Synch link system

Jack

I found Terry's old post about installing the SyncLink!

…Throttle system, that is.

No matter what you do to your engine; heads, exhaust, pistons, cams, etc. it doesn’t mean sh!t if your linkage is the weak point.

Of course, I’m talking about the linkage for dual carburetors. Hex bar, bell crank, CB Performance, CSP, Scat, Gene Berg, whatever, all of them are a Rube Goldberg contraption at best. All of them start out okay but degrade over time. Some are fairly easy to adjust while some require countless adjustments and tweaking. One thing they all share is the inability to stay in sync throughout the throttle cycle. They’re fine at idle and at WOT but quite erratic through the middle.

I have been searching for the Holy Grail of throttle systems since Penny was completed, trying everything from Redline to CB (including the heim joint modification) to CSP to Berg – all with faults. All of these linkages have many moving parts and require a surgeon’s hand to dial them in. Those moving parts wear out. Yes, even the heim joints degrade over time. I should post a photo of the pegs that go into the joints, not pretty. Plus, the different metals expand and contract, constantly throwing the geometry off.

Some of you know that I have been following the progress of a particular throttle system that Pete “Slowtwitch” Staszkiw has developed. It is a cable system that has wheels to replace the carb throttle arms, with cable brackets mounted to the carburetors. During development, Pete named his system “SyncLink”. If you’re interested, you can read the thread from the Samba:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/for...p;highlight=synclink

I contacted Pete, via email, and discussed the use of the system on a speedster replica. As long as you’re using IDF Webers or Dells, and not using a stock shroud with heat ducts, the system should work. So, after nickel & diming myself for the past 9 years I bit the bullet and sent $300.00, via PayPal, to Pete. Let’s see, that’s probably 1% of a concourse condition ’64 Lincoln hardtop.

The kit arrived a few days later. Polished aluminum (you can also have it in powder-coat black) with every piece in a marked Ziploc baggie. The instructions were in PDF format, delivered via email, several days earlier.

There is a certain amount of knowledge necessary to install the kit – if you can tune and sync your carbs, you can probably install the kit. Otherwise, ask a knowledgeable friend or be prepared to pay a mechanic for 1-1/2 – 2 hours labor.

It’s not the easiest thing to install due to limited space in the engine bay as well as the tight foot well but, let me tell you, this was the best $300.00 I have spent on Penny! The results are fantastic. Those of you familiar with the throttle response of a motorcycle will notice the similarities immediately. I could have sworn I had switched over to modern fuel injection. All those times I thought my carbs were out of sync, or my distributor had a flat spot, or the transition between the idle and main circuits was suspect. I live on a rutted gravel road and drive some rough country roads and I would experience throttle lurch and stuttering. All of these symptoms are gone. I did add a spring on the gas pedal to offer a little more resistance to foot pressure as the SyncLink only uses the throttle return springs on the carbs.

I know, it sounds like I’m a shill for some magic elixir. If you doubt me, ask Jake Raby. He thinks so much of the system he put it on all of his personal vehicles and was selling the system while Pete was tooling up for production.

The throttle system is made, in house, by Pete. It is distributed by Pete. If you have questions, they are answered – quickly – by Pete.

Take a look at the photos, email/dialogue me with questions. Come up in September for Tour d’Hoe III and drive my car to feel the difference.