Help me with my Weber!!

Eric Rose

Famous Member
I got everything finished with the transmission this past weekend and the car is down off the jackstands. I ran the engine for a cam break in cycle (20 minutes at 2k rpm). After the cam break in was done I started trying to tune the carb.

I noticed it has a vacuum leak that comes and goes. It makes a whistling sound. I have heard that you can find a vac. leak by spraying carb cleaner around the carb and if it is leaking you can hear the ldle go up or down when it gets sucked in through a leak.

If this is correct, then the thing is pretty much leaking all over the base. I think a lot of that has to do with the gaskets supplied with the adapter. They are cut a little bit too big and don't really fit the carb as tightly as they should. Theres also quite a bit of room in the slotted bolt holes to move the carb on the adapter, maybe I'm just not centered. :?:

I tried driving it down the driveway and back up again a few times yesterday to get the fluid circulated through the trans. It bogs down right off of idle and you have to give it more throttle than it sould need to get it going without bogging out.

Once it gets going it seems OK though.

We did pull the accelerator pump diaphragm and it looks like it has dried up and hardened a little. There was also some buildup on the jets so I am assuming a rebuild is necessary.

Should I bother with rebuilding it? Its a 23/25 (if I remember right) and its from a 1.6L Escort motor. Is that too small of a carb for a 200? Should I go for the 32/36?
 
You can get a Weber 5200 from Langdons Stovebolt for about $65 and an adapter from Clifford for another $68. (those prices are from Fall of '07 - they may have gone up, like everything else.) Or you can machine the intake to mount the carb directly, if you prefer. And the HW is easily tuneable, but you'll need to modify and fabricate the accelerator linkage. Not a big deal.
 
I have a H/W 5200 from Stovebolt and an adaptor from Clifford for the early head 1.5" that I ran for about two months that I'll sell for $100 plus shipping if you're interested.
 
webercarb004.jpg


I think the one I have is the Carter Weber. I don't know what the difference is between it and the Holley 5200, but I heard that the Carter Weber has a better layout as far as the position of the fuel bowl and choke.

The accelerator linkage is already fabricated, and I've got the carb positioned correctly on the manifold with the adapter setup I have now. So I am thinking that maybe I can get the bigger Carter Weber that Stovebolt carries and fix the adapter I have now so that it won't leak.

But what I want to know is do I need a bigger carb. Is the 23/25 big enough to feed a 200, or would I need a 32/36?

Another option I am thinking about is the Carter (YFA?) one barrel from a 300 truck six. It seems like it would fit with a little dremeling on the adapter for the bigger throttle blade.
 
I don't see how the big one barrel is a step forward. It won't atomise so well at part throttle or transitional speeds.

Where are the numbers you are using to describe the carb? Are they cast into little "buttons" about halfway up the carb body?
 
addo":6mpvp1wn said:
Where are the numbers you are using to describe the carb? Are they cast into little "buttons" about halfway up the carb body?

Yeah, they are in an oval that looks kinda like this:

(23 / 25)

I forget where on the carb I saw it... it was pretty small and I didn't think I could get a good picture of it so I didn't give it a second thought untill later.
 
They're your venturi sizes, then. Actual throttle plate sizes need to be measured at the carb base with it removed - unless you can read stamped numbers on the base edge. Wouldn't be surprised if it's 32mm each side.
 
So I went to rebuild my Weber today, and when I went to take out the jets I noticed that the threads were all chewed up. And I read in the instructions for my rebuild kit that sometimes the jets are sometimes "staked" where they punch the threads there the jet screws into the main body so that the jets cannot move.

And this means that when the jets are removed "damage may occur to the jets and/or main body". So thats what has happened to mine. While I was trying to tune it one of the jets just completely stripped.

Thats something to look for when buying a used 5200 or Motorcraft Weber... make sure the jets haven't been staked. :roll:

I guess I am calling Stovebolt Monday morning to get a new carb.

The good news is that I did mount the carb and run the engine on it. And I eliminated the vacuum leaks that were coming from my adapter. Putting permatex on the gaskets worked great :)
 
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