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DGV Vs DFT Conversion Kits - 24th July 2013

I have been surfing the internet for a while now and I’ve read a lot of discussions about replacement carburettor conversion kits and the various options that are available. I have been specifically researching the various options available to the Suzuki owner, particularly the Sierra and Vitara.

The standard Suzuki carburettor suffers from a multitude of problems including; throttle shaft wear; secondary diaphragm failure; rough idle; and fuel economy. To make matters worse the parts required to repair / rebuild this particular carburettor are very expensive. The logical choice is to remove it and fit a non standard carburettor like a Weber that would be cheap to maintain and tune.

Traditionally the only Weber conversions available were the 32/36 DGV and the DFV / 180 Holley. While the DGV is a great all round carburettor, but when fitted to vehicles that are typically used for serious 4WDing it is prone to flooding and surging issues.

I recently discovered a Weber called the DFT that was available in various sizes and was originally designed for the Ford Motor Company to be fitted to their 1.3, 1.6 and 1.9 engines. This carburettor came standard with an idle cut off solenoid, electric choke, aircon idle step up, of which are not standard fitment on the DGV. I started fitting this carby to Suzuki’s a couple of years ago and developing other conversions e.g. Vitara with original airfilter. I have sold and fitted over 170 kits to date and because this conversion has been so successful - without one unhappy customer or complaint - I decided to purchase the last remaining stocks that were offered to me.

The DFT has an electric choke fitted as standard, on the Sierra this is removed to allow easy fitment of the original throttle wheel, however if required it can be left on for an additional cost of a modified linkage. On the Vitara it can also use the original air filter assembly and is retained, If air conditioning is fitted the idle step up will prevent the engine from stalling while in the idle position. The idle cut off solenoid will also prevent the car from running on after the ignition is switched off, which is a very common problem with the DGV.

The DFT also has an external power valve diaphragm fitted which allows for easy maintenance or replacement. If the original Suzuki sierra valve fails, the carburettor will need to be stripped in order to replace it.

The DGV’s float bowl vents to the atmosphere; under rough conditions the fuel can escape and flood the venturis, over-fuelling the mixture.

Weber redesigned the fuel bowl & float configuration for the DFT specifically to suit the front wheel drive market. The venturi boosters are sideways which eliminates fuel surge , ideal also for 4wd vehicles . The bowl is completely sealed and doesn’t suffer the same flooding problems present in the DGV. To test this theory fill a DGV with fuel and turn it upside down, most of the fuel will drain from the booster venturies & out the top of the fuel bowl before it is halfway. However the DFT must be turned completely upside down for the fuel to come out.

This DFT Weber has also incorporated a single air filter locating bolt in the centre of the throat which allowed cars fitted with air filter hats to be modified and retain the factory air filter system, something not available on the DGV.

I have had the DFT carby extensively tested on Suzuki bull catchers and on serious off road Suzuki’s in the Northern Territory and Western Australia with fantastic results. With a few minor tweaks the DFT had more power, idled beautifully and proved to be more responsive than the DGV. The bull catchers were able to traverse rougher road conditions without experiencing any of the usual problems associated with the DGV. These owners refuse to use the DGV. The problem is that the DGV is just too big in throat size, too much air, not enough air speed especially when they put on bigger wheels they also lack the low-down pickup because of this. A lot time can be spent trying to re-jet and calibrate for the carby to work on certain engines. Even the original carby can work better and some owners have gone back to them (But none of ours would). Some Suzuki specialists still insist on using the O.E. carby for cost or not wanting the DGV problems (those who haven’t tried our carby!!) Other specialist won’t use anything but our carby and it is much cheaper than reconditioning the O.E. Vitara carby. Many customers have reported drowning their Suzuki’s in water and have simply taken the DFT carby top off to clean it out. This is very hard to do on the original without taking it apart and almost impossible with the Vitara without a skilled technician present.

The DGV has been used successfully on many vehicles over the years starting back in the 60’s when it was developed for many manufacturers including, Ford, Fiat, & many others. The Weber carburettor has long been known for its reputation for fine quality, performance, reliability, simplicity. Used extensively in motor sports the DGV has been used on many vehicles that did not require such things as aircon idle up and cut off solenoids. I fit them to engines above 2.0 ltr and 6 cyl and they work ok. They are very cheap to purchase and repair when comparing the cost of repairing other O.E. carby’s e.g. Vitara $2,500 for a new one and $100’s in parts, according to one of my customers.

And the DGV is still available, as the only option on some vehicles. Unfortunately not suitable for many later model vehicles.

In conclusion I have found that the DFT Weber is a better choice for those wanting to use their Suzuki on various inclines and rough surfaces given its redesigned float bowl configuration. The additional aircon idle step up and cut off solenoid give the DFT a ‘true’ O.E. replacement, retaining many of the good features of the original carburettor without the high repair costs.

As an added note we have also had a great deal of success fitting these carburettors to Mitsubishi Lancers, L300, Toyota Dyna, Hiace and Hilux , Corrolla's ,Subaru's and also a Datsun 1200 /1500 ute which was originally fitted with a DGV Weber.

Here is an interesting website which also discusses the DGV Weber conversion and various other technical on the 3.0 litre 6 cylinder Ford engines -

http://www.classicinlines.com/CarbChoice.asp

http://www.classicinlines.com/WeberTune.asp

http://classicinlines.com/Vacuum.asp

Weber Conversion Archive - 23rd July 2013

After a HUGE amount of success fitting the Weber DFT carburettor to Mitsubishi, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and Subaru we have decided to share a few pictures of our customers vehicles.

Weber DFT Conversion Kit - 26th Nov 2010

After much research and development,The Carby Shop is proud to announce the release of a brand new Weber DFT conversion for the Suzuki Sierra /Samuri 1.3 litre.& 1.6 Vitara. The carby is the correct size CFM & jetting specifically designed for Ford 1.3 & 1.6 Escortsengines and is a much better choice than the commonly used older designed 32/36 DGV one size fits all conversions, which is all that Weber can offer. Our latest new shipment has arrived and are the last ones available so be quick.
The carbys are available to suit most other small 4 cylinders with adapters to suit, (both these have expensive problem carbys to repair). They can also be fitted to many others, Toyota, Datsun 1200, 1300, 1600, Subaru etc. The carby comes fitted with an electric idle shutoff solenoid, electric choke and aircon idle stepup. The DFT Weber has mechanical secondaries and gives more power & economy over the standard factory fitted unit with much better low end torque. This version of Weber does not have the associated flooding problems in rough conditions and inclines that are quite common with other Weber / Holley conversions. The conversion kit is supplied with a custom made billet adapter, cable bracket and linkage, even the original fuel hose connects in the same place. We have step by step pictures of the intallations /modifications which can be provided. We can also modify your standard air filter top to fit the Weber (on an exchange basis) for those who want to retain that 'Factory Look'.

Just give Michael a call for more information on 0408 819 911