Carburetor Specifications
356 Carburetor Rescue offers remanufacture of all the following:
Early Porsche 356 engines used Solex carburetors.
32 PBJ, and more commonly, 32PBIC / PICB on Normal engines, and the
40PBIC/PICB on Super engines. (the difference between a PBIC and PCIB is the
presence of a starter jet set up, deleted in 1955) These are all single barrel
carburetors.
Solex 40PII, sandcast aluminum dual barrel carburetors, both short and tall,
were used on Carrera, and Spyder 550 cars. Pot Metal 40PII-4 could also be
set up as the "tall" Carrera carbs.
Zenith 32NDIX: Think you can do your own carburetors? Each individual Zenith carburetor
has 122 individual parts; 244 for the pair.
VW specs for Zenith 32 NDIX here
Zenith dual barrel carburetors were introduced on the Porsche 356 engines
in the late 1950's. The earliest we've seen is a Zenith body dated 9/57, which
would have equated to the 1958 model year.
Zenith's were supplied as a grey pot-metal with white cad (silver) colored
hardware. The use of gold colored hardware did not begin until after the
end of the Porsche 356 production. They are popular for appearance,
though, and are seen on 356's. This is a matter of personal preference.
Zenith carburetors were dated by production year, and also bore the stamp
of the particular model: Normal = PO3 L & R, Supers = PO2 L & R, C's =PO19 &
PO19.1. There are later made carbs with different model numbers and serial
numbers instead of dates. They are all 32 NDIX, and work with the 356, but
are not original to the pre 1965 cars. Any body will work with any car, or even
either side as long as hardware and jetting are correct.
Stock set up's as follows: N S C
Main jets 115 130 130
main air correction jets 230 220 210
idle jet 50 50 55
idle air correction jet 120 140 140
pump jets 50 40 40
venturis 24mm 28mm 28mm
venturs are also expressed as 32-24, 32-28
Look down the mouth of the carburetor to see
jet numbers as well as venturi numbers. Over the
years changes have been made to jet set ups and
venturi sizes, depending on availability of parts,
some custom useage such as altitude, addition of
a big bore kit, engine rebuild with change of Cam.
If you are considering switching from a Zenith to a Solex carburetor,
remember the choice of carburetor is dependent on the Cam in your engine,
not the installation of a "big bore kit'. Lower reving engines (4500 / 5500
rpm) - stock 1500 and 1600 engines as used by the A, B, and C cars - need
to use Zeniths with their smaller 32mm bore. SC's and later cars,
comfortably running to 6,000 rpm, can accomodate the 40mm bore of the
Solex carburetors. Without the right cam, switching carburetors will not gain
you any advantage.
Solex 40PII-4: Think you can do your own carburetors? each individual Solex has 145
individual parts; 290 for the pair.
This dual barreled, single shaft, carburetor is used on Porsche 356 Super 90,
SC's, and early 912 cars. Early Super 90 carbs had a tall, narrow breather
tube. There are variations in the breather tubes until the wider, shorter ones
used for the SC. This is also the same configuration used on the 912.
The Solex was offered as a grey pot metal carb with white cad (silver)
colored hardware. Later, the 912's (1967 model year) appeared with gold cad
colored hardware.
Beginning with 912 production in late 1967 (the 1968 model year), Porsche
began using the 40PII-4 Split Shaft carburetor. This was offered with a gold
irridite plating and gold colored hardware. These also were designed for the
stock Vacuum Advance distributors used in these models. Many owners
replaced the vacuum advance with a stock .022. When this was done, the
vacuum tubes on the carbs had to be sealed off. Both styles are in use.
Very early Solex had a pot metal top, and that was changed to a cast
aluminum top. See photo below of gold toned carbs with aluminum tops and
velocity stacks.
Stock jet set ups are as follows: Solid Shaft Split Shaft
main jets 115 122.5 / 125
main air correction jets 180 180
idle jets 57.5 55
idle air correction jets 180 (1.8) 110 (1.1)
injectors no # or 35 40
pump jets 50 40
Venturis on both are 32, often denoted as 40-32.
As with the Zenith, adaptations and changes have
been made over the years.
We offer a solid shaft conversion for the
split shaft carburetor, as well as an option
for modern gold cad plated bodies for your
show car.
As a note, we don't recommend velocity
stacks, but they sure look good! Especially
on this set of 44mm Solexes!
Early Porsche 356 engines used Solex carburetors.
