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Putting my 68 on the road.

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Slick Willy

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I've been away for a little but try and follow as close as I can. I have finished my brake, fuel, and electrical systems. New tires, exhaust, now comes the clutch and I'm off and running I hope. One thing is eating at me and that is carbs. Should I rebuild or just go with it? This is no show car, I prefer the driving back roads and hard corners. I have purchased the aftermarket chrome set from Moss Motors. Yes, I painted the engine Ford blue. That green stuff is hard to find in Kentucky. Any idea as to the cost of having the carbs rebuilt?
 
I've often found that if you clean them really well, you have a good chance of making them decent. I like to use Brakleen to do this.

Hap Waldrop (member here) could probably give you a quote if you contact him via the message system here.

You can find prices from Joe Curto ~HERE~

G'luck!
 
You can also get carb rebuild kits from VB or Moss and have at it yourself. If it was my car, I'd clean up the carbs and put them back on the car as is. If you're not happy with the performance, removing the carbs is a pretty simple process. Running the car with unaltered carbs also would give you a baseline of performance for any future carb work that you do.
 
I'd clean the carbs and replace the throttle shafts and retune the carbs. Then see how it goes. You will only be out the cost of the throttle shafts and some screws.
 
Thanks guys. The carbs are off the motor. I was going to clean them up and see how it goes. I will have to purchase the tools to adjust them. Im the only one around with a Sprite. A guy a few towns over has an MGB and a MG. I use it for my work car in the spring-fall. Its a really solid car. I hope to get it ready for paint this year. I want to do white with a blue stripe. Since I have you all held hostage, haha any one know if the VB radio console part #9-2122 would work in my car? really sucks not having tunes on a 50 mile ride to work. Just wondered if I could modify it or any input would be great. Thanks a million Bill.
 
Slick Willy said:
...any one know if the VB radio console part #9-2122 would work in my car? really sucks not having tunes on a 50 mile ride to work. Just wondered if I could modify it or any input would be great. Thanks a million Bill.
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The part looks like the same radio box that I have in my '69 Sprite, although it doesn't look like it has the hole for the hazard light switch or the indicator. Maybe someone with a later Midget can chime in if the radio boxes are interchangeable?
 
Trevor Jessie said:
I'd clean the carbs and replace the throttle shafts and retune the carbs. Then see how it goes. You will only be out the cost of the throttle shafts and some screws.
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+1. the throttle shafts are the vulnerable part and. after almost 50 years they are likely to be worn. The rest is easy to rebuild, but, new shafts (not expensive) will make it work properly.
 
Im going to give it a go. I just got my repro steering wheel in. I picked it up from a vendor on ebay. I think it was one of the Moss wheels before they discontinued them. I'm glad the old Grant wheel is gone. The stock wheel feels better and looks the part.
 
I have rebuilt a few pairs of carbs, it is pretty straightforward, and an enjoyable job, as you can do it on a bench rather than leaning over the fender, under the car or (my favorite) under the dash. Just do one at a time, then you have the other for reference, the fiddly bits, getting the throttle plate centered so it doesn't stick and closes properly (may take a little trial and error) and getting the jet that the needle goes into centered so it closed properly and doesn't stick, once again can take some trial and error.

Work on one at a time, leave the other one together for reference, makes it pretty good proof.
 
BTW, you don't need any special tools for working on them or tuning them. Just a job of balancing everything by eye then setting richness by performance.

Kurt.
 
Well the clutch is in and the motor kind of in. Found my motor mount bolt is striped and turning through the rubber. Due to the location how does one get the nut off and replace the mount? The stud must have burred because it will not back off.
 
Hack saw! Or if no room hacksaw blade with a little duct tape around it for a handle!

Kurt.
 
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