Ignition/Sparkplugs

[Banana Bonanza]

Another member on this forum used the Carter-Weber carb off like an '80 or '81 Ford Escort which was non-computer with 1.6L engine. He posted that it really worked well for him and posted pictures. I already posted here someplace a link where you can buy a BRAND NEW old stock one of these for like $85. Its some guy that bought up a truck load of them cheap and resells them to people wanting to put triple carbs on old straight six American engines. But you can buy just one. Also show up on ebay. Its Weber design licensed by CArter. There are Holley-Webers (Weber design built by Holley) also but they were used on bigger 4cyl and small V6 engines so probably at least would need rejetting for best gas mileage and maybe too big bore for stock Festiva engine.

No kidding about cleaning up engine compartment. I used the Mazda intake manifold that came with my 1.6L and its offset a bit to the drivers side compared to the Festiva manifold. But without all the black spaghetti and other crap, I can now easily get to alternator and oil filter on back of the engine from on top, no more putting Festiva up on jack stands and crawling underneath to change oil filter.

One thing about the Weber or Carter-Weber is that you need an adapter as Festiva and Mazda use unique mount. I didnt find an economical to buy Weber adapter so made my own out of couple pieces of 1/4 inch steel. One to match manifold, one to match carb, then bolted the two plates together. The other member who used Carter-Weber carb had some guy who modified the manifold itself so carb fit directly, but few of us are so lucky to have cheap access to somebody that can do such miracles with aluminum. My steel adapter plates just took some of my time to shape, the materials were out of my scrap pile.

[clintorino]

no inspections in my state (florida)

[TominMO]

One thing about the Weber or Carter-Weber is that you need an adapter as Festiva and Mazda use unique mount. I didnt find an economical to buy Weber adapter so made my own out of couple pieces of 1/4 inch steel. One to match manifold, one to match carb, then bolted the two plates together. The other member who used Carter-Weber carb had some guy who modified the manifold itself so carb fit directly, but few of us are so lucky to have cheap access to somebody that can do such miracles with aluminum. My steel adapter plates just took some of my time to shape, the materials were out of my scrap pile.

I wonder if the Carter-Weber has the same mounting holes as the Weber. Easy to check; just buy the gasket* from Pierce Manifolds that mounts the Weber to the adaptor, and try it on the C-W. If so, then the adaptor kit 99004.673 ($42) would work, or could be easily made to work with probably minor modification to the plate that mounts onto the intake manifold (this kit has two plates, like what you did). Also look at the adaptor kit for the GLC RWD, 99004.100, to see if that looks like it would work on the C-W.

If you can't buy that specific gasket, you could get someone from the Subaru forum to trace it out and send it to you, to make the check.

* part # 99005.068, base gasket, $1.95; look under Carburetors/32/36 DGEV/Rebuild Kits-Gaskets

[Banana Bonanza]

Read link to TominMO thread above and in that thread:

Did a search on "weber" and didn't find anything useful. Did some research. I went to www.thepartsbin.com and found two carb base gaskets for carbed Festys, to see what they look like.

Then I went to www.webercarburetor.com (Pierce Manifolds) and looked at Ford kits. No luck. Looked at Mazda kits. Bingo! The kit for the 1981 FWD Mazda GLC looks like it would work. I think they must have used the same or similar carb on the GLC and Festy, because the base plates/gaskets look very similar, possibly even a direct match with no machining at all on the aluminum adapter plates. I think that at the very most, a little amount of work might be needed on the lower plate, that fits between the intake manifold and the plate that the Weber attaches to, but it should be very minor. It is kit #K673, with a Weber 32/32 carb.

My experience with Weber carbs is that on the three vehicles I have had them on, they gave more power and better gas mileage. And of course they are tunable for power, mileage, and altitude, unlike the stock carbs with whatever compromises the engineers decided on. And you greatly simplify the engine bay; a lot fewer hoses will be in there after the conversion.

And looking at pic, think he found the affordable factory adapter. Having just worked with this, that adapter looks like it would work. No guarentees as I havent tried it, but holes and shape look right. And though its not give away, $41 is within reason. Better than that kit on Australian ebay for Ford Laser where they wanted $500 for adapter and a rebuilt weber. However the adapter in Australian kit was one piece and pretty sure spot on as to fit.

Hmm, wonder what a '81 GLC carb looked like? It shouldnt be feedback so might bolt on and work out of the box without an adapter, thus more pleasing to the pollution police, if you could find one. Have to be some sort of lucky find in a junkyard.

[Banana Bonanza]

Just looked and a remanufactured '81 GLC carb is available at RockAuto.com. Its made by Hitachi. But not cheap at $349 plus $60 core. At that price it may well be a feedback carb though I just cant imagine a feedback carb on small engine in 1981, No other info, somebody would have to find picture of it or a manual covering a 1981 GLC.

[TominMO]

^^ Yeah, just get the Weber or C-W.

