Carburetor Storage question

[Mark P.]

The 65 I just bought has a 64 carb that was just rebuilt a month ago and works great.

I just bought the correct 65 carb and will be installing that carb soon.

I would like to know what would be the best way to prep the 64 carb for storage so that it could be bolted on and used again without issue.

Would just draining the float bowls be suficient ?

[Stuart F.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

Mark;

A lot might depend on where you live I suppose, but here in Florida, I first blow out the residual gas, then wrap them in plastic with a good silicon gel bag or two. New carbs on the shelf don't use much more than this, but do take pains to protect the linkages, the base plate and the intake with a cap.

Stu Fox

[Joe T.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

You should also plan on putting a rebuild kit in the car when you go to use it. These older units have rubber and other "soft" components (like the diaphrams on the accellerator pump) that will deteriorate over time, especially if they've been exposed to fuel and then left to dru out. Just cheap insurance..good-luck...Joe

[Mark P.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

Joe - do you mean I should rebuild it before I use it ? How long does it take to rebuild an AFB ?

Mark

[Joe T.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

Joe - do you mean I should rebuild it before I use it ? How long does it take to rebuild an AFB ?

Mark

If its had fuel in it AND been stored for a significant amout of time, say over one year, I would. Like I noted, some of the soft components can dry out over time. I havent rebuilt an AFB in MANY years, but my recollection is about an hour or less, depending on how deep you get into it. Example: If you pull and clean the jets and metering rods, it takes a little longer than just replacing the accelerator pumps and diaphrams. This is just my opinion to avoid issues. You can always put the carb on the car and see if you have problems. It really isn't that hard to pull it off if it needs work. Its just that the thing would give me trouble at the worst possible time, just my luck... Wait for other views, I'm sure some others have valuable insights as well...regards...Joe

[Mark P.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

Joe - thanks for the advice. I decided to rebuild the AFB I just bought. It is the correct carb. I took it too a shop that rebuilt the last one. For the $170 cost to rebuild I'll be able to have a peace of mind and know I probably don't have to worry about the carb for 5 years or so. One less thing to go wrong.

Mark

[Stuart F.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

Mark;

It is always a good idea to pull an AFB down if it has been used and sitting for a while, as Joe said. The kits are relatively inexpensive, but do vary quite a bit depending on source. When I find a good sale, I pick up a few. They do not have any diaphragms and only one simple accelerator pump. There is no mechanical adjustment to the metering rods other than the size of the rod and the return spring tension - therein lies the metering adjustment along with the primary jets. Both primary and secondary jets are easy to get to and all the metering passages are easy to clean. You have removable venturi clusters and pump squirter. It is a very simple and basic carburetor, yet efficient. That is why it lasted as long as it did, and why Edelbrock is still making a good buck with them after some further upgrades. It is not as flexible as a Holley or their other design derivatives, but no where near as complex either and far more forgiving. And most importantly, they seal well, unlike the Holley's.

The most difficult part about servicing them is exchange of the needle/seat and aligning/adjusting the level of the floats. It is important to get all the adjustments as close as possible to the specs for your application.

Stu Fox

[Mark P.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

Stuart - thanks for the info. Is the AFB the predessessor carb for the Edelbrock Performer ?

Mark

[Clem Z.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

on any AFB rebuild save the original needle/seat gaskets because a lot of the rebuild kits the hole in this gasket is too large for a good seal. the gasket should have the be "turned" like a nut on a bolt to get it off and on or you could possibly have a leak

[Stuart F.]

Re: Carburetor Storage question

Mark;

Yes, the Edelbrock performers are updated Carter AFB's as they bought the line from them.

I recently bought a couple kits from Eckler's that had Tomco type inlet valves in place of needle/seats. They use a Viton disc and plunger and have a hex shaped body which makes them easy to install and tighten. The float settings are the same, but they do flow a lot better as they have several side outlet holes. I'm still testing them in mine. They didn't provide me better heat soak control as advertised (only the 3/8" spacer from a 300hp helped that), but I do think you can get away with a slightly lower float setting as long as it doesn't affect your pump stroke (it's a fine line). Their side outlet holes make a good top plate seal more important (don't reuse the top plate gasket) as a lot more fuel is discharged at or near the gasket sealing surface line.

Stu Fox