so what do people with kadrons really think of them? because to me it sounds like the people that use them like them and the people who dont have them dont like them and just sounds silly talk. anyway im curious to get some more specific feedback as im considering a pair for my kombi van.

ive just been reading another topic here and i though this may be a better place to ask rather than get away from the original topic in the other article

i think your'e right.......i like mine, i find them easy to look tune and once set up seem to stay in tune fairly well.
i did toss the original linkages.....didn't like them..hard to balance exactly and spent some time jetting correctly . 3-4 years ago had them rebushed.

I used to run Kadrons on my old 1640... ended up ditching the standard linkage cos they kept getting out of balance (had a good carb place fab a new one up for me) but other than that had no problems. Jetting etc. was easy since they're just standard Solex jets, and really there isn't much to do by way of tuning them - just balance and mixture.

Now I'm definitely not saying that Kads are crap - I was completely happy with the old setup - but I've since had 40 and 44 IDF's on engines and gotta say I prefer them to the Kads. Webers can be a bit more hassle to get right and tune - cos theres more adjustments and options - but once done they're great.

My 2c though - no way would I spend anywhere near the 1k mark on Kads like some people have been talkin - it shouldn't be tough to get good second hand Webers for that sort of money.

Hey Dirk - kadrons are only good if you run a 009 - i believe you are a big fan of that dizzy

Stan Pobjoy has used them on about 3000 motors..................so I think you will find they are fine !

Its usually people who have no idea about them that bag them !

I currently have VW's with Kadrons, Webers and Dellorto's.

The Dellorto's seem to run the smoothest, but drink the fuel..........The Webers give the most power, but suffer with blocked jets...............the kadrons are the easiest to maintain in tune.

Im glad this thread has been made, because iv been asking myself this question all day. Dells or kadrons. I guess its all about engine setup. What are the limits of kadrons??? is it stupid to think they can be run on a serious 1915???

have a look here


http://www.lowbugget.com 

It is AJ Sims's site

He is a BIG fan of them

Me - never run them
I have run webers and yes - they suffered from blocked jet syndrome
Besides that they were fine-ish

Personally i have a 34 pict on a stockish 1916
No power plant but i love the reliability and simplicity

I have Kadrons on my 1600 bay camper (with 88mm slip-in bore kit - yes, people who don't know reckon this combo doesn't work either ) I've done 40k without a single adjustment to carbs or standard linkage, so I reckon for a dual carb system that's pretty good! Also, I use a vac/adv distributor with the vac disconnected. Fuel economy improved from standard too (avg HWY 8.9L/100km to and from Valla last year with 3 people, a kombi-load of stuff and a roof rack on top!) I believe these carbs were originally sourced from a South American tractor application, but they have proven to be a great upgrade for VWs for many many years! Would be more than adequate on your 1915 too, Colonel.

I have been using and tuning Kadron carb kits for 15 + yrs and have not as yet had a problem with these carbs . I sell the Kadron kits in 40mm , 44mm , 46mm and the 48mm version . These are in my opinion the best and most cost effective way of adding a dual carburation set up to a vw engine . They are an easy bolt on , set up and forget deal . The fuel economy will often become better than a single carb set up if tuned properly . They are a real basic carb that requires not much knowledge to be able to be tuned by the user and do have a crude but effective linkage system . This linkage can easily be replaced with a good linkage as it is often the main cause of un-syncronised carbs . You can use the popular 009 dizzy with these carbs with good results . You will also have to run low fuel pressure for best results and extensive dyno testing shows that between 1 and 1.5 psi of fuel pressure works best . You will also be limited to the size of the cam as well as too much overlap will cause reversion and a rough idle . I like the engle 100 cam on an un-ported head on a 1916cc engine and if you have a ported head or like a rough idle I would go to a 110 cam . You can use a larger cam with the Kadrons , however you will sacrafice the low end smoothness of your engine and it will not be nice to drive . My latest test has been on a 76 x 94 engine with CNC round port heads 100 cam and 8.4 comp . This is mounted in a trike and we ended up increasing the std 28mm venturie to 33mm , increasing the idle jet from the std 55 to 65 , and the std 130 main jet is now 170 . The fuel pressure is set at 1.5 psi and this engine produces 117 hp and the engine is so smooth you would think it is fuel injected . For even more power , more revs or more compression I would go to a set of Dellorto's or Webbers , however this will require more so called tinkering with these , ROD.

