GAV housing- remove the circlip or leave it in place?

[johnbuckley]

I see that Les Andrews books says remove the circlip on the GAV housing before fitting, but most (maybe all) Zeniths I come across have the circlips still fitted. What do you guys do? Does it matter? In fact , does it do anything?

[Marco Tahtaras]

I'll just say that isn't one of the best things I've seen written! When the clip is sized properly it provides just enough tension to keep the GAV from 'walking' and changing your mixture as you drive the car.

I think there may still be an issue with some repros being way too tight. Last time I used a repro was at least 35 years ago and it was too tight. I removed the clip and slid it on a awl as that was my best long tapered tool I had for the job. I forced the clip up the awl just far enough for it to spread it a little. The clip spreads slightly at the split and deforms opposite the split so it becomes oval and you can see air space between the clip and the awl 90 degrees from the split in both directions.

I held the awl across my vise anvil so the clip was vertical and against the anvil. I lightly tapped the clip with a small hammer rotating the awl (and clip) so the clip relaxed to the slightly larger diameter of the awl and became round at it's new size. I then reinstalled the clip.

It's important to note that if you go too far (making the diameter too large) the clip will become useless and your GAV will walk while driving the car just as if you left the clip off. It's not so easy to make the clip smaller and round so go slow and if it takes two tries to get it right at least you will still have a usable housing.

[johnbuckley]

Thanks Marco, I have left the circlips in place , but hadn't recognised the reason for them until your excellent explanation. John B

[Joe K]

A younger and more impatient me used the awl down the GAV fitting directly - to stretch the circlip.

Ended up breaking one of the four fingers.

But the remainder still work and hold the GAV. And it did reduce the turn effort (and feel of galling)

I'm still running that GAV with the broken finger.

Joe K

[Brentwood Bob]

the awl worked for me to resize a reproduction.
Bob

[MAG]

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I agree the clip serves a important purpose and would never discard it. I used buffing rouge and a polishing wheel on the mating surface of the GAV jet to correct the problem. Took a while to do it. I will try the awl if I have to do another one.

[glenn in camino]

Take a plastic paint bucket and install a wire so it will hang below the carburetor and catch the drips. I do this even on my carbs that usually don't leak. Check it every day or two until you fix the problem.