Are Carburetors hard to work on?

[Positively Ralf]

Curious to know if they are or not. Wanting to know so I can do some of the stuff on my own and learn on the go.

 

[fordconvert]

Depends on the make and model and if it has been abused in the past. Typically the 1bbls are not so bad. Some of the 2 and 4bbls can be fairly complex. The Autolite 1100 that was original on many of our 6's is fairly easy and there is not as much to abuse or modify as some other models.

 

[Positively Ralf]

I may be going for the Progressive Weber carb when I do the conversion. is that one pretty complex?

 

[Eric Rose]

The progressive Weber is a little bit more complex than the 1V's, but not that much so.

If it could use it, you might try a quick rebuild of the 1v carb just to get your feet wet. A carb kit costs between 15 and 20 bones and the 1V will probably take you less than an hour to overhaul and re-install. There are instructions included with the kits that show how the steps for rebuilding and also the procedure for tuning the settings once you re-install. And once you're done you have a backup carb in the event you have trouble with the Weber, or something you can sell/donate to someone else.

 

[CobraSix]

I too was intimidated by carbs at first, but once you rebuild a few, you see they are quite remarkably simple for the task they perform. To learn, I actually picked up a couple of Autolite 2100s to play with. They were cheap and needed a rebuild. I rebuilt both and tested them and was amazed I didn't screw them up.

My advice is this. If you don't have a 12 cup muffin pan (or wife/GF/Mom won't let you use the good one), go get a cheap one. When I dissemble the carb, I start in one corner of the muffin pan and as I pull off parts in each stage (like removing the fuel bowl cover), I put all of those parts in one cup. I work my way across the muffin pan.

The pan serves two purposes. Once I pull everything apart, I look at what parts were provided in the rebuild kit and replace the appropriate parts in the pan (keeping the originals until I know i"m done). I then work my way backwards through the parts in the muffin pan while reassembling the carb. That why i know I don't miss parts and don't miss steps.

Or you could spend $50 on the 'carb rebuild plates'. But I find a $2 muffin pan to be more useful. I use it pretty much anytime I'm pulling something apart when doing work on a car (unless it's going to be a long term project).

 

[fordconvert]

Also working on something with edges like a cookie sheet will save you many headaches. The sheet will keep you from staining your work surface with carb spray and gas. It will also contain small parts that you may not be expecting to fall out. A can of carb spray and some form of compressed air is required (a computer duster can is fine if you dont have the compressor). Also safety glasses, you never know where the carb spray is going to shoot out during the cleaning process. During that stage you dont want to be working anywhere that you dont want carb spray, it tends to splatter and its hard on paint and plastics. If you are stuck working in the house you can cut the side out of a cardboard box and fit it over your cookie sheet to try and contain the splatters.

 

[ludwig]

I like to cover my work surface with a thick paper of a single color, like butcher paper. Makes it easier to find little parts than on newspaper. I also like to use a plastic bowl instead of metal to soak stuff. No sparks.

 

[fordconvert]

Another thought, for general cleaning the last few years I have been using various brands of 'purple' degreaser. Gunk makes one as do many of the stores with their own name. Its a detergent base cleaner. It comes in a spray bottle or as a concentrate. Works great. It wont take off heavy varnish, thats what carb cleaner is for. Its great with general goo. IMHO it works much better than the typical foamy engine cleaner. I think the magic ingredient is Lye. I just used it to clean up an intake on a 250K 3800. Most areas look like new. Some oil varnish on the underside and the carbon in the intake runners did not come off but it looks new on the outside now. Same with valve covers, inside varnish does not really come off but outside looks new. I have done several carbs with it and they all came out looking good also. Just pick up some toothbrushs and other scrub brushes from a home store and you are set.

 

[JackFish]

First carb I rebuilt was a 5200. I use an egg carton for the small bits, and a rubbermaid basin for disassembly and cleaning. I also have an ultasonic cleaner.
ha after four years it's still sitting on the shelf...

 

[CobraSix]

I just bought one of those paint can size carb cleaner containers. It came with a basket and you just lower the parts in.

BE VERY CAREFUL with compressed air of any kind when doing this. If you use it on a carb, be sure to wear safety glasses. I was cleaning out a carb this one once when the air accidently hit one of the jets and shot carb cleaner right into my eye. very very unpleasant. Carbs are full of little ports like that where if the air hits it it'll shoot some cleaner out from an unknown location.

 

[ludwig]

Amen, sistah! Duck.