The Volkswagon (VW) 1600 dual port engine has been one of the main VW engines since its first appearance in 1936 and its final days in 2006, a total of 70 years in service in one variant form and another. This engine is an air-cooled model that is boxer style and has four horizontally opposed cast-iron cylinders, cast aluminum alloy cylinder heads and pistons, a magnesium-alloy crankcase, and forged steel crankshaft with connecting rods.
The Best Carbs for VW 1600 dual port Reviews
This is the Alavente 30/31 PICT carburetor for 1975-1982 VW applications
Performance
This is a replica Solex 30/31 PICT carburetor for 1975-1982 VW applications made in China under the brand name Alavante. Alavante is a large Chinese company that manufactures aftermarket automotive parts global consumption, and their parts are all to spec. and within good price ranges.
This model is made from a heavy duty zinc alloy and comes with an automatic choke; it is for air-cooled VW 30/31 PICT-3 engine with Single port Manifold.
Fitment
Recommendations
This is the Alpha Dog Chrome plated EMPI 34 PICT-3 carburetor
Performance
This is the Alpha Dog chrome plated EMPI 34 PICT-3 carburetor replica.
This is a stock replacement part for all Type 1 equipped cars from 1971 through 1979. It is jetted to fit the 1600 CC Type 1 engine in your beetle, bus, type 3, Karmann Ghia or VW Thing.
This is a dual jet port model and will not fit single jet port engines. It also comes with an electric choke and fuel cutoff valve, and new studs and gasket are making this a complete bolt on for carbureted cars.
The settings for this part is a 55 idle jet and a 127.5 main jet.
As stated in the title, this model comes with a chrome plated finish over the zinc and aluminum die cast body and components.
Features
Recommendations
This is a standard stock replacement carburetor EMPI replacement replica part.
This is the original Empi 34 Pict-3 VW / Volkswagen Carburetor
Performance
EMPI is an aftermarket automotive supplier that has been providing VW components for over 45 years, among their products features the EMPI 34 PICT-3 carburetors for air-cooled Volkswagen Type 1 engines.
This is a stock replacement part for all Type 1 equipped cars from 1971 through 1979. It is jetted to fit the 1600 CC Type 1 engine in your beetle, bus, type 3, Karmann Ghia or VW Thing.
This is a dual jet port model and will not fit single jet port engines. It also comes with an electric choke and fuel cutoff valve, and new studs and gasket are making this a complete bolt on for carbureted cars.
The settings for this part is a 55 idle jet and a 127.5 main jet.
This model comes in a standard stock stonewashed finish.
Features
Recommendations
This is an original EMPI 34 PICT-3 carburetor model and a perfect stock replacement part for any VW application.
This is the maXpeedingrods Carburetor 34 PICT-3 replica.
Performance
maXspeeingrods brings you their version of the famous EMPI 34PICT-3 model carb, and this one is also designated 98-1289-B for buggy applications as well.
This is a stock replacement part for all Type 1 equipped cars from 1971 through 1979. It is jetted to fit the 1600 CC Type 1 engine in your beetle, bus, type 3, Karmann Ghia or VW Thing.
This is a dual jet port model and will not fit single jet port engines. It also comes with an electric choke and fuel cutoff valve, and new studs and gasket are making this a complete bolt on for carbureted cars.
The settings for this part is a 55 idle jet and a 127.5 main jet.
This zinc die-cast model comes in a stonewash finish.
Features
Recommendations
This is a standard stock replacement carburetor EMPI replacement replica part.
This is an original EMPI 34 PICT-3 38mm synchronous 2 barrel carb.
Performance
This is an original EMPI synchronous 38mm 2-barrel carburetor that is attached to an isolated center section aluminum manifold that comes with a true pre-heat system and electric choke. This is a performance upgrade EMPI 34mm EPC carburetor and provides a 1.75 Needle & Seat with a 150 Main Jet, a 55 Idle Jet, and a 175 Air Jet, with F-6 Emulsion Tubes.
This is a perfect intake system for a street or off-road applications.
Features
Recommendations
This is a great upgrade kit and delivers performance level carburetor characteristics.
How to Choose A Carburetor For VW 1600?
This engine has been manufactured in various VW plants around the world for 70 years, and the most famous models are found in the Type 1 Beetle range, the Type 2 bus, and transporter ranges, and the Type 3, and Type 4.
The first 1.6-liter version of the VW dual port engine appeared in 1959 in the form of the 2nd Gen. Volkswagen Type 2 (T2that came with the 1.6 liters and 35 kilowatts (48 PS; 47 bhp).
A new 1.6L engine was introduced in 1971, it came with dual intake ports on each cylinder head, and was DIN-rated at 37 kilowatts (50 PS; 50 bhp).
The 1600 dual port was used on the following models:
- 1967-1973 Type 3
- 1971 onwards Type 2 (only 1971 in the USA - superseded by Type 4 engine)
- 1971-1979 Beetle
- 1971-1974 Karmann Ghia
- 1971-1989 VW Puma
VW Carburetors Options
There are a number of options to choose from when changing a VW carburetor. However, the world has made it simple since there are essentially only a limited number of options to choose from. These options include single or dual models.
Consider that the stock VW carburetor is proportionally small in relation to VW engine size, and this is definitely when comparing engines to carbs in other vehicles. Here is a list of the different carburetors fro VW 1600 applications:
Center mount 1BBL
- Stock models include Solex and EMPI
- Stock Replacement models include Solex 30/31, EMPI, Weber
Center mount 2BBL
- Progressive models include Weber DCAV, DCEV, EMPI
- Non-Progressive models include EMPI, Weber IDF, DCNF or Dellorto DRLA
Dual 1BBL models include Kadron, Solex, Weber ICT, Dellorto FRD, EMPI
Dual 2BBL models include EMPI, Weber IDF, IDA, and DCNF, Dellorto DRLA, and Solex 40P11
Note the names Solex, Weber, IDA, etc., relate to the original factory manufacturer. Today the aftermarket is filled with high-quality replica parts that are identical to these original formats.
For instance, where it states 34 PICT-3, it means the part is a Solex 34 PICT-# replica or remanufactured part.
How to calculate your Carb requirement
The formula for calculating how much CFM (cubic feet per minute) an engine requires is:
CFM = Cubic Inches x RPM x Volumetric Efficiency ÷ 3456.
When you apply this to any engine, consider that the volumetric efficiency of stock is 80%, a slight upgrade with average bolt-on have a volumetric efficiency of around 85%, and race engines will range from 95% up to 110%.
To calculate the CFM requirement of an engine would then look like this:
96.6 engine x 3,300 max rpm = 318,780
318,780 x .80 = 255,024
255,024 ÷ 3456 = 74 CFM
This means that the best stock CFM for a 1,600 VW would be around 75, anything above 75 will deliver performance improvements, anything under will deliver stock performance.