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Dumb carb question

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So I'm reasonably competant technically - I can change a clutch without breaking a sweat (so long as the garage isn't too hot), and I'll tackle most things that dont require welding or a lathe.

I have one blind spot though - carbs. They might as well be voodoo as far as I'm concerned. In a rash fit of bravado (or stupidity) I just bought a whole raft of 175CDs on Ebay. I had the bright idea that I'd rebuild one so I had a set of three, and either rebuild the others or just sell on as is.

Now reality is sinking in. I bought the Haynes carb manual so I'll have that when it ships, and Moss seems to have a lot of parts for them.

My question is thus, and based purely on my ignorance - how hard are these things to rebuild really? Is it a case of rtfm and swap the broken bits, or is it best left to the experts?
 
They are not that hard to do. The reason that I didn't do mine after doing over 100 Quadrajets and countless Holleys over the years, is because the throttle shaft bushings needed done and I did not have access to lathe or expertise to do it myself. I happily paid TRF to do it, now over four years ago and was completely happy with the job. Now with micro polishing available, you have many options if you want to go outside to get it done. Just my humble opinion.
 
Carbs are really pretty simple. Astonishingly simple once you realize how they work and the best way to realize how they work is to tear'em down and see how each bit moves and what it does. My thing was I was always afraid of the dual SU's on the Midget. I could never get them tuned properly or get a car to run well with them so I gave up on them and went to Webers. Then my mom wanted me to rebuild a pair for her because she wanted her car to be stock. I had at it and honestly, those are the most simple carbs on the planet just about. Now that I understand how they work, I can tune them much better and I have been converted in my belief. I now think that the SU's are indeed superior to the Webers. Anyways, since then I have rebuilt every carbeuretor on every thing I own from lawn-mowers and weed-wackers to the holley's on my mother's and my own pickup trucks and everything in between and for everyone I know. I must have rebuilt 20 different carbs in the past year. Everything runs so much better with a freshly rebuilt set of carbs!!

JACK
 
Buying a "lot" of carbs is an excellent way to get fermiliar with how they work and go togeather. They are a very simple carb to work on. I've rebuilt countless S.U.s and Zeniths. Even rebushed the throttle shafts before. It can all be done with a little guidence, and patients.
Now I just gotta crack the secret of micro polishing, and I'll be set.
 
[ QUOTE ]
They are not that hard to do.[ QUOTE ]

Carbs are really pretty simple.[ QUOTE ]




And filling teeth is easy, I've been doing it for 37 years.

Alan, send them to Joe Curto, he's close to you.





Bill
 
I just rebuilt a set last Fall. Tore everything apart except for the butterflies and needles, but checked them out. Cleaned everything thoroughly and replaced old with new. Bolted back on and except for a high idle, they ran great. I later found the answer to the idle problem, another easy fix, and everything is running great.
Didn't take more than a couple hours.
 
I just read the Stromberg 101 article on 6-pack. It doesn't sound bad at all. I'll have a bunch of spares now so I think I'll try one out.

If nothing else then I'll learn something new! If I mess up, I'll just send one of the others off.
 
There you go! Just tear into one of them! Rebuilding carbs is not that difficult and once you figure out how they work you will be able to tune them better too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
I only want them for a couple of months so I can drive it, the tuning will get done for me as part of the rebuild.

As soon as it gets cold its back to fuel injection.
 
Hello Alana,

Yes, as others have said, they are easily rebuilt or you have the other view that there are experts about just send them to be done.
However, your knowledge and expertise, not to say elimination of frustration, will be invaluable if you do a home re-build and get a good understanding of how they work.

Alec
 
Anyone who owns a TR must own the Bentley manual, well worth the $60 or so bucks!
 
all I can say is dont put the plunger in carb cleaner, there is a seal at the bottom of the dash pot and once you eat that seal up you will forever be leaking the dash pot oil into the carb, I dont know if you can get that seal. After I ruined mine I put some sidedraft webers and once I got them jetted they run really well
 
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