Señor Brat

Check the soldered connection on the back of the ignition switch. Sounds exactly like something I've encountered personally.

Since I've completed my weber swap I've been chasing down vac leaks and believe I've found the last one coming from the EGR vicinity. I have the small EGR vac line connected to the front of the weber, but it seems like the large Brass piping that was formerly connected to the AAV is the source of the leak (verified w/ carb cleaner). My question: Am I supposed to cap the large brass piping coming from the EGR (EA81)? Or is this supposed to be connected to a vac source as well? I've heard of people swapping SPFI EGR's over as this model doesnt have that brass piping. Would this be the route to go? Also, I've temporarily capped off the ASV hoses after the silencers with large sockets. Is this sufficient for now? or is it not effectively blocked when capped above the ASV? BRAT runs alright but seems to have a bit of a misfire/hesitation when at idle and the carb cleaner test indicates a vac leak near the EGR so I hope this is the issue... Once the vac leak is fixed I can properly tune the carb Thanks! SB

Found this excerpt online a while back. Could be #2? "the radiator cap has three seals, any of which may fail independently of the others: 1. The main seal is the one that seals the cap against the top of the filler neck. Just a rubber gasket that operates just like one on the lid of a pickle jar. Simple and reliable. 2. A failed pressure seal will allow the coolant to boil at a lower temperature, and coolant will be able to travel freely and foamily to the expansion reservoir. This will cause localized hot-spots inside the engine, which can lead to premature head warpage, and may hasten head gasket failure. It will also cause the rad coolant level to be low, just like a failed head gasket. 3. A failed return seal will prevent the coolant from returning to the radiator as the rad cools off, causing a vacuum that can collapse the radiator's hoses. This will prevent the coolant from circulating if the hoses don't re-expand as the engine warms up."

Well I'll at least throw out the usual suspects and a shot in the dark of my own (hopefully some of the USMB wise-men will chime in). Maybe you could post a more specific description of your symptoms & recent repairs to narrow it down a bit too? First & foremost you say you're a recent owner, so you should inspect & replace (as necessary, or just for the hell of it as these parts are cheap and its fun to get thoroughly acquainted with your new ride ) the typical tune-up components. Distributor cap & rotor, Plugs, Wires, oil, filters (especially the rear fuel filter), etc. & check the timing! Then spend the next few hours checking vac hoses for cracks/leaks...... I find Beer helps.. oh, and some carb cleaner Also, seafoam works wonders for most. try it. Then as far as my shot in the dark, you should check your float level in the hitachi carb. really easy to see, it has a sight glass, should be at the dot in the center. otherwise, no bueno, señor... -SB

My problem turned out to be multiple issues with the hitachi. (Accelerator pump, small vac leaks, probably gummed up internals as well.) not to mention all the issues with cracking vac lines from the hitachi setup... I ended up going the weber route. its really not that hard if you do some reading and sort through the info on the forum. Good luck

Thanks for the reply Tom! The set up does NOT fit under the hood, already tried, and failed haha. I was thinking maybe it was another adapter for the EA81 that some other company makes (similar to the trans-dapt?). Although, it doesnt seem bigger/taller than the redline ones in photos I've seen so I am at a loss to explain this.. Especially since you say you even have a 1/2" spacer as well as the adapter plate.... what could be the cause of my clearance issues? Perhaps the air filter housing? I know it sounds absurd, but I know the car is at factory height and the adapter looks normal, so what else could it be that is variable between installs?

