Carter RBS

Just_Fare

Active member
Hey folks,

I completed a carburetor swap on my '66 Fairlane. I had an Autolite 1100 mated to a late '70s large log head using an adaptor from Vintage Inlines (which is a great product by the way). The old 1100 was begging for a rebuild but taking advice from posts here on FordSix I decided to upgrade rather than rebuild, and an RBS seemed to be the way to go. I picked up two good RBS carbs for $40 Canadian which is about $30 US. Since I've never rebuilt a carb I decided to have a professional rebuild one for me and figure that I'll take a stab at the other one some time.

Anyway, I installed the RBS myself which I am pretty proud of since I've never changed a carb before. Since it's pretty straight forward I was not particularly worried. I used an adaptor / spacer I bought from a member here on FordSix. So a big shout out and thank you to revherbel! To my surprise I seem to have got it right on the first attempt and I now have it tuned up and the engine runs like a champ. It is heads and tails above the performance of the Autolite (at least the one I had). It runs much smoother at all rpms and idles nicely at a little over 500 rpm and has way more get up and go then before and seems to need far less gas to get around town, I hardly have to touch the gas pedal!

The only concern is that if I do stomp on the gas (which is very tempting now) I can smell a little raw gas and so there must be a small leak somewhere. Short of strapping my girlfriend under the hood while we're driving (which she said 'no' to) I'm not sure how to go about sorting this leak. Where should I look for / expect to find this gas leak? I should reinforce that I expect it is a very small leak because it only happens if I really stand on it.

Thanks in advance,

CC
 
I'm surprised U needed an adapter to mount (look there?). Hope mine doesn't need it.

I'd ck frm 1 end to the other - start at pump, filters, keep goin...
Tromp the peddle (not running) w/hood open - run around w/flashlite'n check?

Let us know~
 
Howdy Back CC:

Searching for a small gas leak on a running engine and given your criteria is a challenge. Gas is very volatile. And the wind from a moving vehicle as well as the engine fan makes for a challenge. Have you tried killing the engine as soon as you smell gas. Stop asap and visually inspect for traces; wet spots or gas stains on the carb or manifold. Please do this is in a safe way, away from traffic and off of busy roads.

Also thoroughly check gas lines from the pump to the carb.

Glad to hear the RBS is a good upgrade for you. Good luck on finding the leak and keep us posted.

Adios, David
 
Thanks for the help and helpful words. I managed to fix the gas smell. The carb was running a little rich and it needed to be tightened to the spacer a bit more (I think that was the main culprit). Now I think I have it almost tuned right.

Of course you all know the "if you fix one thing, something else will break" rule, it applies to us all. Now it appears that I need to replace the u-joints. Soon I will have fixed / replaced everything. Good thing I like the Fairlane more than I like money.
 
Nice work on your RBS swap and they are good carbs. It would have more CFM than the 1100 so should be good with the later head.
Yep one thing after another sometimes but these cars usually appreciate in value so it is an investment plus fun to drive.
 
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