CptStickfigure
06-02-2004, 05:28 PM
I rebuilt my carburetor last night.
This probably won't be the last time I look at a pile of parts and wonder what I've gotten myself into.
My rebuild kit came in Sunday at Advance Auto Parts.
On the way out the door I noticed the big sticker
warning that opened kits could not be returned.
I was going to read the instructions at the coffee shop,
but when I opened the box I noticed that there was a hole in the plastic.
On closer inspection, I realized that the plastic had been opened, then taped shut (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8758.jpg).
There was a tiny clip stuck to the tape (which is how I noticed the hole)
and another clip loose in the bottom of the box.
After I finished my coffee, I packed everything back up and headed back to the store.
When I explained the situation, the guy at the counter asked if I had opened the box.
No, the box was open when I bought it.
"You're sure you didn't open it?"
Quite sure, yes.
The guy couldn't tell me what was supposed to be in the package (my main concern),
but the kits are only $10, so I figured I'd give it a shot anyway.
Later that afternoon I discovered the data sheet was missing.
I knew I'd put it back in the box when I went to the store,
so back I went.
"Did you look in the box?"
Yes, I looked in the box.
"Is it in your car?"
No.
"Are you sure it's not in the box?"
So now I'm doing my first carb rebuild,
on my own with minimal instruction and maybe some missing parts.
I wasn't too sure what I'd find when I got in there.
The automatic choke is missing screws and stuffed with paper towels,
the manual choke cable is stuck or broken,
and the fuel filter (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8740.jpg) is in desperate need of cleaning.
The clamp on the braided fuel line (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8804.jpg) threw me off a little
(I didn't realize there was a nut under it),
but I eventually got the carb off (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8807.jpg).
I had planned to document everything carefully,
since all I had to go on was a fuzzy picture from the old car manual project
and an unlabeled exploded diagram I'd found somewhere else.
About the time I took this picture (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8808.jpg), I noticed it was getting dark.
Soon after, I spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out where I'd missed a step.
I eventually decided that either the power piston was missing or I was being far too gentle.
If it's one of those super skinny tubes under the main well support,
then I wasn't trying hard enough. If not, it was missing.
Either is a distinct possibility.
It was dark and I was getting pretty mosquito bitten, so I moved inside.
Everything else went pretty smoothly, except I couldn't get the pump discharge guide out.
I tried everything--lots of carb cleaner, screwdrivers, pliers...
I eventually gave up (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8809.jpg).
By the time I got everything back together, I'd spent a couple of hours kneeling on cement.
I was short a couple of pieces in some areas and had extras in others,
but I wasn't sure if that's because things were missing or I didn't know what I was doing.
I was tired, sore, hungry, and frustrated,
and it started to rain when I took the carb out to bolt it back on.
As I tightened the last bolt (by headlamp),
I realized I'd forgotten to tighten the screws attaching the float bowl to the throttle body.
I don't have any of those groovy S-shaped screwdrivers,
but I do have a swiss army knife with a two-position screwdriver.
As handy as it is, it's never the right tool for the job,
but it worked this time, so I WIN, DAMMIT!
I really expected the worst, but the car started pretty easily.
It needs some major adjustments because I forgot to do that,
but I called it a victory and raised a celebratory finger
to Advance Auto Parts and the last guy who rebuilt the carburetor.
This probably won't be the last time I look at a pile of parts and wonder what I've gotten myself into.
My rebuild kit came in Sunday at Advance Auto Parts.
On the way out the door I noticed the big sticker
warning that opened kits could not be returned.
I was going to read the instructions at the coffee shop,
but when I opened the box I noticed that there was a hole in the plastic.
On closer inspection, I realized that the plastic had been opened, then taped shut (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8758.jpg).
There was a tiny clip stuck to the tape (which is how I noticed the hole)
and another clip loose in the bottom of the box.
After I finished my coffee, I packed everything back up and headed back to the store.
When I explained the situation, the guy at the counter asked if I had opened the box.
No, the box was open when I bought it.
"You're sure you didn't open it?"
Quite sure, yes.
The guy couldn't tell me what was supposed to be in the package (my main concern),
but the kits are only $10, so I figured I'd give it a shot anyway.
Later that afternoon I discovered the data sheet was missing.
I knew I'd put it back in the box when I went to the store,
so back I went.
"Did you look in the box?"
Yes, I looked in the box.
"Is it in your car?"
No.
"Are you sure it's not in the box?"
So now I'm doing my first carb rebuild,
on my own with minimal instruction and maybe some missing parts.
I wasn't too sure what I'd find when I got in there.
The automatic choke is missing screws and stuffed with paper towels,
the manual choke cable is stuck or broken,
and the fuel filter (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8740.jpg) is in desperate need of cleaning.
The clamp on the braided fuel line (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8804.jpg) threw me off a little
(I didn't realize there was a nut under it),
but I eventually got the carb off (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8807.jpg).
I had planned to document everything carefully,
since all I had to go on was a fuzzy picture from the old car manual project
and an unlabeled exploded diagram I'd found somewhere else.
About the time I took this picture (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8808.jpg), I noticed it was getting dark.
Soon after, I spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out where I'd missed a step.
I eventually decided that either the power piston was missing or I was being far too gentle.
If it's one of those super skinny tubes under the main well support,
then I wasn't trying hard enough. If not, it was missing.
Either is a distinct possibility.
It was dark and I was getting pretty mosquito bitten, so I moved inside.
Everything else went pretty smoothly, except I couldn't get the pump discharge guide out.
I tried everything--lots of carb cleaner, screwdrivers, pliers...
I eventually gave up (http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_8809.jpg).
By the time I got everything back together, I'd spent a couple of hours kneeling on cement.
I was short a couple of pieces in some areas and had extras in others,
but I wasn't sure if that's because things were missing or I didn't know what I was doing.
I was tired, sore, hungry, and frustrated,
and it started to rain when I took the carb out to bolt it back on.
As I tightened the last bolt (by headlamp),
I realized I'd forgotten to tighten the screws attaching the float bowl to the throttle body.
I don't have any of those groovy S-shaped screwdrivers,
but I do have a swiss army knife with a two-position screwdriver.
As handy as it is, it's never the right tool for the job,
but it worked this time, so I WIN, DAMMIT!
I really expected the worst, but the car started pretty easily.
It needs some major adjustments because I forgot to do that,
but I called it a victory and raised a celebratory finger
to Advance Auto Parts and the last guy who rebuilt the carburetor.