Technical Source for miscellaneous carburetor parts

Yesterday I was working on the Rochester 2GC I am putting on my '51 Merc engine. I was putting the link from the main throttle shaft to the accelerator pump back on. It is held on by a little wire clip, that kinda looks like an old style women's hairpin, about 1/4" long. It "sprang" when it should have "sprung", and disappeared into the darkness under my bench. I looked for it for half an hour, even sweeping the floor and going through the debris with a magnet , but I couldn't find it. Is there a source for parts like this out there? I have it back together with an improvised clip, but I'd sure like the right one. I've looked through all of my Holley kits, but they don't use this clip.

This has got to be a common problem. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Those are Jesus clips.

 

take a look in the Dorman catalog , i'm sure they would have something

 

Pm your mailing address

 

325W,

PM sent. Thanks.

 

I can also help you if you need some

 

Yep, good old Jesus clips. Who here hasn't had one, or more, of those launch never to be seen again?

 

I always thought they were "goddammit" clips? As in that's what you say when they go sproiiing! and disappear under your workbench...

 

As a seasoned Control line Model Airplane builder/flier, I had piano wire in small diameters, and a small 2 pole bending jig I fashioned from 3/8" strap and 1/8" piano wire to make stuff like that!
All four 97s on my '32 got all new miniature 'hairpins'!
Hell, I can still make 'em.

 

I just lost one a couple days ago, seems like I knew it was going to happen, but kept going anyways. And lost it.
Anyways, Home depot calls them hitch pins, here is one that is 3/16" should work.

 

They are called "Jesus clips" because when you lose one He is the only one who can find it!

 

Ak Miller told me they were Jesus clips because when one goes flying you holler "Oh Jesus"!

 

As a little tip: Next time you're prying one of these clips off, put a plastic sandwich bag over it/ and the thing you're trying to release it from; This way it won't go flying into outer space.

Works with small springs too.

 

Ace Hardware stocks them and there is usually a few extra in a carb rebuild kit that I put in a small parts box for later use. I always heard they were called Jesus clips because when you drop them you always say "Jesus where did that clip go".

 

I went out in the garage, opened my drawer with all the 'small parts' in it, and found 4 bags with lots of old carb kit extra parts, must be a dozen of these 'Jesus' clips.
As I recalled the eye work (and needle holder and forcips operation, in spite of my mini wire bender!) I said, "Jesus!" It was a word of thanks.
Still, it was something that seemed like just yesterday that I was doing this 'delicate' kind of 'work'...Hah!
Now I have to have my young wife read bearing numbers...BCA being the tiniest. LOL

 

Snap-On has a tool with a spring-loaded clip that goes through the eyelet of the "pin spring" (Carter terminology). Impossible (at least I never have) to lose a clip when using the tool.

If one is lost, any O'Reilley or NAPA auto parts store carries a clip assortment.

Be advised there are several sizes.

Jon.

 

Thanks a lot guys. "325w" took care of me, but it's nice to know where I can find them in the future.

BTW, I thought "Jesus" clips were those things that hold the door handles and window cranks on GM and later Ford cars. They were named because of the impossibility of removing them without the proper tools.

 

Old-school hardware stores, that still have the pull-out bins, have these, too.

 

Seems like Snap-On has a tool for everything. Only prob is the price frequently. That's why I carefully use my small needle nose.........

 

Grouch - the Snap-On tool does seem high for what is there. But I have used one on thousands of carburetors over 40 years without dropping a pin spring. Drop one down an intake manifold, and the cost of the tool is cheap compared to the inconvenience of removing the manifold. And no, I have no investment in Snap-On, but this is a handy tool. I have two, one to use, the other to misplace!

Jon.

 

I redid a carb for a guy and he had wrapped a bit of wire around the groove to keep it working until I replaced the clip.

 

I get them from McMaster Carr by the 100 for under $10, for a modest investment you can get 2 or 3 different sizes in a couple styles and have a lifetime supply.

 

I got the clips from "325w" today. They are just what I needed. Many thanks to him. "The power of the H.A.M.B."

 

I have one of those drawers too, marked "Carb parts" and full of all the extra parts that come with carb rebuild kits along with a number of small bits of used hardware that I can't make myself throw away. I can't count how many times that drawer has saved my bacon.

 

I can remember one of my first parts counter jobs when a guy came through the door and asked for a "Jesus clip"...I gave him one of these: