Carb spacer/gasket questions

[RJ80]

In preparation to install a 34adf and 1800 intake manifold on my '79 2L Spider, I purchased the 12mm carb spacer kit from IAP. In the IAP photos, they showed two gaskets included with the spacer, but there appears to only be one in the kit. My question is, do I need two gaskets (I assume that I do) and is the 12mm spacer the one to go with for my application vs the 7mm spacer that IAP also sells? I probably should have asked the last question ahead of time, but better late than never I guess.

If I need two gaskets, I'll call up IAP and figure out what's going on.

[azygoustoyou]

the thicker the better
http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... arb+spacer

[mbouse]

a gap in this assembly that sucks down air in between any of the three components is not conducive to a well running car. those vacuum leaks are hard to find, but oh-so-important; especially if you were not planning on any goo (dry fit).

i agree that the on-line photo clearly shows two gaskets.

i believe that the gasket you were supplied with is a simple paper gasket. you could always just go to Auto Zone and finda sheet of gasket material and trace out/cut a brand new gasket for a couple of pennies.... certainly for less than the cost of the postage to have another gasket mailed to you from Ver-ginny. i used cork gaskets in this location for YEARS with no ill effect; had the gasket material in my tool box.

course, you could always call IAP and they will be happy to straighten out the sit-che-ashun.

as far as total height, i must caution that you check your total clearance, especially if you are putting on an aftermarket air breather on top of a taller carburetor and a carb spacer larger than stock. stacking all that stuff on top of each other could crack or bust something when you accidently slam the hood down on a too-tall fuel mixer.

just remember why Fiat went to big bump hoods to begin with.

which one is right for you? i am betting that unless you are gearing up for high performance.... and unless you are already experiencing some vapor lock issues... that the 7 mm is suitable. No harm in the 12mm if you physically have the room for it. i ran the 12mm with a 2 1/2" breather on top of a 32/36... but i was sure i had the clearance before i tunked the hood down. i'll also bet that you could never tell the difference between the 7mm and the 12mm, lunch... i bet lunch.

[azygoustoyou]

good catch Mike. I forgot I have a large hump, hood that is

[RJ80]

Thanks for the replies. I see that a thicker spacer can be beneficial to torque, but I guess I'll have to make sure everything fits correctly. Especially as I'm looking to replace the big-bump hood with a small bump version I sourced. Regarding the gasket, good idea Mike -- I'll just head down and buy some gasket material to make my own. Not worth the fuss dealing with IAP on that.

I'll be using a new Bayless Meaner Cleaner as my air filter... probably about 1.5" tall.

[mbouse]

most likely, it is 1 3/4" filiment plus the stamped steel... that is the general size.

steal some Play Dough from the kids, and wad up a cone several inches tall, setting the cone on the top center of your setup. carefully close the lid, the hood will splat the Play Dough, giving you some kind of idea how much clearance you have.

you can substitute aluminum foil for Play Dough, but don't get caught putting it back on the roll after you are done.

[RJ80]

Good idea with the play dough. I don't have any kids, but the girlfriend is a teacher so I think she's got some laying around. I'll have a look!

[NebraskaSpider]

IAP sent me the 6mm spacer that only has one gasket, even though I ordered the 12mm. So make sure to measure your spacer.

[carl55]

A ball of foil works instead of playdoh.

Carl