Weber Windows....

[scott s]

 Is EVERYone with dual carbs running "Weber Windows" on their car? I've had three cars with them and one with just the one inch holes for spark plugs.
  Is it absolutely necesarry to have them?
 I'll be running 45 DRLA's on offset "space saver" manifolds if that makes any difference.

[stealth67vw]

I've never had them. It is a pain in the a$$ to tighten the manifolds or change plugs though.

[chadt]

i have them.  much easier to do things.  i didn't have them on my old 63, it was such a pain to do things even with kads.  do it.

[Nick Ortega]

I don't have them on my daily driver. The only thing that sucks is when you have to change idle jets because you have to pull the carbs off. You can still tighten the manifold nuts and change plugs, you just have to get a routine going.

[deano]

I know a lot of you would never cut your car, and I fully understand. But, with tall manifolds, and large hands, it is a matter of time before you begin to look at those inner panels and get out the hole saw! I battled IDAs for years, so on my new car, I cut those panels in a New York Minute!

[Steve D.]

Never cut 'em out, never will.  There are better ways of getting to things than to cut pieces of car off.

[HotrodVW]

I have them in my car.......it's the shiz for shiz.   

[TLinuf]

My brother, the previous owner of my car, cut them back in the 70s (probably 78 or 79) when he got his 40DCNFs from Claudes.
I spent about 10-12 hours repairing those horrid holes when I resored the car back about 5 years ago! Now you can't tell they or the sheet metal covers were ever there.
I run 48IDAs on tall manifolds and have NEVER had a problem getting to the plugs or adjusting the carbs. It took me longer to clean the engine compartment when I got cought in a rain storm once or twice than repalcing the plugs! You just gotta have the right tools ....
.02

[scott s]

 What about accessing the jets on DRLA's? I've heard that they're easier to get to than Webers. I've never run DRLA's before, though.....
  I can deal with mounting the manifolds and replacing spark plugs....it's not like you do that all the time anyway.

[Donny B.]

I've got 'em.  I know that many people don't like to cut the car, but I literally hurt myself trying to get at things without them.  I also think that many people make them too large.  Mine are just wide enough to get my hands through them.  It sure makes life easier.  As far as dirt getting into the engine department, mine aren't bad.  I have rubber welting around the edge of the opening and I used self adhesive foam weather strip around the edge of the  door to seal it to the car.  It has only one butterfly dzus fastener at the top making access pretty easy.  Here's a photo.

[sweet67]

I don't use them....but to each their own.  I can understand why one would cut a window.

[batkins]

Anybody have a pic of the inside of the engine compartment with the holes?

[scott s]

 On my '63, they're darn near invisible(from the inside...in the egine bay). If done right, you have the best of both worlds.
  I'm just at the cost cutting phase...and I kinda already know the answer....
 Pay now to have them done, or pay later when you have to deal with spark plugs, carbs, etc.....

[sinikl]

What about accessing the jets on DRLA's? I've heard that they're easier to get to than Webers. I've never run DRLA's before, though.....
 I can deal with mounting the manifolds and replacing spark plugs....it's not like you do that all the time anyway.

DRLAs are super easy to change jets on. I've never had webers, but what the hey, no pullin the carbs apart to change jets. score.

i have 40 DRLAs on my car and the idle screws are hard to get at, but doable if you reach in from the side carefully. I know when Dan had his 48 drlas on his car, the idle mix screws were kinda countersunk into the bodies of the carbs -- PITA. he got a really really small screwdriver bit fitting into a knurled wheel about 1 inch diameter, maybe 1/4 inch deep, and that worked nifty once you fiddled it into the screw heads.

the manifold nuts aren't a problem to get at if you run the smaller OD nuts with some craftsman built-in u-joint sockets (built right into the socket itself -- saves you the depth probs you'd otherwise have using a regular u joint.  my .02, but then i have tiny carbs on a narrow motor.

[Donny B.]

Anybody have a pic of the inside of the engine compartment with the holes?

Okay, here's pictures of my windows wiith the engine out and a picture of the doors that cover the windows.

[Bullyboy]

Yep .....you can drive a truck thru them there
I like not chewing up my hands trying to get the plugs out, like on my wifes car
I have nice doors that screw on and will seal to the body.

[Jason Young]

too avoid this problem......go turbo :-)

[gangforward]

too avoid this problem......go turbo :-)

Once you go turbo you never go back!

[pupjoint]

with the space saver manifolds and DRLAs, u can get away witout the windows, but u can't use the factory doghouse, need the 36hp aftermarket doghouse.

