The Cal-look Lounge

Just wondering, when did people start putting these carbs on theyr motors? Are they a part of the early cal look, or more an early to mid 80s thing? I have noticed that there are some cool old school intakes and filters out there for them, but I don't think I have seen them in use on any of the early cars..
And another thing, what is the modification that makes the "Berg specials" so special..?

i've got the 1976 HotVW cal-look issue, and i remember at least one engine sporting DNCF carbs.
so, i'm guessing they're not an 80-ies thing.

DCN's came first. I think the DCNF's were introduced in about '75. In a bug you have to trim the edge of the compartment to clear filters. I used Berg 42 Specials in my type 3 and I think they are the perfect carbs for pancake engines because of the short profile. Ive heard 40s have the wrong circutry, and 44's are just as good as 42's. For driveability and mileage, I dont think there are better carbs for a big motor.

like this one zack ???

That's what I've been running for over 15 years.  They work great if you don't have to look like everyone else with 48s.

i reckon those speedwell showed would look the bollocks  ;D

I have a little motor with 42 Berg specials on the way for my oval, hopefully it will take me to some of the euro shows next summer..

I would go for the Early 3 bolt DCN's - I only use 1 ;) but it is  F"*KIN AWSOME  :)

They are SO simple I always describe them as BIG twin choke solex's  ;) :)

they started Running 36 DCN's,then 40 DCN's in early 70's which were both 3 bolt  then 40 DCNF's, and 42 DCNF's, and then the 44 DCNF which were all 4 bolt. here's the specs on Berg Specials The Berg 42mm Weber Special carbs are redrilled and circuited to match specific VW engine applications. Each set is calibrated by our experts to work from idle to top RPM with the correct fuel flow rate and progression with all Berg parts. This ensures proper running throughout the RPM range without flat spots, lean, or rich conditions. Gives maximum performance with best fuel efficiency. Gives more available fuel/air for maximum cooling than any other Weber or Dellorto.

I know that Steve Hollingsworth of V.W. Performance in Phoenix can make your DCNF's "Special". He is a longtime personal friend of the Berg's, and knows the in's and the out's.

We have a Ferrari Dino at work that uses 3 off those...

See even Ferrari thought they were COOL  ;) :)

Ferrari think rust is cool!  ;D

Not the ones I like - they were all hand beaten aluminuin ;) :)

I worked on the one in the middle  ;D

They're not aluminium underneath.

I just got to thinking, electricity, steel, moisture and aluminium aren't a good mix in terms of corrosion right? Are Italian electrics designed with this in mind and therefore don't carry either current or voltage by design?

 ;D

tell me about it - the welding on the steel chassis was crap  ::) BUT the Oval tubing they used was pretty COOL :)

I'm guess your not a big fan of ferraris then dude  ;) :)

I love them up to a point, the problem I have is that many of the people that dream of owning them fall out of love when it comes to the bills and it's all to do with stupid stuff that ends up costing way more than it ever needed too.

Bottom line, give me something German any day of the week.  :)

What part of the 40s circuitry makes them wrong?

    I had 42 DCNF 9 on my daily driver back in 1975 until 1980 on my 1973 beetle and they have a lot of bottom end easy to rebuild do not need to be a scientist to figure them out. Good gas mileage carb. I have an early set of 42's Berg special with linkage and manifolds .I also found an early pair of velocity stacks which I bought from Shubee last year very hard one to find.

    Thanks

     Frenchy

Here's what Gene told me many years ago.  Earlier versions of the DCNF has too large idle circuit to work properly.  He said that only the 42s and 44s had a small enough idle circuit that they could be opened up to work properly.  Now I know that many people have used the 40 DCNFs with success, but that is what Gene Berg said back in the late 80s.  I have run both 42s and 44s with great success.  They are smooth and deliver good performance and mileage.  They just don't look like IDAs otherwise they are great for a street car.  I sold the only pair of IDAs I ever owned without ever using them.  Besides the DCNFs are early Cal-Look and I still remember Bil Schwimmer driving his car to Phoenix with DCNFs on it.

Heres a Picture of My 42 DCNF's with the early rare Stacks Frenchy refers to.

I have a set of those carbs along with the stacks NIB someplace... saving them for a T3 project.

LMAO Rick You dont need a Type 3 Project its been 20 years for 67 its going to take an act of God" to get it Done lol  if you wait much longer you will have to play Tug of War with all the Spider Webs Again  ;D ;D ;D

Here's a shot of my '67 [circa 1977] with a 1776 sporting a pair of 42dcnf's.

