Carburetor Question

[Kurt B.]

68 327 with factory original Rovhester carb
If I suspect moisture or water in the carb, how do I clean it correctly and will I disturb the settings made by the rebuilder.
Car is factory original, no modifications
I think I got some bad fuel with moisture and will also clean the filters but I am concerned I may have moisture or dirt in the fuel bowls inside the carb
Thank you in advance
Kurt

[Jim T.]

Re: Carburetor Question

I have had water/moisture in my 70's gas tank before, however I was using a QJet style spreadbore Holley 6120. All I did was verify by looking in my gas tank and seeing the water blotches in the bottom of the tank and knew I was to remove it.
I removed the gas lid and then removed the filler neck to give me more access to remove the water. Removed all the fuel I could sipon and then just used clean rags to hand wipe the tank of all liquids. Put it back together and used fresh gas and drove me car. Did not do anything to the carb and whatever had found its way to the carb before was not a problem anymore.

[Bill I.]

Re: Carburetor Question

Kurt, you don't clean the filter, you replace it. Bill

[Jerry G.]

Re: Carburetor Question

Why not put a little of the product called "HEAT" it is an alchohol and absorbs the water and caries it through and burns off harmlessly. When I was a boy in Wisconsin we used a lot of this stuff in the winter to cure water that acumulated over the summer.

[Kurt B.]

Re: Carburetor Question

This afternoon
I added 2 containers of a dry gas/moisture removal type product.
I got 1 mile before I had to call for a ramptruck to take my newly restored Corvette home with my heart pounding in my chest.
I looked in the tank tonight with a high power flashlight, I can see no water but may have some in the carb bowls where the float sits. Or perhaps dirt on the needle and seat.
This only hapened after a recent fill up. Today when it stalled so bad that I couldn't go any further and the engine died on a busy two lane, I let it sit for 5 minutes and it started right up and then went for a mile or so ran great and died again.
I think whatever is in there is sloshing around or whatever so it is causign intermittent problems.
Is there a filter on the side of the carb where the fuel line goes in other than the filter can mounted on the front of the engine which by the way are hard to find if you want the correct one, not some aftermarket restenciled upside down crap?
The sock on the fuel pickup in the tank looks nice and clean and I can see no moisture in the tank. Car was completely restored recently so I had the tank clean and empty. Might have a bad batch of gas but sure feels like moisture.

[Anthony S.]

Re: Carburetor Question

Hi Kurt, there should be a small filter in the carb where the fuel line goes in. It is easy to get at it and replace. Just watch out for gas to spill out as you dis-assemble. From what you are describing as symptoms, seems that gas may have dried up during storage and has left residue inside the carb.? Did you have the car in storage for a while? (6 months or more?) It is not that hard to take the top off the carb off and clean things up while the carb is still on the car. The primary settings that are important to the carb are the idle speed and idle fuel mixture, both of these are screws and are not easily disturbed during dis-assembly anyway. A book on Rochester carbs may be a good place to start so that you can confidently take this carb apart. The tricky part is aligning up the metering rod parts and the linkage for the throttle. If things don’t line up the top does not fit back on the carb. When things are all aligned, the top part goes down with ease (ie do not force it at all and you won't break anything). The symptoms also point to some type of clog in the fuel system, or pump problems. When you stall, did you check to see if fuel is in the fuel bowl? Dirt on the needle and seat usually causes too much gas to enter the carb and spill out. (ie the needle is kept open by the dirt). Tony

[Jim T.]

Re: Carburetor Question

Kurt sorry to hear your 68 quit on you. Long time ago my 68 quit on me. Walked home and got my 70 and tools and went back to the 68. Did not do anything to it and tried starting it and it did. Took the 68 right home.
After troubleshooting found the problem, it was the coil. Don't remember which terminal it was now, but one of the terminals on the coil would turn when the nut was tightened.
This was back in 1976. I had earlier removed the wires from the coil to remove the chrome ignition shielding. After reinstalling the shielding and installing the coil terminal wires the stud protruding from the coil must of turned in the coil when the nut was tightened.
Installed a new coil and the 68 was good to go again. Just noticed the other day I need to give some attention to the resistor wire where it goes into the metal terminal that attaches to the coil, the wire looks like it could break away from the terminal end.

[Kurt B.]

Re: Carburetor Question

It is fixed and running well.
The culprit was the rubber fuel feed line going from the metal fuel line attached to the frame, over to the fuel pump.
It had a kink in it and the rubber was starting to crack.
Replaced it with new style rubber fuel line $7.50per foot) that can handle the ethanol and looped it so as to eliminate possibily of kinking again. Took it out for a run and runs great, no bog, no hesitation. Glad it wasn't the carb or the needle and seat inside the carb.
Thank you to all for your input.
Kurt