Getting ready to mount carburetor on 48 DeSoto.

[MarcDeSoto]

My carburetor was rebuilt in the 1980s!  My question is Should I try it out to see if it's OK to start up my engine?  Or should I rebuild it before trying it out.  It's been just sitting in a box all of those intervening years.  What I worry about most is the accelerator pump leather might have dried up!  

[Doug&Deb]

I recommend rebuilding it again for that reason. Plus the new kits have ethanol resistant parts. It’s cheap insurance.

[harmony]

I agree with Doug&Deb. It's also just good to know what's going on inside of it.  What make and model carb do you have?  

For the most part the gasket kits are a rip off though.  I think I paid like $130 for a kit from Carburetor Doctor.  Basically all I wanted was the accelerator pump and the dashpot pump. I make my own body gasket and base gasket.  I suppose those tiny round flat rubberish washers under a couple of things that are submerged in the float bowl should be of the kind suited for ethanol.  There is an orange washer and I'm not sure what it's made of.  These tiny washers I'm talking about are about 3/16" outside diameter, on the Carter B7B carbs.  The idle mixture screw I got in the kit was totally different and even after I sent him a picture of mine beside the one he sent me showing a vast difference, he said that's the one for my carb.

  

If you're not familiar with doing a rebuild, I recommend taking tons of pictures recording where everything goes before you take it out and as it comes out.  I also recommend getting a dollar store aluminium roasting pan so if something goes flying like a small steel ball, you won't be on your hands and knees with a magnet looking under and behind the bench.

 

Chances are that leather on the accelerator pump has shrunk.  But since it was never used it probably isn't cracked so maybe try soaking it in light oil for a few hours.  It might come back to life.

Edited May 9, 2022 by harmony

[desoto1939]

recommend getting two cardboard egg cartons and numer each slot or hole. As you take the carb apart put the pasrts in the numbered slots as you disemble the carb. this keeps the parts inorder so that whn you put it back together you just start from the last numbered slot and to back to Number 1.  Also becarefe of the two small steel ball bearing they are different size do not and I again DO NOT get them mixed up this will cause problems.

 

Get the rebuild doc for your model carb.. let me know what carb you have I might have the rebuild document. It is easy to do just take your time.  You did the brakes on the car you can do the carb.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Sam Buchanan]

Slap it on there and fire it up! It may work perfectly.....if not, rebuild it.

 

Too much thinkin' going on here........paralysis by analysis.........  ?   

Edited May 9, 2022 by Sam Buchanan

[MarcDeSoto]

I have a Carter Ball & Ball model EV2 carburetor.  It has the automatic choke and kick down switch for cars with the M-5 transmission.  

[MarcDeSoto]

I wonder if there's a difference between the $85 kit and $17 kit on Ebay?  

 

[Doug&Deb]

I used a kit from Daytona. I believe the website is carbkits.com. I don’t remember the price. I have a Stromberg carb for the M6 trans so the price for the Carter may be different.

[Art Bailey]

I'm no expert on anything. But, I rebuilt two different EV2s a total of at least 7 times. My engine still runs like crap. 

 

I'm about to rebuild a 3rd, much better preserved carb, with a kit from thecarburetorshop.com. His kit is the best I've seen, expensive, but worth it. He includes a bunch of things others don't, including a new jet screw and spring, and new balls. This time, I'm also going to replace the main jet. I bought it, and the correct tool for removal and replacement, from him.

 

Couple other things. I have 4 bases, and they all are worn badly around the throttle shaft, which will cause a vacuum leak. I'd check that out. I rebushed mine. 

 

Also, every air horn/cover thing I have is very warped. Rocks back and forth. The gentleman at carburetorshop.com told me they ALL are warped. His solution is to take two c clamps, slowly and gently bring the clamp down on the corners of the air horn to the carb itself, taking no more than .003 out of the warpage. Toss it in a toaster oven for 5 minutes. Release it from the clamps, see if it's improved. Keep going until it's flat. I have not tried this myself, and plan to proceed with extreme caution. But, I like this idea a lot more than sanding off material.

 

 

[harmony]

4 hours ago, desoto1939 said:

recommend getting two cardboard egg cartons and numer each slot or hole. As you take the carb apart put the pasrts in the numbered slots as you disemble the carb. this keeps the parts inorder so that whn you put it back together you just start from the last numbered slot and to back to Number 1.  Also becarefe of the two small steel ball bearing they are different size do not and I again DO NOT get them mixed up this will cause problems.

 

Get the rebuild doc for your model carb.. let me know what carb you have I might have the rebuild document. It is easy to do just take your time.  You did the brakes on the car you can do the carb.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

Egg cartons is a great idea!

[Sniper]

 

2 hours ago, MarcDeSoto said:

I have a Carter Ball & Ball model EV2 carburetor.

 

The ball and ball is a pretty simple carb.  While mine is even simpler than yours here's a link to my rebuild, might give you an idea as to your comfort level doing it yourself.

 

http://www.yourolddad.com/carb-rebuild

 

Link to Walker Carbs, I used their kit for my BB and it was about $35.  If you need more parts than is in the kit they sell a bunch of parts too.

 

https://carburetion.walkerproducts.com/carter/carter-carburetor-kit-1bbl-bb/

[RobertKB]

4 hours ago, Sam Buchanan said:

Slap it on there and fire it up! It may work perfectly.....if not, rebuild it.

 

Too much thinkin' going on here........paralysis by analysis.........  ?   

Totally agree. Last summer I fired up my really good spare engine, sitting on my garage floor, for the first time in over 20 years. Only thing I did to the carb was pour gas down it. Engine fired immediately and ran off the “coke bottle” tank with no issues. Accelerator pump worked perfectly. 

[RobertKB]

4 hours ago, MarcDeSoto said:

I wonder if there's a difference between the $85 kit and $17 kit on Ebay?  

 

Yes, $68. ?

[MarcDeSoto]

Maybe thinking that you spent an extra $68 makes you feel good, like you are getting $68 more quality?