Hi

My polo saloon has been stood for 15 years albeit started periodically and driven up and down the drive.  fuel has been added over the years to keep it ticking over,  however it really struggles to idle. it passed its mot and the garage offered to strip and clean the carb out but have now said it probably needs a new carb.  when i bought it there was an aa breakdown note with the documentation detailing a breakdown they attended because the car kept cutting out. has anybody an experience of this? do i need a new carb and if so where can i get one. its an f reg 1989 saloon. thanks in advance

Welcome to the forum.

 

Which engine?

Surely 1.3 in saloon?

 

Did you get an emissions report at the MOT?

 

If the CO is improbably low (under 1.5% say) there might be an air leak weakening the mixture. Most common spot is the rubber base mount onto inlet manifold. Carb will wobble if really bad. Carb cleaner sprayed at base with car running will slow engine or easystart spray will speed it up if leak is small. 

 

Autochoke might be stiff, or coolant tubes to it gummed up?

 

There are a few other rubber bits in the carb (pump diaphragm,  pulldown unit, maybe thermotime valve on 1989 - and secondary barrel vacuum valve if it is a Pierburg 2e3 on a 1.3litre, that might have split after 15 years. But starting and driving normally would be hard.) The rubber vacuum tubes covered in cloth might have perished and be leaky. This would mean less vacuum advance at distributor giving worse idle but a competent garage would spot that with a timing light.

 

Another common cause of random cut outs is the Hall sender in the distributor when engine is hot. Wait 20 minutes and it will restart and be fine. When mine was dying I got backfires then sudden power loss. Fuel issues tend to be gradual power loss.

 

dellorto.co.uk sell service kits for Pierburg.

Bromyard services Pierburgs.

 

 

 

Brand new carb? 

For 1.3

Spanish made Weber DMTL conversion and fitting kit (£££) from fastroadcars.

or 

if desperate, I mean crazily unconcerned that it might turn out to be rubbish or dangerous,

a Chinese made Pierburg 2e2 clone for Golf 1.6 might be possible to make work, but I'm very hesitant about having just written that for all sorts of reasons. 

 

Or a bike carb conversion. See the FAQ.

 

For 1.0

Might be able to jet down a Weber ICH.

or

Find a new old stock Weber TLM or Ford 1V or Pierburg 1b3 on eBay sometimes.

 

Second hand.

You could put a wanted ad in the classifieds section.

 

thank-you for your very comprehensive reply. its a 1.3. from the outset i must point out that i am no mechanic!  over the years there were periods where i had to leave a brick on the accelerator when it was at idle as it would otherwise cut out. then i recall topping it up with fuel and it was ok until i moved it recently for an mot (driven it 10 miles) and the problem started again. the garage said it needed stripping down but they never did that - i think they couldn't be bothered with the faff. it does seem to run quite rough at the moment. as i said i am no mechanic but could it be something as simple as old stale fuel - is there a fuel drain facility in the tank? if it came to a new carb, is mine currently likely to be a webber or pierburg? thanks

The fuel lines are a gravity feed off the bottom of the tank, so if you can get to them, they've the easiest way to drain it. You'll never get 100% of the fuel out, but it'll certainly go a long way. The standard carb is a pierburg, they are a complex beast, and not easy to work on, but it's not impossible if you've got time and patience. 

I looked up Bromyard.  From memory It used to be about £200 + VAT for a comprehensive Pierburg 2e3 overhaul.

It has gone up to £335 pounds (and £80 more if you want the metal to look like new).

https://sites.google.com/site/pierburgcarburettorrepairs/Pierburg-carburettors

He really does know his stuff. That is expertise and equipment beyond any amateur.

 

But I did find a reconditioned 2e3 on Irish eBay for under £200

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-2E-Pierburg-Carburettor-052-129-016-F-MK2-II/264751076328

 

However I think the pulldown unit plastic is partly missing... would n't be too hard to transfer from your carb (assuming that part is not bust).

 

 

bromyard does sound the buisness

Appreciate your replies. herein lies a dilemma. for about the same price a pierburg refurb or a new webber with a manual choke?

down to if you like the autochoke really  i dont think there will be much in it power wise , the reports of webers transforming a car are when the pooburg was on its last legs

 

i guess the weber could be re jetted if you plan to mod the car later on 

I found Weber 30DMTR to be about 3-4mpg better economy than the large Pierburg 2e3 I had (with 26mm secondary on GK)

some of due to the 2e3's overenthusiastic auto-choke. 

A Pierburg is less likely to suffer carb icing due to the electrical channel heater, but warm air hose and standard enclosed filter make this unlikely

event - but if you live in a fog hollow or drive over moors in damp winter a lot that might be worth thinking about.

 

I found 32DMTL to be about same economy as the Pierburg but with better mid to top end feel for spirited B road driving.

 

I think some of that is the Weber's mechanical operated secondary throttle plate as opposed to vacuum activated plus the DMTL enrichment circuit,

so cornering using progressive throttle then flooring at apex does what the driver wants not what the engine suction indicates with a spring controlled delay 

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/vacuum-or-mechanical-secondary-carburetor/ is about Holley and Carter but same principles.

 

 

A 34DMTR I tried was probably too large and didn't produce top end I expected, due to worn piston rings and gas pedal linkage after all.

 

There is less to go wrong on a Weber, but probably too much freedom to fiddle.

 

Bike carbs have slides to vary venturi size and will outperform most twin-choke carbs for flexibility I am told.