Wednesday, February 26, 2014
How to Replace the Power Valve on a Holley Carburetor

Power valves on Holley carburetors are usually trouble free, but they do occasionally require replacement. Engine modifications may dictate the use of a different power valve. You may want to change your power valve if youve moved to an area that is significantly higher or lower in elevation than your previous residence. Also, power valves may rupture and require replacement if the engine backfires through the carburetor. There usually no need to remove the carburetor from the engine in order to replace the power valve.
Instructions
- 1
Remove the fuel line from the carburetors fuel bowl. Fuel line attachments vary. The most typical style is a slip-on fitting with a hose clamp. Use a screwdriver to loosen the hose clamp, and pull the hose from the carburetor. Use a rag to soak up any spilled fuel.
2Remove the fuel bowl from the carburetor. Remove the four hex head bolts that retain the fuel bowl and metering block using the 5/16-inch nut driver. Using the handle of the screwdriver, tap lightly on the fuel bowl to loosen it, and set the fuel bowl aside.
3Remove the metering block to expose the power valve. Again, tap gently on the metering block to free it from the carburetor main body.
4Unscrew the power valve from the metering block using a 1-inch wrench.
5Install a gasket on the new power valve, and thread the valve into the metering block. Tighten hand-tight plus 1/8 turn.
6Using new gaskets, reassemble the carburetor. Attach the power valve side of the metering block to the main body, followed by the fuel bowl. Insert the fuel bowl bolts into the fuel bowl, and tighten the bolts finger tight plus 1/4 turn.
7Reattach the fuel line to the inlet on the fuel bowl, and tighten the hose clamp.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
How to Change a Carburetor

You dont need a lot of time to replace a carburetor. If you notice that your vehicle hesitates during acceleration, has problems starting in cold weather, or your engine stalls frequently, then carburetor repair may be the solution in order to prevent further damage to your engine.
Carburetors function to mix proper amounts of air and fuel to promote the viscosity of fuel. Without air, engine fuel becomes sluggish, making it difficult for fuel to circulate to the engine. Because the cost of replacing a carburetor can be expensive, beware of the signs of the need for carburetor repair.
Instructions
- 1
Remove air cleaner assembly from engine. Remove air box and tuning, then remove hoses and tubing leading to carburetor. Wrap tape around hoses and tubes to mark proper location for return.
2Remove nuts and bolts of carburetor with wrenches from the intake manifold.
3Remove old carburetor gasket from intake manifold.
4Clean gasket area. Use degreaser and rag to clean gasket area. Spray degreaser directly to surface and allow degreaser to work. Prep area for new gasket to secure a proper fit.
5Apply gasket sealer to both sides of the new gasket and place new gasket in proper position.
6Attach new carburetor and use screwdriver and wrench to secure it to the intake manifold.
7Notice the locations marked on the masking tape wrapping the hoses and tubing of the carburetor. Reconnect hoses and tubing to proper positions according to the locations marked on the tape.
8Pour a small amount of gasoline into carburetor and start the engine. Pump the gas pedal a few times to get gas flowing to the carburetor.
9Replace air cleaner assembly and take a short test drive on the highway to make sure carburetor is operating. After returning from the highway, let car idle for a few minutes to check for leaks.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
How to Rebuild a 1949 Carter Carburetor

