Reply to "Weber IDF's and Panteras"

The ignition advice you refer to in this blog is correct.

Simplest way is to go to a Ford solid state distributor and the Pantera Electronics ignition controller. Put a small cap on it so it fits. Your choice of coils. It will give you everything that is recommended and more.

Simplest combination of fuel pumps is just to add a Holley mechanical, plus a Holley electric with the Holley fuel pressure regulator and either 3/8" hard lines or -6 Aeroquip.

The P-E ignition controller has a special ramping and carb priming feature just for the electric pump.

You will have to run the engine to adjust the regulator to give you a maximum of 3 psi while running. No more then that.

You also need to change the stock Weber inlet fuel valves to the Jay Cee high pressure glass ball valves otherwise you will flood the first time you shut the hot engine off. AND, you will flood BIG TIME! Just like Niagara Falls, but with gasoline shooting EVERYWHERE!

So mount the regulator where you can easily reach it while the engine is running and away from the headers and even the potential of leaking liquid fuel down on any hot surface. Flash fires can be lethal.

If you are lucky, just your hair and eyebrows will instantly get singed off. If you aren't, you could wind up looking like Nikki Lauda...if you live that is?

The RX7 people have always had issues with the Webers containing enough volume in the fuel bowls and regularly modify them for greater volume.

In my experience this has never been a problem with running 8 stack Webers on an American V8.

IF this was going to be a regular problem, then you are using the wrong carburetor.

Run the new EMPI 51mm IDA's with the increased fuel bowl volumes. 11% more.

The only issue with that carb is going to be that the supplied chokes, 45mm, are really too large for the street and need to be throated down to about 42mm (which is still big for the street)

You have to work out which is the best combination of variables both with the type of carb and the tuning of them. Even with IDF's.

Nothing is going to be perfect and even if you buy a set of carbs "already set up" for you, you still need to "adjust" them to your tastes.

There is still a lot of work to do with a pre-built set up for you.

If you have never driven a car already set up with Webers, you will never understand the variables until you do. Most people will be mesmerized. It just isn't what they expect.

That's just the way it is.

I was fortunate in the first Weber set up I drove was in a yellow '71 Pantera.

It ran effortlessly, started instantaneously and pulled nose to nose with a 427 S/C. The only mistake is that I didn't buy the thing for $15,000. It had a the Australian "NASCAR" block in it too.

That definitely helped me understand what they did to the drive-ability of the car and infected me with a Weber virus that you can not cure.

Sometimes it's like Malaria and you just get a flare up and a fever. I'm definitely bent for life as a result.