this carburetor came off another impala a 64 with a 283, one where the owner literally drove it like he stole it and I mean that. every time I saw him driving it he was driving like he was shooting an action movie. was his first classic car, but think he misunderstood classic stock with classic hot rod. well he blew his engine once, second engine he put in he had this carb in it. we got our hands on it when we were putting the engine together. he let us have it after it caught fire in his and almost burned down his car but the flames did scorch his hood and air cleaner along with some hoses and wires. my question, is the carb faulty because it caught fire? will it happen again? because I definitely do not want my carb catching fire in this car, not after all the work I did to make my engine compartment look the way it is, or even worse the car go up itself.
As long as the gas is where it's supposed to be in the carb it shouldn't burn very much, possibly a little from a backfire but that shouldn't be much of a problem. If it overflows or leaks for other reasons, a backfire or fuel ending up on a hot exhaust manifold might get you in trouble.
If it is the size and type of carb you need then replace the gaskets and set the float level and run it. Edelbrocks are easy to tune and pretty much trouble free.
If the carb was drooling down the holes then it could have been part of the problem. Float level off and loading it up. But an engine fires is seldom carb alone, usually it is caused when the engine belches back because of a weak or improperly adjusted intake or bad timing or a combination of all of the above. I probably shouldn't ask this but it is burning a hole in my brain and will not leave me alone if I don't. You build engines and no nothing about carbs or how an internal combustion works?
Make sure there's always an air cleaner on the carb, whenever the engine is running or trying to get it running...that will eliminate 90% of the fire risk. Make sure the fuel line plumbing is done right, that will catch the other 10%.
"the other name for an air cleaner is a flame arrestor" I would pull it apart and check the floats for leakage, reset all settings, check the power valves to make sure they are not sticking.
Not totally HAMB period correct, but those Eddy carbs seem to work pretty well right out of the box, the factory book that comes with them is really handy and easy to use for custom tuning, and the parts they offer should fulfill most requirements.
Well I have been known to *bad mouth edelbroke products but some of them are just new old carbs with a homely sticker on them. They are not bad carbs at all, not my personal favorite but I have used them and am not afraid to tell someone else to use one. There are carbs that I would not recommend at all but the eddy is not yet on that list. This may be a @squirrel question, or someone else may have a quick answer for it and it may seem a little OT, do they come not polished? *I have also been known to bad mouth inline 6s and flatheads.
Well the black would be easier to remove. I like chrome carbs and polished aluminum carbs OK but you just can't beat the look of an aged old carb or one in that yellowish color that they used to come in. I just don't care for endure shine, look like it was polished in a vibrator polisher. Thanks Hey off topic but I am tied up 'til after the 4th, then I am going to try and plan a bat trip to Colombia (and parts south).
they can be disassembled, the edelbrock tag removed, dusted with a glass bead blaster, cleaned, and reassembled with slot head screws. Then they look pretty good.
Is the carb in the picture the actual carb that burned? It looks pretty good for being involved in a fire that scorched the hood and burned hoses and wires.
PorknBeaner.....bat trip to Columbia?????? There's a story in there somewhere. Do have to wait until you get back?