[Banana Bonanza]

Its number is Maz309 and seems to be feedback? Though that place where I found pic only wants $159. Wait it might not be feedback, the older Japanese carbs had fuel shutoff solenoid that screwed into the carb, that might be what the wires go to. Feedback carbs usually have throttle position sensor. and the little motor thingie that adjusts jets. So this might be a possibility for somebody needing to look factory original. Festiva air cleaner might even fit it.

Forgot here is link to where I got picture and price: http://www.nationalcarburetors.com/l...partnum=MAZ309

[Banana Bonanza]

^^ Yeah, just get the Weber or C-W.

I was thinking more for those trying to slip under the radar where there is visual inspection of pollution control devices. A weber sitting on aluminum adapter with an open air cleaner isnt going to cut it.

However a Japanese looking carb with no adapter and stock air cleaner just might, especially if you strategically placed some black spaghetti around it.

[Banana Bonanza]

Yep think the MAZ309 is NOT feedback so definitely posibility since GLC engine was 1.5L so jetting probably ok. Here is the MAZ312 that is same carb only feedback version. See the throttle position sensor?

Next question is whether it actually has same mounting pattern. No pics of bottom of base of this carburetor.

[TominMO]

I was thinking more for those trying to slip under the radar where there is visual inspection of pollution control devices. A weber sitting on aluminum adapter with an open air cleaner isnt going to cut it.

However a Japanese looking carb with no adapter and stock air cleaner just might, especially if you strategically placed some black spaghetti around it.

Good thought about the visual inspection. I'm concerned too that the GLC carb might not fit on the Festy manifold. Then you're back to needing adaptor plates anyway. Why not then just rebuild the Festy carb, or buy a rebuilt one, instead of dealing with some old carb almost no one knows anything about?

I'm sure you could find a way to use the stock Festy air cleaner housing on a Weber, then as you say put some fake hoses around it for the visual inspection.

[Banana Bonanza]

Yea, if it was me, I'd definitely try camoflaging a weber first, paint any bright metal black and weave a net of hoses around it. Weber is definitely better carb and lot more tunable.

However this MAZ309 would just about have to be direct fit IF the weber adapter you link to actually fits the Festiva manifold, since the adapter was designed to let a weber replace MAZ309 carburetor on the '81 GLC. These econobox Japanese carbs arent really tunable or particularly great in any other way, but they do tend to work ok on the stock engine they were designed for. Unfortunately on other side of the coin, I've seen a lot of webers that werent tuned properly for the application, people just bolted them on and hoped for the best so they didnt get great performance/economy either. And people buy the new expensive weber kits and then disappointed when it doesnt make their worn out engine perform like new and get zillion miles per gallon. And I never understood why people think oversizing their carburetor and exhaust somehow doubles their horsepower. What it usually does is make it a rough running nightmare that gobbles gas for no good reason at normal speeds. Very rare sane person is going to run a daily driver at high rpms. Race engines are tuned to run flat out with an oversize carb and exhaust, daily drivers arent. Race engines also have a very short life span before rebuild.

[pr0nst4r]

no inspections in my state (florida)

I sorta wish you were closer to Orlando or vice versa. I'd help you tear into that little car and get her running good with a vengeance. Maybe post a thread down in the South East section to see if anyone is more local to you and can give you a hand. There are a few Festiva guys/gals in Florida.

A good think to remember when having problems with a car running. You need to have three things:

1. Air
2. Fuel
3. Spark

You've taken care of the spark and are working on Air and Fuel right now with the carb and fuel filter, but those are the three basic rules of thumb to check.

[clintorino]

well if the fuel filter doesnt fix anything, i am going after the vacuum system. Any Idea on how to approach replacing the vacuum lines? Also the metal compartment that holds my airfilter is a B to get off. What bolts do i need to remove. I am a little intimidated in removing it because i dont want to rock the boat, but i need to to get access to all of the vacuum lines. Let me know.

[TominMO]

Unfortunately on other side of the coin, I've seen a lot of webers that werent tuned properly for the application, people just bolted them on and hoped for the best so they didnt get great performance/economy either. And people buy the new expensive weber kits and then disappointed when it doesnt make their worn out engine perform like new and get zillion miles per gallon.

I hear what you're saying. In buying Weber kits, I discovered that they are all basically tuned the same way! For example, the Weber kit for the MG Midget, with three engines ranging from 948cc to 1096cc to 1275cc, uses exactly the same kit, to include jetting. This is surprising to me. I'm sure it runs well on all three engines, but final tuning, mainly of the main jets I would guess, is left to the owner. Doubt that it would be that critical to good running though.

[pr0nst4r]

well if the fuel filter doesnt fix anything, i am going after the vacuum system. Any Idea on how to approach replacing the vacuum lines? Also the metal compartment that holds my airfilter is a B to get off. What bolts do i need to remove. I am a little intimidated in removing it because i dont want to rock the boat, but i need to to get access to all of the vacuum lines. Let me know.

IIRC (If I Remember Correctly), there are 3 or 4 bolts that hold it on underneath the filter. I know there's a thread hear that tells you how to do it. Search for airbox removal or some variation thereof.