[RoWaMe2]

DRLAs have their idle and main jets installed directly downwards from the top, just like Weber IDF main jets. Very easy and quick. 

Years ago some clever fella told me he used the spring-loaded fuel filler door from a VW for his Weber Windows (WW). Sufficient size for tools and even a small hand, stays open by itself then stays closed firmly when you're done. I thought that was Donny B until I saw your photos here. 

My '77 std. Beetle has slightly wider engine compartment ('75 on with FI) so that it is slightly easier to reach the front manifold nut on dual-throat carbs, once the air cleaner is removed. But without a WW, I still did have to remove the whole carb+manifold to change the IDF idle jets.

Fully agree with the tip above of using a dedicated combination of Sears' 1/4" drive swivel sockets and extensions to get to the front manifold nuts. My preference is to keep the carb on the manifold until the assembly is taken out of the engine.  Therefore you only need to worry about 2 mounting nuts, not the 4 which hold the carb to the manifold. You have to disconnect the carb from the linkage anyway when you remove the carb...   

[scott s]

with the space saver manifolds and DRLAs, u can get away witout the windows, but u can't use the factory doghouse, need the 36hp aftermarket doghouse.

You mean for adjustments? I know the DRLA's on space savers will fit with a factory doghouse....won't they? Why wouldn't they?

[pupjoint]

yes. DRLAs on space savers wont fit doghouse as they will hit the sides of the factory doghouse. unless u r willing to use the 36hp style doghouse.

i was not willing to use aftermarket tin, so i chose the normal manifolds and cut the body.

[Matt Tobias]

Years ago some clever fella told me he used the spring-loaded fuel filler door from a VW for his Weber Windows (WW). Sufficient size for tools and even a small hand, stays open by itself then stays closed firmly when you're done. I thought that was Donny B until I saw your photos here. 

I think thats John from Aircooled.net

[bilboa]

I like 'em.Much easier to get at plugs with tall ida manifolds etc, here is a pic of my windows with "dkp"name and logo bird emblem,done by doug berg.. bill

[scott s]

 Why in the world ould Dell's on space-savers not clear a factory doghouse? Never heard that before. Seen Webers on the offset manifolds...is there something about the Dells?

[Bruce Tweddle]

The DRLA casting is very different from an IDF.  I have some Mr. Bug/EMPI/Bugpack IDF manifolds under my DRLAs and I had to grind on the carb body to clear the shroud.

[scott s]

 I did not know there would be interference issues. Never heard that before. I want heat and planned on running a genuine VW fan shroud. Does anyone have pics showing where you had to clearance and how much?

[stealth67vw]

CBs Space Saver and CBs offset manifolds are different manifolds. The space saver manifolds mount the carbs inboard closer to the shroud and will not fit a OEM shroud. Offset manifolds shifts the carb front to back so linkages will align better and they clear the passenger side engine compartment better.

[scott s]

 OK, guess I should clarify then.....I have the offset ones that move them front to back, sort of a crooked Y shape. Will I still have interference issues?

[stealth67vw]

OK, guess I should clarify then.....I have the offset ones that move them front to back, sort of a crooked Y shape. Will I still have interference issues?

Probably not.

[Bryan67]

No need to over engineer them. I use a 4 inch hole saw and cut two holes next to each other, the connect the holes with a cut off wheel. Then just make an oval piece of metal slightly bigger and use a couple of nutserts and machine screws and your done. Maybe Ideaman can post some pics of the last ones I made.

[jimr]

With DRLAs jet changes in a sedan are a breeze. Like Rowae said, all the jets are in the top of the carb, unlike the IDF. IDF's can be a bear when they plug idle jets in a sedan.
Bus or KG: run IDFs
Sedan: run DRLA or IDAs

[eschey56]

Carb cut-outs were my only option with my meat claws. It used to take me two hours to change plugs. That includes getting pissed and walking away for a couple minutes! Now IDA idle adjustmants and plug changes arent a problem with my big cut out windows and dzused doors. They make life much easier.

Eric

[scott s]

 I loaded the '63 up on the trailer tonight (taking her down to KSR to put the engine back in tomorrow) and had a chance to get a few shots of my Weber Windows.
 I padded the back of the "tarboard" with some of that silver backed sound deadening mat. It makes it fit flush inside the engine compartment and they're unnoticeable when the engine is in.
 
 

[vdubsinjensen]

Here's some hinged ones I made for my 65'.
They work like a charm.