thanks guys, that's what im worried about, something like gas dripping down the barrel on its own. its what happened with my 48 the carter carb as the car was running would flood out and shut off and would even drip out to the outside of it through the hole where the throttle flap was mounted. figured it was the float was too high so I adjusted it lower and it stopped. Ive rebuilt carter and Rochester, but common v8 carbs never had to I always got them new or great condition where i just had to bolt on and go. not familiar with problems/issues these carbs have i just know how to put them on and adjust and so far so good. this one when i first ran my car i used and everything was fine. but i cant ignore the fact it was in a fire so i have to address it. i got the tip it might have been a leaky gasket so im going to rebuild. i do do engines, buddy taught me and taught myself with the help of manuals and good old youtube, theres nothing you cant find on there. ive been taking things apart and putting back together since i was 6, kind of got a knack for seeing how things are put together and work by taking apart, so anything i don't know i learn as i go when i have to address it so the air cleaner works to keep flames out? even if its an aftermarket chrome one not original factory? all the plumbing will be done right, using hard lines polished stainless steel. intake is definitely bolted on tight and gasket on right. timing is right, have a performance cam in the engine so i hope its as right as it can be, dont know if factory specs still apply. check my power valves? will get on that. see things like that are what i meant, things i didn't know =) when we first got it we thought it was a black carb, it was just from the fire we used oven cleaner and sos pads to make it gray again. the picture was yesterday morning, after i took a power dril and foam drill bit tip and polished it as best i could with aluminum polish. its as shiny as its going to get without actually sanding it and polishing. they do have a really nice 400 buck endurashine carb, man is it pretty. might still get it but later. with my motor im kinda stuck with using a nice aftermarket one, has to match this here it is mounted, still doesn't exactly match has a grayish tone but without the endurashine one this one i have to use. i love the original factory look, that's why i went with that on my 48 if you open the hood right off everything is original except for the alternator upgrade and new battery. but with all the chrome, especially with the aluminum radiator the original and vintage look is gone. even more now with the painted core support and wheel wells so i have to stick with aftermarket "show" carb. thanks for the tips guys, really trying to avoid a fire happening on me. its minor things i might not know or realize that worry me, need to know any and all possibilities that can cause a carb fire to single out any i haven't checked or known
yea gene, Christine 59 =) here tying up any loose ends. this one being an important one have to ask the experts =)
Those carbs use metering rods, not power valves. Similar function, different construction. Metering rods don't have the problems that power valves have of leaking.
I have been given two of these carbs for free. They both had the step rods installed incorrectly. Be very careful when installing the metering -step rods . These carbs are very forgiving and work great on mild street engines, just my opinion.
The secret is that P'n'B is secretly... . . .. . BATMAN! And he's taking a "Bat Trip" by, I'm guessing, the "Bat-Boat"!
Hey Gallogiro, Nice car! Get that thing done and bring it to the CARS Inc. Open House and Car Show in August in Placentia, CA. Killer deals + Free food and drinks --> http://carsinc.com/events/index/view/id/17/
thanks bigdogSS im pretty sure ill have it ready by august, interior is all done ready to put in, just need to paint the quarters and tail and thatll only take me about 3 weeks =) I can put interior in I a day, put all the trim and glass back in the next day. once the body is painted the car will be ready just days after =) careful when installing the step/metering rods, check! got it thank you joecool. these are the little things I meant. how did you know when they were installed incorrectly? squirrel, joecool whats your opinion on these carbs? I found a pretty nice looking holley double pumper that isn't shiny but is very pretty, defenitely "showy". here is why I ask I was at the nostalgia drags a few years ago, Fontana speedway at the quarter mile strip. I saw a 57 chevy, show car on display fully done up original was obviously a frame off. black paint, perfect original red interior chrome all done trims all polished, spotless glass, show car. I sat in the stands and saw Camaros, corvettes, mustangs, chevelles, novas, all classic 1/4 mile cars. then after a race between 2 Camaros the 57 comes around the corner and lines up with a chevelle. I thought o wow, the 57 is going to get blow away but its going to go for a cool exhibition race =) the chevelle warms up its tires with a burn out and lines up, that's when the 57 seemed to wake up. the roar on that engine when it burned out to warm the tires was beautiful. my buddy said he had a feeling it was a ''sleeper". when they lined up and the light turned green, the 57 did almost half the 1/4 mile on only its back tires. that was one of the coolest things I ever seen in my life I was never expecting that especially from a car that seemed to be a trailer queen. I was more impressed on what it did than how it looked. there is work done on my engine, performance cam, heads, th350, installing limited slip posi, upgraded to disc brakes. the first time I drove it it flew! I want go as much as it has show. I know ill never get it to 1/4 mile level, my buddy said there had to be atleast 35gs in just the engine and drivetrain. but that day the performance blew me away more than how the car looked. wouldn't mind having something that performs as well as it looks
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