64/65/66 911 (Solex) engine pics!

[kenikh]

OK, I tricked you. I don't have any pics to post and that's the point. I need reference pics.

I learn more very day about the ealy cars. The more I learn, the more I don't know and want a good reference for the restoration of my early car. The Solex engine is especially odd. How about you picture hoarders posting your photos of the parts unique to the early solex carbed engine? Carbs, fuel pumps, carb linkages, air boxes, you name it...I want to see it. Thanks in advance!

[Schläfer]

Hi Kenikh,

It's great you've made the leap of faith. I'll sort out some pics for you, but I'll need to shoot some first. So here's a pic to start you off, (originally a pic from John Cramer I think)

[Schläfer]

Here's another of the Bendix, fuel line fittings and coil.

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[911quest]

Here are a few on engine #624....

[jhora]

Here you go...some pics when I rebuilt all 6 of them on my now gone 66' contrary to all the advice I received to just go with Webers..
I took it as a challenge...had rebuilt many carbs of various types but never the Solex on a 911....very interesting carbs......the real crazy thing is the way the fuel is fed to the carbs...you will need an amazing amount of fuel line....I could not believe how much...I thought I had plenty and then had to buy more...the effort wasn't hard to do and the engine ran just fine...it was fun to make one run the way it was designed to run...good luck you will have fun......John

[kenikh]

Wowza!!! Good stuff. Thanks and keep it coming.

[jhora]

OK...some more pics...these are of the float bowl and the fuel rails....the bowl is part of the manifold...it's on the bottom of it....works just like a float bowl that is built into a carb....but it is the reservoir for all three carbs on that bank...it is attached by four small bolts that a have a very long hex section for a wrench to fit on...the fuel rails were the real problem area....leaks...this was the problem....the little banjos are made out of cast aluminum...similar design as the bajos on webers....but these have a tendency to squish....I filed the sides to make them as flt as possible...did this with the old wet type sand paper on a flat surface method.....as with most banjos there is a washer on each side of the hollow bolt...and they are of two different sizes..of course......the only washers that work are the red fiber type....got them from Stoddards....copper ones don't work...BTDT....there are two double outlet banjos and one single outlet per bank...the next problem is that you need to find very small hose clamps...this is not easy.....it is really crazy how all this stuff works....one electric fuel pump feeds the fuel bowls....then the two mechanical ones driven off the left cam take fuel from the bowl and feed the carbs...each carbs has a little reservoir that just fills up and then over flows any extra fuel it can't hold back down a tube into the main fuel bowl..hence the name Over Flow Carbs.....just amazing it all works....but it does and really quite well....you just have to remind yourself this was leading edge technology for the time...they were trying to milk every ounce of HP out of the engine....a single barrel carb for each cylinder...pretty cool....it was really quite fun to do this project....John

[Nate Y.]

Kenikh, I've got dozens of photos of my Solex engine before and after the top-end rebuild. E-mail me at snyinc(at)comcast.net and I'll send you a few.

Nate

[gulf908]

Kenik,
Here are some from my modest collection.
The first is from the Dutch site www.atico.nl/camelot/doop.html and is of the motor from 300170.Interesting site as well.
Second is a for sale pic from some time ago.
After reading posts from Grady,John Cramer and LGK its disapointing Porsche did not pursue this carb as it seems much more sophisticated than Webers but that was probably their downfall after several years in the field.

Cheers,
Dennis.

[Schläfer]

I've been through my store (hoard) of bits and took some photos today. I haven't had a chance to upload them yet, it's still in the process so hold tight, it'll be worth it

It seems that Porsche had invested so much development and money in the new 901/911 and it was such a departure from the 356 that they couldn't afford for it not to be a sucess. The engineers at Porsche threw everything at the motor, central lube cams, six carbs and originally supposed to be twin plugged. By the time the acountants had their way it was launched with single plugs and as time went by things like the central lube cams were dropped for production cars, (but not from the racing program). I'm informed that the Webers were originally designed for a Lancia engine, hence the difference in venturi spacing and sloped inlet manifolds. Once the early jetting problems for the Solex's had been ironed out, a deal had already been done with Weber.