The Carter Carburetor Company manufactured several types of carburetors in 1949. The most popular was the W type and the B&B. The W type appeared on cars made by GM, Chrysler, Hudson, Packard and many others. The B&B type was used mainly on Chrysler and Desoto products. The W type carburetor can be divided into three basic categories: the single downdraft W1, the dual downdraft WDO, and the Vacumeter WA1 type. The procedure for rebuilding all Carter carburetor types is roughly the same.
Instructions
- 1
Disassemble the carburetor completely. Remove the top air horn from the float bowl. Remove the float, accelerator pump, metering rods and jets. Remove the body flange assembly from the float bowl assembly. Do not remove the throttle valve or choke valve from the shafts. Keep small parts in a container such as an old coffee can to prevent them from becoming lost or damaged.
2Soak all metal carburetor parts in carburetor cleaning dip. Do not soak any rubber or leather parts such as the accelerator pump or choke housing. Allow the parts to soak until all grease and dirt has been removed. In warmer weather soaking the parts for as little as 20 minutes is usually sufficient. In colder weather, cleaning may take several hours. Remove the parts from the carburetor dip and rinse off with clean water. Blow dry the parts using compressed air making sure that all passages in the carburetor body are clear. It may be necessary on a very dirty carburetor to use a wire brush and pipe cleaners to properly clean everything.
3Install the float bowl onto the body flange using a new gasket. Install the jets into the float bowl. Install the needle valve and float. Adjust the float by turning the carburetor upside down and allow the float to hang freely. Measure the distance from the soldered seam on the float to the machined surface of the float bowl. Bend the tab on the float with a slotted screwdriver to adjust the float to the proper specifications for the model carburetor you are working on.
4Install and adjust the metering rods on W1 and WGD models. Record the metering rod numbers stamped on the rods and select the proper rod gauge from the carburetor gauge kit. Adjust the metering rods by backing off on the throttle adjusting screw until the throttle valve is fully closed. Insert the metering rod gauge in place of one of the metering rods making sure the tapered end is inserted into the jet. Push down on the vacuum piston link until the finger of the piston link touches the lip of the metering arm. Clearance should be .005 inch between the bearing on the metering arm and the lower notch on the gauge. Bend the lip on the metering arm with a pair of needle nose pliers to make the adjustment.
5Install and adjust the metering rods on WE models. Hold the throttle lever set screw and back out the throttle valve seated in the bore. Press down on the vacuum meter link until the rods bottom out. Hold the rods in this position and revolve the metering rod arm until the lip on the arm contacts the vacuum meter link. Hold the the metering rod in this position and tighten the metering arm set screw.
6Adjust the accelerator pump for seasonal variations. The accelerator pump is adjustable by means of three holes in the pump arm. Set the pump link in the lower hole for summer, the middle hole for intermediate climate, and the upper hole for winter.
7Adjust the unloader cam and boss. Close the choke manually and insert a .010 feeler gauge between the cam and boss. Loosen the choke arm and move the boss to set to specification. Adjust the lip on the throttle arm with a pair of needle-nose pliers so the choke valve will open 3/16 inch at wide open throttle.
8Adjust the pump jets for proper aim. On most models there is a target mark in the venture on the opposite wall form the jets. Gasoline should squirt directly on the target when the throttle is opened. Bend the jets gently with a pair of needle nose pliers until the stream of gasoline hits the target. On carburetors without a target mark aim the gas stream to hit in a 3/16 inch diameter circle located 11/64 inch form the opposite side of the bore.
9Adjust the fast idle. Close the choke valve by hand. Turn the fast idle screw until a .0012 inch wire gauge just fits between the throttle valve and and carburetor casting.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
How to Determine Carburetor Size

Many modern engines no longer use carburetors. Instead, they use electronic fuel-injection systems, which forcibly spray fuel into air rather than just letting air and fuel mix. Carburetors still run in older vehicles, however, and in other engines such as chain saws or lawn mowers. In all applications, the carburetors size depends on the engines size. An engine needs a larger carburetor if it displaces more air or if its crankshaft rotates with a greater speed.
Instructions
- 1
Multiply the engine displacement, in cubic inches, by the engines maximum speed, in revolutions per minute (RPM). If your engine displaces 300 cubic inches with each stroke and works at up to 3,200 RPM: 300 x 3,200 = 960,000.
2Divide your answer by 3,456. 960,000 / 3,456 = 277.78.
3Divide your answer by the engines efficiency, which is typically close to 85 percent. 277.78 / 0.85 = 326.8. This is your required carburetor size in cubic feet per minute.