Am learning a bit about how to rebuild a carburetor.

[Fred K-OR]

For those of you that know how to effectively rebuild a carburetor, skip this dissertation on how I messed up trying to rebuild one.

To start this, I had an extra carb that I had used on my coupe that worked OK except when I would come up to a stop the engine would die. I know this problem has been discussed many times on the old Barn.

But I will add my experiences with this problem with the hope that someone as ignorant as I am about rebuilding carbs may gain some helpful information.

First of all I ordered all new parts from Bratton's for the old carb. I figured I had a quality vendor for parts so that without all the testing equipment I would not have to do testing of parts. BTW this assumption worked OK-their parts were great. Then I thought I would make things look "Professional" so I went down to the parts store and bought a gallon of carb cleaner. Cleaned up the carb and painted it the way it should be painted. Blew out all passages, used paperclips to check them out and reassembled it. I did put in a "ball" type float valve rather that the original type. Thinking here with the ball type it may raise the height of the float. (common solution for engine die at stop). Reassembled carb with one washer under float valve (like before), checked the 1 inch required for the float valve which was right on and installed the carb on the coupe. Started it up and it ran like it has never run before!

So took it out of the shop, warmed it up a bit and went down the driveway and slammed on the brakes. Great it did not die! Problem fixed (I thought).

Went back to the shop and parked it there. Took the old carb I had just taken off and took it all apart. Thought I may as well tune it up also. While working on the old carb I kept hearing this noise that sounded like a "clicking" sound. Just thought it was the electric fence charger I had on the wall. Well after a half hour or so I went back to the coupe and found what the clicking noise was. It was gas dripping from the "new" carb on the piece of cardboard I had under the coupe. What a puddle of gas!

Checked to see where the gas was coming from and it seemed like it was coming out of the little hole in the choke area. Took the "new" carb off again, went to the bench, put another washer under the float valve to lower it, (BTW it now measured more that the one inch it was suppose to be) put it back together and installed it back on the coupe. Started it up and the old coupe would run for a little while and then quit. Pulled the choke and it would run for a little more and then quit. Then I thought I needed to pull the carb again and see what was wrong now. Well as I was taking the carb off the manifold, I felt the gasket between the carb and manifold was sticking out the back-I had not put the gasket between the carb and the manifold on one of the bolts-shows my mechanical skills. Reinstalled that bolt and gasket the way it was supposed to be installed and bolted it back on. Took the old coupe out to test it at a stop and it worked great without killing the engine and also had no gas leak in the carb.

Well the points of all the these words are:

1. It does make a difference what the float level is in the carb to stop the gas from leaking out the choke hole and to keep the engine from killing at a stop. I still need to road test it to see how things work. I may still have to adjust the height of the float level.

2. Check your work-don't be as sloppy as I am in doing mechanical work.

Hope I did not bore you to much and maybe helped some non mechanical person like me to try to solve a carb problem.

[700rpm]

We're all here to learn, Fred. Thanks for sharing.

[Mitch//pa]

i find 2 gaskets / washers under the float valve gets it real close

[Fred K-OR]

I may end up replacing the float valve before I am finished. I had to solder the bracket where it hooks on to the carb and maybe this makes the float not set just right.

[Larry Jenkins]

Fred..

That's a whole lot of good advice for a whole lot of folks..

Larry

[glenn in camino]

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I always drill out the butterfly shaft holes in the carb top and insert new bushings to eliminate any air leaks. That usually fixes the problem.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by glenn in camino

I always drill out the butterfly shaft holes in the carb top and insert new bushings to eliminate any air leaks. That usually fixes the problem.

i always install the oversize throttle shaft first.. to rebush the carb it has to be drilled larger than the o/s shaft

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Fred, I ADMIRE a man that admits his MISTAKES.
Bill W.

[Fred K-OR]

Bill making mistakes is how I made it for 20 years owing a business. It is a good way to learn how to do it correctly.

[ckulchar]

Thanks for sharing. Great post and replies.
Charley

[Fred K-OR]

Thanks guys for all the additional ideas. Looks like there are some additional things I can do to this carb to make it work better. With your ideas I don't have to learn by making more mistakes.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by 1930 coupe

When setting float level to 1 inch, you will get a different fuel level with different floats because all reproduction floats do not weigh the same.
Original new Ford floats all weighed the same so they could be set by measuring. Reproduction floats all weigh different so measuring does not work. You need to order or make a sight glass so you can see the fuel level with the engine running. This is one that I made, the white plastic is 5/8" long, I slide it up or down the tube so the top of the plastic is even with the gasket, and the fuel level should be at the bottom of the plastic.

i like your very effective carb bowl fuel height apparatus

[BlueSunoco]

Sounds like the jets were properly flow rated already.

