empi HPMX carbs any good?

[Aquabuggy]

Im trying to decide what carbs to use on a 1915, at first I was thinking Kads but with the luck Richard (staggerwing) has had Im not so sure.

Looking at some of the post on the samba would lead me to think HPMX's are junk but it seems on the samba no matter what it is if it says empi its assumed to be junk end of discussion!

So has anyone had any experience with the HPMX's good or bad?

Also any recommendations 40's or 44's on a 1915?

Thanks

[Texasbuggys]

Chris, I have not tried them but I have been told by several folks the same as you, even the guys that sell them as part of the EMPI line that they are not a good buy, the material the main bodys are made of is to soft and the develop air leaks very soon after using them for awhile and then ya can't keep them tuned and on and on and on. I hope some others chimes in here with some actual time based experience. I do know of a few that tried to run the single 44 and a 40 and they both dumped them for a old 44 weber and had it rebuilt.

[David O']

I built a 1914 cc. engine and used them. They worked right out of the box, and they never gave any trouble. The general opinions of people on the web is that anything EMPI, is bad. This is not so, and I know from MANY YEARS of experience, it is the installation and the ability to understand the syptoms which make any product work. I will agree that single 40s or 44s on an engine is a bad carb setup......it's not that the carb is bad, just the design of the kit. (And I will say that about ANY single carb setup like that.
Oh, I've used the EMPI replacement carbs for the 30's and 34's and the result is the same....no problems.

[Bryan Porter]

Stick to webers or dells

[Bill K]

There used to be a Campbells Soup ad the went: "If its Campbells, it's got to be good".
My experience has led me to believe: "If its Empi, it's got to be junk"

[Buggy1]

I for one know that most of our VW stuff is now made in china...........God bless the cheepo at heart.

I have used a lot of empi stuff and never had any problems. I would never buy a used carb from anywhere, I would never buy a Walmart tool ( china ) , in fact I woun't buy almost anything from Walmart Now.

And the way this world is changing to a "healthy green planet and individual soul " type of life...............ba humbug. If it says Cambells, it must be hmm hmm good? I for one say they have ruined cambell's chicken noodle soup..........it tasted better in the old days than it does now. what happened to the "real" noodles, what is this piece of shoe string they got in it now? I want to shoot all these health concess people .

I also know a few good men who work in our industry who knows what they are talking about. I say go with the people who do this for a living, and not the ones who have JOE BLOW at a Honda dealership mount up the elctronics wrong ( cause he didn't read the instructions or understands the wiring of a vw.

I recomend my friends at Hawkeye Buggies, Texas Buggys, Qualitat, and Air Cooled Parts. I go there cause I can work with these people......they know what they are doing.

Give me my buggy, beer, cigarettes and let me live in peace.

[Bill K]

Hey, Neal, you're right about Campbells Soup. I haven't looked at the can lately, but it wouldn't surprise me if it said "Made In China".

[Buggy1]

I am just getting over the flu and the cambellls soup ( chicken noodle ) is what makes me feel better, not this time. Dam health people just have to change everything.

Neal

[Texasbuggys]

All this talk about soup, I went to HEB and bought 5 large cans of Chicken Noodle and lotz of fixinz for deli-style sandwiches! MMMMM It is all good!!

[Texasbuggys]

MMMM GOOD

[Bill K]

OK, let me get this straight. As it's shaping up, Chris is bringing Root Beer, and Bobby will bring noodle soup to our Holiday Inn gathering for the VW Classic in Fredricksburg. Who says Buggy Guys don't know how to have fun?

[staggerwing]

I wasn't sure about posting an opinion about Kads on a 1915 but I can certainly vouch for some headaches I've had messin with the ones I have on a 1776. At this point, I think it's honest to say that I've been on a learning curve with the fouling problems I've had. Yesterday I tweked the accelerator pumps again cutting back on the squirt at the moment the throttle moves (these guys were WAY off out of the box), polished the insides of the intake manifolds nicely, (in my opinion, they were VERY rough) cleaned the idle jets real good (this is VERY important on Kads), then took her for a spin. I came back with a huge smile on my face and am thinking that, for some reason, things are much better than they ever were. I honestly don't fully get it, and only time will tell if my fouling problem is going away. It is a fresh engine and it alson "seems" to be running better each time I take it "around the block". Murz is a good source for advice and I am doing what he says, "running the bahonky out of it" - sort of.

I aslo know that trouble shooting "can be" somewhat difficult if you don't know what you're doing and don't fully understand the symptoms. One symptom can certainly lead you on a Goose Chase if it's not what you think it is.

You can bank on what Buggy One and David O. are saying about the products that are out there and the people that think they know what they are doing. I have learned that there's a lot of junk advice out there. For me, I had seen the Kads on many cars, that's one of the reasons why I chose them, and they do come recommended by a good source. I've ask several owners and they all stick by them.

