Sd.Kfz 223 and Sd.Kfz 222 Ausf A – Vergaser Carburettor - Inside Track | Renault TSF Tank Kent

There are numerous between the Ausf. A and Ausf B le.Pz.Sp.Wg. One of these is the carburettor set up required for the 3.5 litre Horch split head V8 of the Ausf. A and the 3.8 litre Horch V8 of the Ausf B. Twin carburettors for the 3.8 litre Ausf B engine and a single twin downdraft example for the 3.5 litre Ausf B engine. The carburettor for the 3.5 litre is a Solex Fallstrom Doppelvergaser 32 according to the Einheitsfahrgestell I Ersatzteiliste D664 6. The required vergaser for the Einheitsfahrgestell I is listed within the Einheitsfahrgstell I Geratebeschreibung in D664 5 of 3/3/43 as a Solex 32 JFP. This is a lot more specific than the listing within Einheitsfahrgestell I Ersatzteiliste of 6/2/41 listing the Solex Fallstrom Doppelvergaser 32 (diameter sign). Solex carburettors were manufactured by the Deutsche Vergaser GmbH under licence from Solex (a French company) during the war. We located two Solex 32 down draft carburettors. One we managed to secure, the other damaged and unrepairable example got away. In hindsight this was quite fortunate as it was cracked and the zinc dominated aluminium material known as Mazak used to manufacture Solex carburettors cannot be welded. These carburettor are die cast with the zinc inclusion enabling the pour access into all the angles during the casting process. The specification of a Solex 32 (diameter sign) with 2 parts numbers depending on which engine block number was used is a start but confused when the Solex 32 JFP arrives in the 1943 D664 5. Both carburettors we located were Solex 32 IFF examples. The only original example to return to for comparison is the Solex carburettor fitted to the split head Horch 3.5 litre V8 engine of the Sd.Kfz 223 4 Serie of the US Cavalry and Armor Collection at Fort Benning. We had to prove that basing our analysis on the example fitted to the Fort Benning Sd.Kfz 223 was not a waste of time – that it is the same as that listed in the D664 5. Analysis of the schematics provided within D664 5 provide certainty that we were on the right path – it was indeed a Solex 32 JFP 32. On immediate inspection the carburettors appear to be the same. Closer inspection however reveals different fittings on the Fort Benning example. An automatic choke shown in the drawings within Einheitsfahrgstell I Geratebeschreibung in D664 5 is missing on the IFF 32. The other difference is that the throttle control is positioned on the rear of the IFF 32 but on the right of the JFP 32. The carburettor case of the 32 IFF is the same as the 32 JFP.

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