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On 6 Dec 97, Everett + Jennepher wrote:
> As many of you know, there is a flap on the air intake for carburetors. I
> was recently reading my Haynes manual and it said to leave it "unlocked"
> for Winter so that hot air from the exhaust will pass warm air to the carbs
> at low rpms. At high rpms, the flap will close (via a weight) to get cool
> intake air from the fender intakes.
A common feature in carb VWs of that era. The last sentence should
read: ...the flap will OPEN....
> Since it doesn't mention moving this flap in the owner's manual, I'm
> curious to know from those of you with long-term T3 experience if you
> "unlocking" this flap in the winter time. Is this a bad idea with today's
> traffic-laden streets? Will the additional hot air shorten the length of
> my engine as I work my way through traffic on the way to/from work?
In the "locked" position the amount of preheated air is minimized as
is the input airflow impedance. This is fine for mild and warm
weather. When "unlocked" (if all the parts are in place, as Steve
pointed out) the carbs can receive preheated air to prevent carb
icing which can occur in cooler temps it the relative humidity is
high. Keep in mind that the air cools significantly in the process
of passing through the carb venturi, so it is quite possible to have
icing problems when the temp is above freezing. I wouldn't expect
problems above 50F, however.
Jim
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Melissa Kepner Jim Adney
Laura Kepner-Adney
jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin
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