Carb rebuild o-matic?

Hey there,

My Rochester single-barrel carb on my Chevy 216 inline six is leaking a little I think so I thought I'd rebuild it for fun.

I've never rebuilt a carb on my car, but have on my vespa so i'm willing to give it a shot. This carb has the automatic choke option.

I checked the tech-o-matic and found a carb rebuild thread for a different carb that mentions the use of a special tool for extracting jets (i think).

I'm wondering if I'll need any special tools to rebuild this carb before I order a rebuild kit. Any pointers on places I might get stuck? Anything else i should order aside from the rebuild kit itself?

Thanks in advance!

 

I don't believe you'll need anything special except a float gauge which will probably come with the kit. I think this carb is all normal screwdriver stuff, unlike a Stromberg. Just keep everything organized as you pull it apart, make a good sketch of where external linkages go and which way they fit through which hole, and make your own sketch of anything you find that looks as if it could go together in more than one way. Most of the excercise is cleaning--my memory is that this is a very simple carb.
If you want more or too much info on early Rochesters, you need to search online for old book sources and get the first edition of Doug Roe's Rochster car book. Later editions don't have most of the info on pre-Qjet Rochesters.

 

If the choke works to your satisfaction now, mark the airhorn where the pointer is on the choke cover so you can set it back to exactly the same place.
There's probably a small check ball in the accelerator pump circuit. Don't drop it in the lawn....
It's not much more complex than the Vespa, only bigger, read the instructions in the overhaul kit, be real finiky about the float level and clean needle and seat installation and go for it!

 

Bruce I still have your rodchester book if your wondering where it is.

 

you can rebuild that carb with your eyes closed. lets see the kit comes wit a new needle and seat gasket plunger and ball and spring, also the measuring tool for the float. I dont think theres any possible way to***** this one up.

 

don't those things have but two parts and only one gasket?

soak it good in carb cleaner, rinse it out good with hot water, pay close atention to all passages, blow them out with air and squirt WD40 through all off them to see that they are clear.

you can oil the gaskets, it'll make them easier to reuse if you need to open it up again.

check the throttle shaft for slop...

before disassembly count he turns on the idle screw, run it in till it bottoms out- lightly,
and put it back to the same number of turns on reassembly, lube all the linkage,

use a new fuel filter..

check for leaks when you get it going- inside and out.

wash out the oil bath air filter and reoil..

 

Thanks everyone!

One more question...

the air cleaner on my car seems like it might not be the right one cause it seems to seat weird. It's definitely for a 51 Chevy although we suspect it would fit better if my carb didn't have the auto-choke option. Would there be a different air cleaner for my car with the auto choke option? I haven't seen one in my catalogs but it would make sense that the different profile of the carb would mean a slightly different design for the air cleaner as well.

Anyone?

Stacey

 

you might have to put a little dent in the bottom with a ball-peen hammer so it'll clear the choke linkage,if that won't work there's usually someone with a spare air cleaner around here,post in the classifieds.

 

Get a large size cooky sheet and take it apart in that. No lost pieces that way.

 

Two things:

First, I noticed the same thing with my air cleaner. At first it wouldn't seat properly, but then I started looking at it and there's a small indentation in the rim that fits over a lip at the back of the carb throat. Try rotating your cleaner and see if it seats.

Second, I rebuilt the carb on my '54 at the beginning of the summer. It's really pretty straight forward, just pay attention to the float level. One problem I had, however. After the rebuild it still leaks - the main reason for rebuilding it. I ended up getting a reman.

Good luck and have fun!

 

I'd find another and rebuild it, then swap... since its your first rebuild... then you will have a spare... those carbs are easy to find.

Don't drive with a leaky carb... I've seen some badness happen to cars with leaky carbs! *****! Up in smoke! And I don't mean Cheech and Chong!