Solex carb id no

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Bill Romano
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Posts: 160
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:45 pm
Location: Ocean Pines, MD

Solex carb id no

#1 Post by Bill Romano »

Recently became aware of a pair of Solex 40PII carbs with matching id numbers (on the outside surface of float bowl). Did the factory actually create matched pairs? Seems like overcomplicating things - shouldn't a carb with matching parts (venturi, jets) be replaceable with any other? Were new Solex carbs available without ID numbers (like timing gear covers) that would allow the owner to apply a number of his/her choice? Pellow mentions that they for some time these carbs had a part number tag (flimsy aluminum) attached to one of the top cover screws but the id number looks like something that would be applied by the carb maker and, if so, would probably be unique to every carb, not a pair.
Bill Romano

Maurizio Santini
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Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2017 10:38 am
Location: Italy

Re: Solex carb id no

#2 Post by Maurizio Santini »

Ciao Bill, not a direct answer, but these past discussions are surely inherent to our questions.

What is the correct Solex 40PII for a '64 SC?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40169&hilit=solex+serial+number

Correct carbs for 1600 SC
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=43276&hilit=solex+serial+number

matching pair solex 40 P11
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45218&hilit=solex+serial+number

Jim Kaufmann
356 Fan
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:08 pm
Location: Sedona, Az.
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Re: Solex carb id no

#3 Post by Jim Kaufmann »

At 356 Carburetor Rescue we've handled many pairs, have asked many owners if carbs were original to the car and here's what I've seen. The numbering on the bowl of Solex 40 PII-4's evolved and there are very distinct differences in the style of the type and stamping over it's lifespan on Porsche 356/912's. I have seen several sets of carbs with the same number on both carbs. Actually saw more than a dozen of the same 4 digit number, stamper must have been stuck on that one a while. Most carb pairs are mismatched with #, usually they are close, being a few #'s to a couple hundred difference.
During the first months of S-90 production the carb body was going through design changes, likely to ease manufacturing. Numbers on the first ones were actually on the flange at the base of the carb, others had none. Then at some point a rough 'hand type stamp' was used, they had 3, 4 or 5 digits and used in most of the S90 production. Then we get to the late S90's that were machine stamped, but there were 2 different styles of type. One typical to the more common stamp used, the other much smaller most were 5 digits, but a few were 6. This smaller type was also used during the transition from S90's to very early SC's, but then went to the more common type which continued through the rest of the series. Some were 4 digit others 5 digit, no consistency, both the 4 and 5 digits were found on the SC's and up through the '67 912's.
Could it be that with such a variety of number types and stamps, they were made at several Solex foundries around Germany? That could explain other small changes I've seen in the bodies consistent with the changes in number style.

Jim Kaufmann
356 Carburetor Rescue LLC

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