus