PMO and PMB… What Could be Better!?!
If you’ve been around air-cooled Porsches long enough, you’ve probably noticed a pattern:
People might start with Weber’s, Zenith’s, old CIS, whatever they found on the car or on the shelf, but if you’re going carburetors, a lot of serious builds and builders mandate PMO Induction.
Not because they’re trendy, not because they’re new, BUT because they work and they keep working.
PMO Was Never About Reinventing the Wheel
PMO didn’t set out to replace Weber just for the sake of it. The idea was simple:
take what worked, fix what didn’t, and build it specifically for Porsche flat-six engines. They didn’t reinvent the wheel either. They took the classic IDA3-C design and combined it with the “newest” design off the Weber engineering shelf… the IDF. This lends itself to better tuning, affordable and accessible jets. Not to be outdone, they outdid themselves with new features that the IDA and the IDF have never even dreamed of (E.G.: float windows that literally define the design).
That’s why PMOs don’t feel like generic carburetors adapted to a Porsche, they feel purpose-built because they ARE purpose-built. The layouts, the throttle geometry, the manifolds, even the linkage philosophy all revolve around how these engines actually behave on the street and at higher RPMs. Richard Parr definitely knew his way around these works of art.
Today, PMO Induction operates under the EMPI Inc. umbrella, which means modern machining, consistent quality, and unrivalled parts availability so you don’t have to hunt the forums at midnight for obscure parts. That’s why PMB is proud to be one of EMPI’s largest PMO dealers.
What You’ll Notice Immediately
Anyone who’s tuned worn Weber’s knows the usual suspects:
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Sticky and leaky throttle shafts
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Mystery air leaks
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Cylinders that never quite match
- Endless “almost there” mixture adjustments
PMOs quietly eliminate most of that frustration.
The throttle shafts ride on large sealed bearings, so they don’t oval out and start pulling air where they shouldn’t. These bearings are built to last a lifetime. The bodies are machined as complete units, not bored out and compromised, which keeps airflow smooth and predictable. And the fuel delivery is balanced in a way that actually makes tuning feel logical, instead of procedural guesswork.
What does it all mean? You spend less time chasing pops and flat spots and more time driving.
Throttle Response Is the Real Selling Point
On a well-sorted PMO setup, throttle response is immediate, not twitchy, not abrupt, just clean.
Crack the pedal and the engine reacts exactly the way you expect it to. That’s true whether you’re pulling away from a light or rolling into it at 5,000 RPM.
That’s where PMOs shine over tired vintage carbs. They don’t just flow more air, and they deliver it consistently across all cylinders. This is what makes the car feel right.
Built for Street Cars, Track Cars, and Everything Between
PMOs aren’t just for wild race builds. They’re offered in multiple sizes so they can match:
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Stock or lightly modified engines
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Larger displacement street motors
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Aggressive cam, high-RPM track setups
AND because jets, emulsion tubes, and service parts are readily available, the system can grow with the engine. Change cams later? Bigger displacement down the road? You’re not starting over again.
Period-Correct Feel, Modern Reliability
One of the biggest reasons people hesitate with carbs is reliability. PMOs tend to change that perception.
Once set up correctly, they stay put. They don’t drift out of tune every few weeks, and they don’t develop the weird quirks that come with decades-old castings. You still get the sound, the mechanical feel, and the connection that makes carbureted Porsches special, just without the constant babysitting.
Why PMO Has Become the Default “Upgrade” Choice
Ask around long enough and you’ll hear the same thing from builders and drivers alike:
PMOs aren’t flashy — they’re just sorted.
They’re the carburetor people end up with after they’ve tried everything else and want a setup that:
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Responds cleanly
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Tunes predictably
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Holds it's settings
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And feels like it belongs on a Porsche engine
That’s why you see them on everything from restored early 911s to properly built 914-6s and hot-rod street cars.
Take a look at EMPI’s video: PMO Carburetors vs OEM Carburetors