If I had to do this all over again, it has been recommended to me (by a good source) that I should seek out a pair of Dual 40mm IDF's and "watch my engine come alive". That's sounds like some awful good advice and I would seriously consider that as an option.

Enough said, I need to put some ore time on the ones I have before it gets cold. I hope things are working as well as they were yesterday!

[Aquabuggy]

Richard, Thanks for the update, glad to hear the kads are finally starting to work out for ya.
Im working on a deal for some dell's now if that doesn't work out I just don't know. Ive talked to several people running the HPMX's and most are happy with them it seems all the HPMX haters have never used em.
Just not sure I want take a chance on them.

You up for - Buggy's on the Beach II

[MURZ]

Empi
EVERY MISTAKE PASSES INSPECTION


Chris, find some good used IDF's and go through them. The 40's I have on the vert right now cost me 225 bucks...175 for the carbs, 50 for the kits. Simple carbs...but you have to go through them and set the floats and jet accordingly.

Not a EMPI hater...but I have heard an awful lot of bad things about them.......but the price does look good. I have no personal experience with them.

Me? I would get a set of 44 idf's used and go through them, or send them to me and I will for ya. A set of 44's on a 1915 with some 32 vents is going to be real snappy!!!!

On the dell's...just remember 36's = 40 webers, 40's = 44webers.....they have bigger vents in them.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... ?id=473022

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... ?id=545108

[Aquabuggy]

Thanks Murz, I had hoped you would chime in.

Hey Ive been meaning to ask you about batteries, something small that can be mounted on its side (dry odyssey) style. Can ya help me out?
There are no Carquest around here that I know of.

[Texasbuggys]

Hey did ya check with the guy that you bought the motor from? I think he is running the EMPI carbs on his engine either 40 or 44's. I just thought about it.

[Aquabuggy]

Hey did ya check with the guy that you bought the motor from? I think he is running the EMPI carbs on his engine either 40 or 44's. I just thought about it.

Yea I did, he is running them in his bus and his dad is running them in his super beetle. Both of them said they need some cleaning and adjustment out of the box, after that was done they have been very happy with them.
Im still not sure about em, Im hoping Raymond (Misfit) will chime in and give his opinion of the ones he is running.

[MURZ]

I talked to him at the Lafayette show and he seemed happy with them.

[David O']

Empi
EVERY MISTAKE PASSES INSPECTION

If you have never had any experiance with them.....why do you pass along the opinion that you say you don't have?

[mackaymanx]

Here is an article I came across on the EMPI HPMX.


http://waitresses.servebeer.com:81/vwpage/hpmx/hpmx.htm

[MURZ]

EMPI, ....almost every part I have bought was junk.

Want a list???

Accufire...junk(600 miles)
Valve covers...junk(leaked)
exhaust....junk
shifter ....junk(never could adjust it)
any chrome from them....junk(rusts if you yawn on it)
Fuel sender...junk(cheap plastic..50 miles)
Stereo glove box...junk(One week in the car and it cracked)
Spark plug wires...junk( chased a miss for hours before installing Taylor wires)
Window rubber
Tailight gaskets The black plague


No experience with the carbs.....But I do read alot. Do a search on the samba for EMPI carbs.

With that said would I try them?...No, But I will help anyone willing to spend thier money.

Mark Harney can help too...as shown in the previous post.
http://waitresses.servebeer.com:81/vwpage/hpmx/hpmx.htm
He is just probably one of the top VW carb guys out there.

[sid]

I am running a 1915 with the EMPI HPMX dual 44's. They seem to be ok and required a little cleaning and adjustment to get to work. I have spoke to a couple of people before I bought mine and they work for most folks. If I was going to purchase again, I would just buy the Webers. They do seem to be less fickle, and when you buy parts for them you know you can get the right thing. The difference in price is small between the two if you go a lot of searching. I recently added manual chokes to the carbs for cold weather starting and they where Weber parts and bolted up just fine.

On the size, I would go with a 44, the 1915 will handle it and they are there incase you want to move up to a small stroker motor up to 2180 cc.

[Tappa]

I'm running a single HPMX which came with my buggy and it is giving me fits. From what I've read, I need to clean it thoroughly and try again.
I can get the idle set nicely but then it stumbles or spits and pops upon acceleration and burbles at higher rpm. I have followed every
how to guide for adjusting this carb to no avail. I can have it running perfectly in the driveway and as soon as I put a load on it, it falls apart.
From all that I've read this is a common problem. I've also read that if your valve lash is off or your timing is off at all, they will not perform well.
My valve lash is set and the timing is set to 7.5 degrees btdc, but I'm not giving yet. Today it's coming apart for a bath.

[johber41]

Hey Tappa....try wiring your choke open, or rap-tie it open. You do not need it here in the south anyway. Might not be opening and closing correctly, or just moving partially. If you do tie it open, don't forget to pull the electrical lead from the carb.

[Bill K]

Hey Tappa, I've forgotten: Are you running a 009 distributor on a 1600?