Weber experts: I need help with a couple of problems (KE30 with 3K)

**crdiscoverer** · 23-08-2011, 04:36 AM

Hi guys,

I have a 1978 KE30 Corolla with a 3K motor and the big-bore intake manifold and head.

I'm having a couple of problems with a recent Weber 32/36 DGEV conversion I did:

1. After a hard stop, stepping hard on the brakes for example, the car stalls and the engine dies. I have to fire it up again, and usually it's not so easy (feels as if it was choking on fuel). The few times it doesn't stall the idle gets rough and I have to blip the throttle a bit to keep it from stalling. Idle is smooth otherwise, and gradually coming to a halt occurs without issues.

2. Fuel economy tanked. I know Webers are not known for their efficiency, but I can hardly extract 250km out of the tank now. With the old Aisin carb I was able to run for 400 or more km. I have checked the spark plugs and they have a healthy gray/brown color to them.

#2 is not so important to me, but I mention it mainly because I believe both problems could be related. The Weber is new, and I ordered as a kit (RedLine) for 3k/4k engines so I assumed the jets are adequate. Apart from that the car runs great, idle is smooth as I mentioned, there are no flat spots in the powerband and generally it pulls like it should for a 3k. No clouds of black smoke under WOT either.

I suspect the carb is running a bit too rich, but the plugs tell me a different story. Ideas? Should I change the jets?

Thanks so much!

**oldcorollas** · 23-08-2011, 07:23 AM

what chokes does it have?

and what fuel pressure are you running?

**Silly Rabbit** · 23-08-2011, 12:07 PM

Check the needle and seat in the float bowls. My 32/36 does the same every now and again and just floods and is a bitch to start (you can see fuel pouring into the throats even after the car has been turned off).

Could be some gunk stuck in there or needs adjustment. Shouldn't be too many problems as the carb is new but that may be an avenue to check.

**marvis** · 23-08-2011, 12:54 PM

^ What they said.

Also what size idle jets are in it?

**Silly Rabbit** · 23-08-2011, 12:58 PM

Also dependant on set up your 32/36 should be almost as economical as your old Aisin carb. Unless you are flooring it everywhere with the second butterfly constantly open but even then...

**Dazza** · 23-08-2011, 04:33 PM

Is the carby mounted with the fuel bowl at the front of the car as it should be? Fuel can run out of the fuel bowl vents and into the air corrector jets which will flood the engine. This normally only happens on 4wd vehicles going up steep hills. You can plug off the fuel bowl vents with epoxy and then drill a hole through from under the float into the charcoal canister port to stop this from happening. This will only be happening to you if the carby is mounted backwards with the fuel bowl to the rear of the car. Your fuel economy should be better with the webber if it is set up properly.

**marvis** · 23-08-2011, 04:51 PM

Mine is at the back and I have never had the problem, I do steep touge and throw it around heaps too.

Interesting post though!

**crdiscoverer** · 24-08-2011, 09:03 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. I just saw today that going downhill also causes the same effect: engine stalls and dies if I don't blip the throttle.

I don't have any info on the jets the kit came with, so I'm in the process of asking the seller about them. You can check it out here:

WEBER Carburetors distributed by Redline : Toyota

The one I bought is the "K 662" for 3K motors. BTW, the fuel pump is brand new. Got it a few weeks ago. Nothing fancy though, just a standard stock replacement.

This is how it looks. It was the only way it could be fitted to the engine. I'm not so much of an expert with this, so it could very well be backwards, but I don't have a way to turn it to the other side. This photo was taken during the installation process, and after that the intake and head were changed to the big-bore models. So you might see some hoses and cables missing:

**Dazza** · 24-08-2011, 01:55 PM

The carby is on backwards. If it isnt possible to turn it around then the top of the carby will need to be modified to fix your problem. Best way to get the jetting correct, is to go down in jet sizes until your engine surges, which means it is running lean and then go up one size. If it surges just off idle, you need to change to a bigger primary main jet. If it surges at full throttle you need a bigger secondary main jet. If your engine splutters under load it needs smaller main jets. Webbers can be jetted way too rich and appear to be running ok because the power valve will compensate. You need to get your main jets correct with your engine under load. by either driving up a steep hill or riding the brakes. When your main jets are correct you need to alter the air corrector jets to get your engine running properly at full revs.

**crdiscoverer** · 25-08-2011, 03:26 AM

My car is LHD, so the throttle cable comes from the right side (left in the pictures) and the carb's throttle linkage can only be actuated towards that direction. That's basically the main reason why it can't be turned 180 degrees. The old Aisin carb was similar though, fuel from the back, throttle at the front. Maybe it's the norm among LHD 3Ks.

I suspect it's not properly jetted as well. But I'm no expert tuning carbs. Your explanation clarifies a lot though.

BTW, now that I see those pics again, Woah! my engine bay was dirty. The car had been sitting around for months at that time.