The main reason for un-syncronised Kadron carbs is due to the fact that the "tuner" has been setting the linkage when the motor is cold. Kadron carbs must have the linkage set when the motor is at operating temp (this is due to a vw motor growing in width when its hot). The linkage is a crossbar that is attached directly to each carb,but unlike the width of the motor this bar does not grow. Therefore when the motor is warm/hot the crossbar is now technically shorter, which throws out the syncronisation.
Set the crossbar when the motor is hot and the car will perform, idle etc perfectly......................it will just be a bit of a pig when its cold though (as that is now when it will be un-syncronised !!!

Kadrons can run up to 6 psi with no probs..............and are fine with stock vw petrol pumps without the need for a fuel regulator.

thanks for the comments. sounds like they might be a good option. jedidan its not so much that im for 009 or the vac dizzy but some of the crap talk on this forum about tuning and that if its not vac its crap and so on is quite annoying and is not helpful to anyone. people obviously dont know how to use the equipment if they are having that trouble. there are plenty of american books and tech articles out there and they have been doing things for a long time with success. dunno beats me how so many people dont have bother but others have to tell everyone else theyre wrong. anyway a bit off topic i will investigate the kadron for my kombi i think. sounds like a good option thanks guys

So if I happen to be driving past Micks, you can give me a tune up lesson??

And well, I'll be honest the 1916 is quite far in the future i think, and by the time iv spend that much cash on an engine, I'll be willing to go to dellorto's...

Quote:

Originally posted by PartyHatCentral I have Kadrons on my 1600 bay camper (with 88mm slip-in bore kit - yes, people who don't know reckon this combo doesn't work either ) I've done 40k without a single adjustment to carbs or standard linkage, so I reckon for a dual carb system that's pretty good! Also, I use a vac/adv distributor with the vac disconnected. Fuel economy improved from standard too (avg HWY 8.9L/100km to and from Valla last year with 3 people, a kombi-load of stuff and a roof rack on top!) I believe these carbs were originally sourced from a South American tractor application, but they have proven to be a great upgrade for VWs for many many years! Would be more than adequate on your 1915 too, Colonel.

I had 40 idf webers on my 1916 and could never get them right, I bought a set of second hand kadrons from Rod Penrose that he imported from the states and they are fantastic! No real power loss, It really feels like it has more power now coz it is running right, And we have not tuned them since I put it on the dyno at leons motors. I guess you should just see how much money you have left when you are ready to buy carbs, I'm sure you could jet Kads for a fairly wild 1916 but im no expert. Either way you go i would definently put the car on the dyno at leons motors, It was the best money i ever spent on my car.

What sort of Disi do you run with them 1916baja???? Iv got a 009 but im hearing that is a bad mix. actually, im hearing that everything is a bad mix with the 009. Im just running them on a 1600TP, so hoefully i get a crud load more power out of them

unless you go with a more exotic dissy like msd etc or dis-x system, 009 is the token dissy with kads or webers
mainly cos they dont have vac ports to run stock dissy, its more later model stock solex carbs they dont play nicely with

1916baja, it would have just been a matter of playing around to get your webers right, once there dialed in there 10x the carbs that kads are, just kads are alot simpler to get setup

See kads are good for me, i dont know that much, I was only an apprentice for a year doing full services on NEW cars. drop the oil, plug in the computer. Webers would be a mega challenge for me (especially price wise) - im hoping the 009 runs well with them, because its giving me NOTHING with the 34pict. I find myself riding the clutch heaps on takeoffs, cause its just not going anywhere at all. Cant wait for my cash from K-rudd!!!! Then kadrons are mine as well as the alt style fuel pump I need (hate that the gen style is rubbing on my new alternator!!) and get my brakes and clutch pedals set up properly... then it might drive like a car again and not a dodgy bike. hahaha

Rod mentioned that kads run best at 1.5PSI, can this be adjusted on the stock fuel pumps, or would I need a fuel Pressure Reg?

Yeah i know the webers would have run better in the long run but i already spent way too much money on getting to the stage they were at. I just made a mistake or 2 in choosing who to do my work.... Andrew (oztowdster) was a massive help though, he had them running better in about 4hrs than the other place did 800 bucks later. still not quite right though. I just had a bad carb setup so i am dirty on the webers

I run a 009 dizzy with points, Rod does reccomend you run the fuel pressure at 1.5 psi and to put a fuel regulator in but i never got around to it. Apparently it causes a flat spot on take off, But i can live with that for now. my car is running fantastic now, I blew off a turbo MR2 just yeasterday, freekin ricers!

If you do decide to get some kadrons, I wouldn't buy new ones, call Rod and he'll hook you up with a second hand set for about half the price. If your gonna spend 900 bucks on carbs you might aswell spend the extra few hundred on webers and get them tuned and set up properly once, Maybe take the car to leons and get him to tune and jet it on the dyno.... I would. I love the dyno