So as I near the end of this long, drawn out project, I just have a couple questions that should help me finish things right. I have searched extensively and have not found the answers to these questions so hopefully you guys can help or at least have a few of your own questions answered by reading. 1. EGR I am keeping it, but would like clarification as to how the entire circuit is to be hooked up post-weber swap. The only info I've seen is to connect the small vac line to the second port on the front of the weber. What about the rest of the system, ie. brass piping to Vac line (drivers side) going to what looks to be two brass components (Drivers side top firewall) which have vac lines going out of them and back to the manifold's Thermo-vac switch (I think thats what the 3 prong vac connector on the intake is) then crossing over and connecting to the other side of the intake manifold via a normal port. What do I delete here / should I be using the thermo-switch / are these two brass components even necessary? 2. Vacuum I left the brake booster port connected to the original spot. But I am having trouble deciphering which is the line for the HVAC controls. I know its on the pass firewall, but is it the larger of the two hoses that protrude from the firewall? theres two that look like prime suspects, one large (like the brake boost) and one small (like the vac advance). I have them both hooked up to random ports on the manifold and everything else is capped off. Does it matter for these lines where they are supplied vac on the manifold? And which line is the correct line? 3. Clearance Problems I pulled this carb off my 82 Brat (lifted) and rebuilt it, and got the short style filter (1 7/8) from EMPI. I am still having hood clearance issues on my 85 Brat (both EA81s). While I do not know if my adapter is the redline EA81 adapter, I do know that a) it fits snugly, is a one piece unit, and leaves me with JUST enough room to clear the disty. ergo, I believe it is the correct size adapter in terms of height, otherwise it would hit the disty. Why, even with a short filter, would I have clearance issues? 4. ASV Ok, I'll admit it, I havnt searched this one as in depth as the others but hey, why not clarify. To plug the ASV's with quarters, do I just unscrew the metal piping just below where the silencers attached and drop a quarter in and screw it back on? I guess I just want to make sure I'm not overthinking this.. seems too easy, haha. And, would leaving the silencer in and plugged work the same way for now? Thanks!

Sorry for the remedial question...? I've never torn apart a carb and as such I've been reading many threads on many forums and I thought I had read somewhere that damaging the upper portion of the etube was no bueno.. didn't specify what "damaged" meant, and seeing as it is listed as a calibrated part along side the jets, I didn't know how durable they are. Thanks for clarifying that. I've read just about every post you've made about the weber swap, rebuild, etc. and they have been immensely helpful in taking on this project. Thanks for that as well.

I'm just about to put her back together and in the process of getting the primary e-tube unstuck, I scratched the upper portion of the tube with a paperclip. It's not huge, but it's there. I've read about people tapping threads in the e-tube head to pull them out with a bolt, but I just wonder if me scratching the inner 1/16th inch would cause any performance issues. Weber 32/36 DGEV Thanks!

well yes, obviously. I was more concerned with what could have caused something like this to occur in the first place. If it's something that needs to be repaired, I'd like to do it now while I have everything apart. Thanks

Hey all, I'm in the process of rebuilding my weber and upon taking off the power valve diaphragm I noticed that on one of the three raised "prongs" in the diaphragm housing on the carb (not the PVD itself), has a noticeable burr, peak, raised metal point, whatever you want to call it, and it has left a small mark/dent in the diaphragm itself. It almost looks like someone tack welded that little raised bump in there, but obviously thats not the case. Nevertheless, I need a new diaphragm but I want to know if I can/should file down that burr, and most important, what could have caused that to happen... Any suggestions? PICS This is NOT a video (screenshot)

So after further review, I believe the problem IS a failing accelerator pump. The problem was intermittent which made it tough to pinpoint, and the brass nozzle WAS spraying fuel ok (but now i am thinking it must have been a "weak" stream). Currently there is no fuel being sprayed after I 'cleaned' the top of the carb so that just leads me to believe that whatever it was that was diminishing the flow has now completely disabled the AP. So, seeing as I have little experience rebuilding carbs yet would like to learn more, I think I may take the Weber off my 82 Brat and rebuild that (as i've heard it's simpler/less finicky) then do the swap. I'd like to find a few more sources detailing the swap or rebuild (the ones I've seen have left me with many unanswered questions).. links? thanks to the board! SB

It's also available online in PDF format for download. Definitely be sure to donate to the author though!

Keep posting your findings! I'm very interested in your "research" Subbed SB

Yesterday I took off the air cleaner and thoroughly cleaned every vac line in sight, noticed that (what I think is) the accelerator pump boot was torn and pretty gunked up inside so I shot that liberally with some carb cleaner, and it seemed to restore some of the up/down movement, then I just shot carb cleaner in just about every oriface I could get to without tearing down the carb (which I will most likely end up doing next week anyway). Then upon reassembly I noticed one of the hoses that connects to the top of my passenger side valve cover had literally severed in two and that the nipple was clogged to high hell with crud. I cleaned this, cleaned out the lines for the EGR and PCV, buttoned her up (minus that valve cover hose), and started it and she seemed to run better. Still had somewhat of a flat spot at that 10-1200 RMP range but picked up after that. Still think the problem is there, but at least todays work seemed to help a bit. I will be replacing the fuel pump (got a new one for free!) tomorrow, but if that doesnt work, theres just the carb left that could be the problem... correct? Thanks All. SB

Thanks for the detailed response, I'll be doing that later today. Which vac line are you referring to that clogs with carbon? I went through it a couple days ago and cleaned out the PCV lines and will be replacing the filter tonight but those are the only lines I spotted with any build up.

