I have an 86 sammy (daily driver), and it has developed a rough idle.  I am going to check for vacuum leaks, idle mixture adjustment, plugs, wires, Dist. cap, etc. this weekend, but the carb looks like it is in need of a rebuild.  So, I am looking at the weber conversion, as it seems to be a better setup from everything I have read.  The truck drives well and has plenty of pep for a 1.3 and has no hesitation.

I do have a couple of questions about the weber conversion for those of you who have done one.  What do you do with all the emissions stuff and electronic controls from the OE carb?  I would think that you would just unhook them and seal them off, but I want to make sure.  I saw that the conversion comes with new brackets for the throttle linkage, has anyone experienced any difficulty with hooking up the throttle? 

I have seen two kits available for the weber conversion, one with an adapter to use the stock intake, and another with a square filter that fits on top of the carb.  I am leaning toward the stock intake adapter since it is my daily driver and I drive it all winter here in Iowa, but I would like your thoughts on which is better.

Last, is there a direct EFI conversion for the 86 1.3L?  And if there is, is there any advantage to going to EFI over Carb since I really don't take it on the trails?

I would say if your going to keep it on the road and off the trail don't spend the money on a weber. Get the FSM (Factory service manual) and go through its adjustments, and give it a real good cleaning. I bet with a little TLC you can have the stock running great. But also ask yourself do I have more time then money, or more money than time. If more time rebuild and clean/ adjust it yourself. More money sure what the eck throw on a weber.

the weber is super easy to put on. it took me longer to remove the old carb than to put the new one on and get it running. the throttle bracket supplied worked fine. the weber came with some rubber caps to cap everything off but the were loose so I just crimped the metal nipples on the manifold shut with a vise grip. everything gets capped off except the line that went to the gas tank vent that stays open( this only applies if you remove the charcoal canister)

About the Weber: Every vacuum hose hose that goes to the intake manifold gets sealed off tight!  You can also seal off the EGR holes with a plate or put a thin plate between it and the intake to fool those who need "fooling"...

The electrics are disconnected.  If you feel that this is a "no turning back" thing you can cut and tape the wires back and remove the ECM.

HOWEVER -

If you have a sick motor - bad compression, leaky valves, etc. - a Weber (or any other carb for that matter) will not help you.  Doubly-so for a used and/or incorrectly jetted Weber!  Guaranteed to cause crankiness!

You also have another choice: the My-Side kit from Zuks Offroad.  Turnkey package.  You supply the inexpensive sidedraft carb from a Harely Davidson motorcycle.

http://www.zuksoffroad.net/samurai_engine.htm

I have a Sarge-prepared Weber that has been running great for 8 years on a then-freshly rebuilt 1.6 8-valve.  Which leads us to the features/benefits/drawbacks part of this post:

Weber F/B:  Known track record. Properly set up, it's a good performer and is simple to maintain.

Weber Drawback: Runs lean and stalls on steep angles.  Sarge isn't available anymore to help/support his or anyone else's Weber installation.

ZOR MySide F/B: Turnkey system supported by the vendor. Good used/nearly new carbs are glutting the market with the advent of H/D FI systems.  Does not stall easily while on steep inclines

ZOR MySide Drawback: Cost (?)  The two available kits range from $249 to $349.  Carbs range from FREE (!) to $349.

Finally, do a search for vacuum and factory service manual at Ack's FAQ (see link in signature, below) for help with fixing your Hitachi carburetor.  Search for weber for extensive documentation on the Weber 32/36 DGAx series carbs.

I hope that this helps!

Thanks for all of the replies.  I think I am going to try and rebuild the OE carb, and if I mess that up go with the weber.

About the Weber: Every vacuum hose hose that goes to the intake manifold gets sealed off tight!  You can also seal off the EGR holes with a plate or put a thin plate between it and the intake to fool those who need "fooling"...

The electrics are disconnected.  If you feel that this is a "no turning back" thing you can cut and tape the wires back and remove the ECM.

HOWEVER -

If you have a sick motor - bad compression, leaky valves, etc. - a Weber (or any other carb for that matter) will not help you.  Doubly-so for a used and/or incorrectly jetted Weber!  Guaranteed to cause crankiness!

You also have another choice: the My-Side kit from Zuks Offroad.  Turnkey package.  You supply the inexpensive sidedraft carb from a Harely Davidson motorcycle.

http://www.zuksoffroad.net/samurai_engine.htm

I have a Sarge-prepared Weber that has been running great for 8 years on a then-freshly rebuilt 1.6 8-valve.  Which leads us to the features/benefits/drawbacks part of this post:

Weber F/B:  Known track record. Properly set up, it's a good performer and is simple to maintain.

Weber Drawback: Runs lean and stalls on steep angles.  Sarge isn't available anymore to help/support his or anyone else's Weber installation.

ZOR MySide F/B: Turnkey system supported by the vendor. Good used/nearly new carbs are glutting the market with the advent of H/D FI systems.  Does not stall easily while on steep inclines

ZOR MySide Drawback: Cost (?)  The two available kits range from $249 to $349.  Carbs range from FREE (!) to $349.

Finally, do a search for vacuum and factory service manual at Ack's FAQ (see link in signature, below) for help with fixing your Hitachi carburetor.  Search for weber for extensive documentation on the Weber 32/36 DGAx series carbs.

I hope that this helps!

Ack, I hope you have chosen to be chriogenicly  frozen so scientists can study your brain, then reanimate you for the future!!!

in ACK's faq, he's got some links to alternate carb swaps which will save you $$$ compared to webber.