Patrick wrote:
> 
> 
> I want my mommie!  (Or at least a nice story from Unca Joel!)  :)
> After twice getting my bus back from the garage that sold it to me
> with less-than satisfactory tuning, I took it to another shop
> and was told that the reason it won't stay in tune and gets 13 mpg (!)
> is that the carbs (Now I really hate the fact that it's a dual carb!)
> need to be rebuilt, at a cost of $1000.  Is there an alternative?
> Or have I spent $3000 dollars on a 20-year old vehicle just to spend
> another $1000 three months later?
> 

NO WAY!!

First of all, you can rebuild your own carbs, easy, for under $40 (rebuild
kits plus carb cleaner).  If this doesn't fix it (and it probably won't, the
20 year old Solexes throttle shafts are probably shot) you can buy BRAND NEW
carbs, even Solexes, for under $500.

This is the route I took on my `74 bus.  I rebuilt both carbs but there was so
much air leaking around the old throttle shafts that I couldn't adjust idle,
nor would the bus run smoothly under 3000 RPMs.  So I bought a pair of 36mm
Dellorto carbs, new, for $450 and have never looked back.  New Solexes were,
if I remember right, $350-400 and the Dellortos are way better.  Installation
is a breeze.  The ol' bus runs really smoothly at all RPMs and has gobs more
power than before.  Mileage isn't great (~17MPG) and there are no chokes so
warmitupwarmitup, but they are great carbs.

In short, you are being RIPPED for $1000 for measly Solex overhauls, even if
they refit the throttle shafts.  Don't do it.

Email me if you want more details,

John Ritchie
and Bobo, the `74 (free-breathing) bus
ritchiej@ucs.orst.edu