32 PBJ, and more commonly, 32PBIC / PICB on Normal engines, and the
40PBIC/PICB on Super engines. (the difference between a PBIC and PCIB is the
presence of a starter jet set up, deleted in 1955) These are all single barrel
carburetors.
Solex 40PII, sandcast aluminum dual barrel carburetors, both short and tall,
were used on Carrera, and Spyder 550 cars. Pot Metal 40PII-4 could also be
set up as the "tall" Carrera carbs.
Zenith 32NDIX: Think you can do your own carburetors? Each individual Zenith carburetor
has 122 individual parts; 244 for the pair.
VW specs for Zenith 32 NDIX here
Zenith dual barrel carburetors were introduced on the Porsche 356 engines
in the late 1950's. The earliest we've seen is a Zenith body dated 9/57, which
would have equated to the 1958 model year.
Zenith's were supplied as a grey pot-metal with white cad (silver) colored
hardware. The use of gold colored hardware did not begin until after the
end of the Porsche 356 production. They are popular for appearance,
though, and are seen on 356's. This is a matter of personal preference.
Zenith carburetors were dated by production year, and also bore the stamp
of the particular model: Normal = PO3 L & R, Supers = PO2 L & R, C's =PO19 &
PO19.1. There are later made carbs with different model numbers and serial
numbers instead of dates. They are all 32 NDIX, and work with the 356, but
are not original to the pre 1965 cars. Any body will work with any car, or even
either side as long as hardware and jetting are correct.
Stock set up's as follows: N S C
Main jets 115 130 130
main air correction jets 230 220 210
idle jet 50 50 55
idle air correction jet 120 140 140
pump jets 50 40 40
venturis 24mm 28mm 28mm
venturs are also expressed as 32-24, 32-28
Look down the mouth of the carburetor to see
jet numbers as well as venturi numbers. Over the
years changes have been made to jet set ups and
venturi sizes, depending on availability of parts,
some custom useage such as altitude, addition of
a big bore kit, engine rebuild with change of Cam.
If you are considering switching from a Zenith to a Solex carburetor,
remember the choice of carburetor is dependent on the Cam in your engine,
not the installation of a "big bore kit'. Lower reving engines (4500 / 5500
rpm) - stock 1500 and 1600 engines as used by the A, B, and C cars - need
to use Zeniths with their smaller 32mm bore. SC's and later cars,
comfortably running to 6,000 rpm, can accomodate the 40mm bore of the
Solex carburetors. Without the right cam, switching carburetors will not gain
you any advantage.
Solex 40PII-4: Think you can do your own carburetors? each individual Solex has 145
individual parts; 290 for the pair.
This dual barreled, single shaft, carburetor is used on Porsche 356 Super 90,
SC's, and early 912 cars. Early Super 90 carbs had a tall, narrow breather
tube. There are variations in the breather tubes until the wider, shorter ones
used for the SC. This is also the same configuration used on the 912.
The Solex was offered as a grey pot metal carb with white cad (silver)
colored hardware. Later, the 912's (1967 model year) appeared with gold cad
colored hardware.
Beginning with 912 production in late 1967 (the 1968 model year), Porsche
began using the 40PII-4 Split Shaft carburetor. This was offered with a gold
irridite plating and gold colored hardware. These also were designed for the
stock Vacuum Advance distributors used in these models. Many owners
replaced the vacuum advance with a stock .022. When this was done, the
vacuum tubes on the carbs had to be sealed off. Both styles are in use.
Very early Solex had a pot metal top, and that was changed to a cast
aluminum top. See photo below of gold toned carbs with aluminum tops and
velocity stacks.
Stock jet set ups are as follows: Solid Shaft Split Shaft
main jets 115 122.5 / 125
main air correction jets 180 180
idle jets 57.5 55
idle air correction jets 180 (1.8) 110 (1.1)
injectors no # or 35 40
pump jets 50 40
Venturis on both are 32, often denoted as 40-32.
As with the Zenith, adaptations and changes have
been made over the years.
We offer a solid shaft conversion for the
split shaft carburetor, as well as an option
for modern gold cad plated bodies for your
show car.
As a note, we don't recommend velocity
stacks, but they sure look good! Especially
on this set of 44mm Solexes!
| Zenith carburetors |
| Solex Solid Shaft |
| Solex Split shaft |
| Conversion carburetors: note shaft bushings that are not on standard solid shaft carburetors as well as throttle link set up. All other hardware is standard to the split shaft. |
| Solex 32PCIB |