Does Bratton's get their's from Renner's?

[Fred K-OR]

Originally Posted by BlueSunoco

Sounds like the jets were properly flow rated already.

Does Bratton's get their's from Renner's?

I don't know. Maybe someone on the Barn may know.

[Mitch//pa]

i dont know of any vendors selling flow tested jets but renners

[Mikeinnj]

Offered by Brattons

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Mikeinnj

Offered by Brattons

the float level tool sold by the suppliers is subpar at best. renners corner sells a decent one for 12.00..

[Fred K-OR]

Hello again and I am here to (I hope) finish up on things I did to this carb to make it do what it is suppose to do.

After all the problems mentioned above and most of them were solved, I still had a gas drip out of the carb when I would park it with the gas valve shut off. It would leave quite a puddle of gas under the carb if left parked over night. There would be gas inside of the air intake and all over the bottom of the carb and a puddle on the floor.

So back to the drawing boards with more stuff to do to fix the leak. Did the following:

1. Checked both the cap jet and the main jet to make sure they were about the same height and had their tips no higher than the lower casting shelf that the venture sits on. I thought the jets were to low so I put washers under them to get them to the proper height. In thinking they were to low, I thought the gas was coming out of them and going into the carb intake. Tested it and still had the same problem of leakage.

2. Took the compensator jet out to make sure it was not hanging up on the secondary well thingy. No problem there. Checked the new drain plug to assure it was OK. I did not trust it so I replaced it with an old plug I had laying around.

3. Checked the cap jet and main jet to make sure they had the indented tips like they should have. If they don't have this kind of tip there is suppose to be the possibility of capillary action that can cause leaks. They did have the indented tips. After steps 2 and 3, I tested it again. Still leaked

4. Changed out the cap jet and main jet with a used ones I had around. Checked to assure they were indented.

5. Changed out the float valve. It seemed like the one I had in there would not tighten in all the way because of rusted threads in the hole. So the one I put in did screw all the way in and I used two washers under the float valve. I made up a "tool" like 1930 coupe had mentioned above. With it checked the float level and it was right on at 5/8 inch or so. After step 4 and 5, tested it again and still had leak.

6. Went back the next day and took the bottom of the carb off again and checked everything out and all seemed good. Then turned on the gas again, started the engine and ran it awhile and then shut it down. Turned off the gas and checked for leaks at the bottom of the carb. None at that time. But after a half hour or so, I went back and checked for a gas leak again. This time it seems like there was gas right under where the gas adjusting valve screws into the carb. No gas elsewhere on the bottom of the carb! Hey, making progress! (maybe). So I took the GAV out, put some pipe thread sealer on the threads and screwed it back in and made sure it was screwed in tight. This carb does not have the seat. Turned on the gas, started the engine, ran the engine for awhile, turned off the engine, turned off the gas and went to lunch.

Wow, after coming back from lunch and hour of so later, just looked like maybe one or two drips on the floor under the carb! LOOKS LIKE IT IS FIXED! Let everything set and closed down the shop for the day.

Came back the next day and still maybe a few drops of gas on the floor rather than a puddle a foot or so in diameter. Still looks good. So today took it out for a 10 or so mile drive, parked it in the shop, left the gas valve turned on and went to lunch. Back from lunch, and maybe there was a drop on the floor. So I think I have found the problem. It was the gas adjusting valve either not screwed in tight enough or the threads are not good on this valve. So think I will wait and see what happens from here.

Again hope I do not bore you all with this situation but thought I would just share with you what I found. What was so frustrating with this project was that I was doing everything according to the book and could never solve the problem until I found this leaking GAV. Hope this is of interest to you all.

[Mitch//pa]

Fred there shouldnt be any drops of gas on the floor... are you able to determine where they are originating from. its definitely better than a puddle though

[Fred K-OR]

Mitch, I think the gas is still coming from the GAV. So I need to either find out what is wrong with either the GAV or the threads in the lower carb body or find a different lower body if the threads are messed up. Guess another option would be to find something to put on the GAV threads to seal them better. Yes still work to be done.