(http://cjvws.com/hosted/my67motor.jpg)

Vauhn Rollings helped me set these up. Ran smooth as silk. My best time at OCIR was 15.07 and if I was light on the throttle, I could almost get 40mpg [long hiway trips]. No bullshit.

-jeffrey

Now that is a COOOOOOOL looking motor  :) and 1977 is when I was born  ;) :)

I had the cast aluminium stacks but I traded them straight up for a pair of Bergs ::) Then cut them waaayy down to fit in the short aircleaners of my type 3 ;)

One thing you might take into consideration, the DCN, DCNF carbs were originally designed to be used on Italian vee-configuration engines, nestled between the cylinder banks, with the throttle shafts oriented perpendicular to the axis of the engine's crankshaft. I believe the 40DCN was orignally utilized on the Ferrari 275GTB/4 V12 and the 42DCNF was utilzed on the Maserati/Citroen 2.7L V6 (in the SM and the Maserati Merak). All of these applications ran the throttle shafts 90 deg to the crank axis. Anyway, the floats on these carbs were designed to ride on the car as they did on the Ferrari, Citroen, etc. On a VW they are oriented 90 degrees from how they should be. I have heard from guys that have run them that you'd go into a long, fast corner and the motor would shut off, due to empty float bowls. Even the Berg catalog alludes to this problem and mentions that for off road or slalom use, the IDF is a better carburetor. A friend/customer of mine up north worked up a dry-sump float bowl system for DCNFs on his off road stuff in the mid 70's and it cured the problem and he "ate those Zenith pussies alive."
48IDAs aren't just for looks. They hold an amazing volume of fuel (I can run the car down the street on gentle throttle to the grocery store without turning my Holley pump on), they wake up VW motors that "need" them, they are easier to work on than any carburetor I've played withm, they are as simple a child's Lego set, plus they make undeniable horsepower. On the downside, they are so BIG that they make working around them a little aggrivating. But which dual carbs on a Type 1 DON'T?

Hey Jim I seem to remember you pointing this out before and thats why I only use ONE and it 90degs compared to the crank  ;) :)

I have said it before and I will say it again - DCN's are F$%KIN AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!! ;) :)

I'mgonna start another thread  ;D

I have driven with my DCNFs many times into long sweeping corners with nary a problem.  Where it locks one float open and one closed my experience says it is on acceleration from a stop and making a hard turn at the same time.  That is hard acceleration not just driving away.  Otherwise they are the smoothest dual carb set up I have experienced.  I have and have used both 42s and 44s.

Yea, tell me about it. In the application above, I had cut doors in the inner fenders to service the carbs and to change plugs. They were a sung fit to say the least.

-jeffrey

i think dave kanase was running dcnfs on his 67 before the idas..

I just had a thought - didn't Claudes buggies manifold mount the DCNF's so the were 90deg to the crank  ???

Don't think it would fit with a full bodied car... but on a buggy  ??? ???

Just found these on ebay  :)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/claudes-buggies-carburetor-set_W0QQitemZ270197557069QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item270197557069&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

When I was running 42 DCNF's on my car, I did notice some hesitation under heavy cornering. You could smell the fuel from floading in sharp turns. Besides that they ran fine. But I never looked into the problem so maybe it was something that could be solved.
They're nice carbs but they look so small in a type one engine bay!

Zach, could you close the engine lid when you ran 'em on your type 3?

Here's a pic of my (messy) engine bay at the time:

They werent DCNF's, they were a pair of Weber Progessives.

And yes, I could (still can!) close the engine lid. I used Berg manifolds and short aircleaner assemblies. IMO, they are the perfect carbs for a type 3- they are low profile, so your intake manifolds & air filters arent too short , the barrels are close together so the intake path has a straight shot to the head (unlike a Weber or Dellorto, check those out sometime! :o), you dont have to cut anything to get them to fit, and they are ugly little carbs, much like the type 3 engine itself! :D ;)

could anyone tell me what's wrong with the cirutry of the 40's? I've read something about the progression holes being the wrong size? But could you get around that problem using a smaller idle jet? or to go even further to close the holes and dril new ones? I did a little research about the berg specials and most of the thing can be done to a 40 as well. I bought a set of 40's to replace my IDF's, just because I find them more period correct..
what needs to be done to get the best out of the 40s? its for a 1641, if that changes the game a bit..?

thank you,
glauco