If it were the fuel pump, wouldnt it have trouble running under load/at highway speeds once the bowl is empty? The problem just feels like a flat spot at about 1k-1500 rpm with a very slight miss once it's above those rev rates.. I'll look into the pump this weekend after I change the filters and drain the tank, but if it is a 'weak' pump how would once go about testing it? Wouldnt bench testing just tell me if its operational and not if it's weak/on its way out? Would a fuel pressure test tell me this? It's complicated because it's so intermittent at idle.. Thanks for the responses guys, this board is very helpful

Still working on it, the problem is intermittent but happens more often than not. I decided to start at square 1 and replace my fuel filters again, as there is a little gunk/debris in the rear filter, but I've definitely seen worse and I really dont think this is the case, but may as well check again.. Most recently I just went out and started her up (started fine, choke worked). Then after letting it warm up a bit (not to normal op temp) I touched the gas, choke disengaged, idles fine. Then I give it another tap (as if I were about to take off in 1st) and RPM's drop, almost dies.. I spray around with some carb cleaner looking for leaks and found nothing. Then I go back to the fuel filter, notice the bit of loose debris and an air pocket, so I shook it, turned it upside down, etc and the problem seemed to go away (at least in neutral at idle). It revved fine (not perfect, but good)so that is what is leading me to believe maybe my filter got a big chunk of something that is just clogging the outlet... Still has that air pocket, but from what I know, that shouldnt cause a problem like this. This has been quite a puzzle... any insight appreciated...

UPDATE: So I finally gave in and took it to the local mechanic who suggested it was the exhaust system. After replacing it, the car seemed to run & drive like it should, albeit a tad bit underpowered (but no hesitation, sputtering, stalling, etc). However, about three weeks after replacing the exhaust from the cat back, the problem came back with a vengeance... Unless I hold it at 2/3 throttle and 3000 RPM+, it wants to die, and even then, its hesitating badly.. Suggestions? I tried to test the accelerator pump as suggested earlier, but I do not see a jet of fuel so I may be looking in the wrong place. anyone have a photo/vid of what I should be looking for? Thanks all

Great, thanks for the replies guys.

Hey all, this may be a dumb question but I was wondering what the difference between a Weber 32/36 DGAV 5A & a Weber 32/36 DGAV 33b1 ? Is the 33b1 a compatible model with the EA81? and is It possible to change a water choke to an electric choke with ease? Thanks

Did both of those again when I suspected an issue... No dice. I've gotten about 3 tanks of gas through 2 sets of filters (this set I actually may have installed one backwards I just noticed ) and the problem became more persistent.. It's getting frustrating

Ok so upon closer inspection of my carb it seems like the secondary jet isn't spraying fuel on hard acceleration. I'm not exactly sure how these beasts work but here's a vid of the problem: In the video, When I pull the throttle cable the primary jet seems to hesitate a bit and then dump fuel, thus raising my rpms. As I said, I'm not too familiar with these carbs but I feel the secondary isnt doing something it should be...

So it seems like its a problem that has gotten progressively worse since I did the seafoam treatment. The car had been sitting for 4 months with a near empty fuel tank. I did a basic tune up as I mentioned above and the car ran better than it had in years, to my surprise. Shortly after I noticed the car could struggle to get over 60 mph indicated when going up a slight incline. I could notice a very slight misfire, but not enough to make the car hesitate, just seem slower than normal, haha. It really felt like a fuel filter issue so I replaced the rear again and added some heet with the next fill up. No help, car died on the highway a few days later, I filled up with some premium & no additives and it seemed to help for a bit.. But then here we are. So after the new coil and wires it idles smooth (like before) and revvs smooth at about 3k plus. It's just when I "accelerate" that it stumbles, seems like its going to die for a split second, and then revs up to 3k and holds fine. It does sound like the exhaust is popping and choking when it's in that stumble phase and backfires immediately after... Maybe I'll post a video if I can figure out how to post. Thanks for all your help, if anything, I'm learning a lot from this experience, haha