carter 2brl rebuild

[Jocigar]

Hey guys,

Looking at rebuilding a 2brl carb on a 1970 318 cuda with lower butterfies stuck shut.   It's a carter.   

First question, can I sand blast the unit with extra fine medium?  or it that a no no.   I should have done it before taking it apart perhaps.    Its not needed, but would make it look new... maybe not worth the trouble since the rest of the engine is stock and old looking.

Second question, I have not seen the rebuild kit... it this a complicated job?  many thanks!! 

[burdar]

I'm sending my 2-barrel out to Scott Smith for a concours rebuild.  It doesn't sound like you need that kind of detail on yours. 

This is a very simple carb to rebuild and you can do it yourself.  Just go to your local parts store.  They should have a kit.  Soak the body in carb cleaner and it should come out looked pretty good.  I would NOT blast the body though.  If you want it to look a little better, you can always rub it down with a scotchbrite pad or fine steel wool.  Make sure to blow out all the passages really well.  You don't want pieces of steel wool inside the carb.

If the throttle blades are still stuck after the soaking in carb cleaner, you could go buy a gallon of EvapoRust and soak it in there.  That should disolve the rust and allow the blades to move freely.  Good luck!



I just thought of something....Has anyone ever used a soda blaster on a carb body?  I've seen dirrections online how to make a soda blaster.  That might work well on a carb.   

[Jesus H Chrysler]

   Carbs aren't hard to rebuild if you're patient and don't mind working with small parts.  I do not recommend blasting since the carb is designed with many teeny passageways that are precisely sized for their job.  Random grit that you didn't manage to get out could spell disaster.  Just soak, soak, soak!  I remember seeing 1 gallon paint cans of carb cleaner being sold for the purpose of putting the whole carb inside to soak.  I don't remember who sold them now...

Just remember to read the directions and keep all the parts organized.  I usually try to take digital pics of the disassembly so I have references when it all goes back together.  Good luck!

[Jocigar]

"[I usually try to take digital pics of the disassembly so I have references when it all goes back together]"         ...next time.

Thanks to both, I ordered the kit and will do as recommended.   

[67vertman]

Be prepared to pay through the nose for the 1 gallon can of carb cleaner.  The last one I thought about buying they wanted $54 for. 

So I bought three cans of spray carb cleaner, and it worked just as good.  but mine wasn't to dirty.

[Jesus H Chrysler]

EEK! That explains why I haven't seen it around here for a while.  Yeah I would have done the same thing.

[Jocigar]

THere are two spring loaded trim screws in the lower plate, been soaking all day and they are frozen along with the butterflies.   

I dont think the screws will come out, wonder if I should scrap the idea of rebuilding it.

[burdar]

Go buy a gallon of EvapoRust.  It's only $20.  Soak the throttle body in that for a day and see what it does.  Even if you have to scrap the carb, you'll find 100's of uses for the rest of the EvapoRust.  It's not an acid so it only attacks the rust.

Harbor Frieght sells it along with other places.

[Bullitt-]

   I had to get a steel stuck idle adjustment screw out of aluminum, shot it with PB Blaster & let soak a day or two. Then secured the base in a vice for leverage.  Careful you can twist them off DAMHIK. PB blaster will probably help with the throttle blades as well.
   I agree don't media blast, I have found that Fast Orange Hand Cleaner & a toothbrush cleans better than most anything I've tried, then poke toothpicks or small wires through the small passages along with carb cleaner.
   Pay attention to all the linkage measurements, I have found a set of feeler gauges & a vernier caliper most useful.   

[Jocigar]

ok guys i'm back, the butterfly shaft broke loose after high heat from heat gun... it really helped the oil seep in.  (heat is king!) 

Now the bad news... I had the trim screws moving back and forth but they both snapped half way down the exposed thread as I tried to back them out.    What should I do?  are the screws an easy part to order?    I have a bridgeport available and I am sure that I could drill them out and retap the holes if I could get new screws.

Any thoughts, please.  THX!!

[Challenger6pak]

I would get another carb.  If you are worried about keeping the original carb, you can use the base plate from the new carb on your carb.  It sounds like the base of your carb is all pitted and corroded.  Is it in sort of a white powdery condition?

[Bullitt-]

I doubt you will find new mixture screws for sale. Depending on what your looking to do with the car you should be able to find a correct good used, something that would work (check your local craigslist), or maybe now would be the time to go 4-barrel if that's an option. 

[Jocigar]

I ordered and recieved the rebuild kit yesterday for $30 bucks, so I am going to try and make it work.   I backed one screw out with vise grips and need to try drilling the other and using easy out tap to remove it.   At this point I think I will machine two new screws to closely match the originals and see what happens once I have it all together.   

I did see a rebuild for 120 on the bay, should have gone that way to start.   I would upgrade to a four barrel, but there are other "frozen" items to fix first.   ......Brakes are next and I may just order new calipers before I even start :-)

THanks all

[Jocigar]

Hey all,  I put the carb together over the week end and managed to get the car to start and idle for a few minutes 

I have not let it come up to full temp yet, wanted to go slow after not running it for 20 years. 

The thing is that the car idles fast, can you explain how to adjust the idle screws that are in the base plate? 

I also need to set the timing once I find my light ( remind me if I go advanced and by how much?)

THanks!!

[Challenger6pak]

I normally tunr them all the way in and then back them out 1 & 1/2 turns.  Then you can go richer or leaner from there.  You should need to go leaner.  You also have a idle speed screw adjustment on your carb where the linkage attaches.  Normally the rebuild kit will have adjustment specs.  When you turn the idle fuel mixture screws in, turn them in easy until they stop.  Don't tighten them or you will damage them.