Carb rebuild advice!

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Offline Tonker1

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Carb rebuild advice!
« on: April 14, 2015 - 07:56:06 AM »
Tomorrow I'm going to embark on resolving the fuel leaks on my Holley 670cfm Street Avenger carb!

With the relevant rebuild kit and having watched quite a lot of hours of youtube videos on the topic I feel comfortable with the task. In addition I bought a copy of David Vizard's 'How to super tune and modify Holley carburetors', this did not include information with regard to carb rebuilding, but it served well in familiarizing me with the internal components and how they react with regard to one another.

I’m asking and looking for additional advice from the seasoned 'carb rebuilding' veterans? Things that a first time re-builder would not know or would do wrong!
- easy blunders to avoid
- things to look out for
- better ways to go about things

Thanks in advance!




Offline cudabob496

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2015 - 03:15:24 PM »
Cover intake so nothing falls in while carb is off.
Keep work bench very clean while working on carb.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline roadman5312

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2015 - 03:20:39 PM »
Carb rebuild kit may come with multiple gaskets that look very similar. Save all old gaskets as removed, lay on bench as they came off, ie top, bottom, right and left sides. Compare new to old before reassembly.

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2015 - 05:43:57 PM »
some carb gaskets are better than others.
some reusable, some not
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline OUTLAW

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2015 - 10:32:06 PM »
never turn an open carb upside down without catching the check balls  and if linkage looks simple it isn't take a picture ! Oh and don't expect the exploded view in the kit to match your carb.

Offline Tonker1

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2015 - 07:12:32 AM »
Thank you! The manifold is covered and I have the camera out to photograph all the component gaskets

Spreading everything out on the workbench is a good thought. The weather predicts a few days of rain so that may slow me down as the work bench is outside.

never turn an open carb upside down without catching the check balls  and if linkage looks simple it isn't take a picture ! Oh and don't expect the exploded view in the kit to match your carb.

What are the check balls? where are they located

some carb gaskets are better than others.
some reusable, some not

Is there anyway to tell the quality of the gasket? Its a Holley rebuild kit


The day went well so far, the carb is mostly apart! I'm having issues separating a few components, but I'll leave them over night. The gaskets may expand slightly with the stress of the bolts removed and make the parts easier to separate.

I'll take some pictures tomorrow!

Offline 73EStroker

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2015 - 07:56:05 AM »
Make sure you install the re-useable gaskets (blue ones) as you might want to take carb apart again. The others usually have to be scraped off the carb surfaces. There are check balls in the accelerator pump located underneath the carb. Turn the carb upside down then take the pump off then turn the carb back right way over a large Tupperware bowl to catch things as they fall out.
Barry (Salmon Arm)

Offline OUTLAW

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2015 - 11:41:15 AM »
here is also a weighted slug under the accell pump nozzles (squirters)

Offline HP_Cuda

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2015 - 03:06:45 PM »
New carbs dont come with checkballs

I would make sure u set the right float height
1970 Cuda Clone 440 4 speed - sublime green
1970 Cuda 383 4 speed - yellow - SOLD

Offline 734406pk

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2015 - 07:11:09 AM »
Becareful not to over tighten the bowl retaining screw, they do strip easily. Clean out all the passages with carb cleaner spray and compressed air (wear safety glasses). Any blockages can be cleared with a welding tip cleaner if needed, just don't enlarge any of orifices like the air bleeds etc. Can you see where the carb was leaking from?
1973 Challenger 440 6 pack auto 3.91 rear
2012 Dodge Ram 3500 dually 6.7 Cummins Fleece EFI Live
1973 Challenger 318 2bbl auto 2.73 rear 22.5 mpg RIP
1970 Challenger TA 340 4bbl auto-Sold and sad
1999 Dodge Ram 3500 dually 5.9 Cummins Fleece tuned VGT-sold
1995 Kawasaki ZX1100E & still alive

Offline Tonker1

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2015 - 08:56:19 AM »
The carb is disassembled the baseplate has been cleaned and the other bare major components are in a kerosene bath.

For reassembly some websites suggest greasing fittings before mating the threads?

I set myself up on the work bench with a laptop and worked through these two good videos! It made the process simple and efficient.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inuxfloUT8k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtsfgxnyN6o

Good news, all the replacement gaskets are an exact match! The major replacement gaskets are the reusable blue type!

Becareful not to over tighten the bowl retaining screw, they do strip easily. Clean out all the passages with carb cleaner spray and compressed air (wear safety glasses). Any blockages can be cleared with a welding tip cleaner if needed, just don't enlarge any of orifices like the air bleeds etc. Can you see where the carb was leaking from?

Welding tip cleaner is a good idea, I'll check all the ports/holes in the morning.




Offline cudabob496

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2015 - 06:48:52 PM »
Summit should sell diff carb gaskets for Holleys

I think the blue reusable ones are the best.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline 734406pk

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2015 - 10:04:03 PM »
Applying some grease to the gaskets will help prevent them from sticking and tearing if you have to remove the float bowl for jet changes. I use petroleum jelly that will desolve in the gas without causing any problems. Grease on the threaded fasteners is also a good idea as it will prevent them from seizing in the aluminum body and breaking off if you ever have to take the carb apart in a year or so. Nice work, you are very organized!
1973 Challenger 440 6 pack auto 3.91 rear
2012 Dodge Ram 3500 dually 6.7 Cummins Fleece EFI Live
1973 Challenger 318 2bbl auto 2.73 rear 22.5 mpg RIP
1970 Challenger TA 340 4bbl auto-Sold and sad
1999 Dodge Ram 3500 dually 5.9 Cummins Fleece tuned VGT-sold
1995 Kawasaki ZX1100E & still alive

Offline Tonker1

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2015 - 08:02:48 AM »
Applying some grease to the gaskets will help prevent them from sticking and tearing if you have to remove the float bowl for jet changes. I use petroleum jelly that will devolve in the gas without causing any problems. Grease on the threaded fasteners is also a good idea as it will prevent them from seizing in the aluminium body and breaking off if you ever have to take the carb apart in a year or so. Nice work, you are very organized!

To a point, I accidently binned a fuel bowl bolt while disposing of the kerosene bath! It's okay though, I have a spare, beyond saving, carb which I raided a replacement bolt from!

I'll pick up some Vaseline and start rebuilding tomorrow. Poured down rain today, hopefully it'll be dry tomorrow. If all works out I'll have the carb assembled and tuned on the engine in the next 24 hours!

Offline Tonker1

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Re: Carb rebuild advice!
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2015 - 09:06:39 AM »
Had a lot more rain but the carby is now 3/4 toghether.
I need to pick up my inch pound torque wrench from a friend so I can properly spec the base plate and bowls.

The one that is causing trouble is reassembling the electric choke. Does the coil spring need to be tightened/wound up before the black cap is mated to the carb?

Thanks in advance