Bubba and Carberators

[Geek's 65]

I won't bore you with the details of how my car all of a sudden had this very stiff oder of gas or how quick I got it shut down. When I pulled the carb, I found out that Bubba had obviously run it (327/300) without the spacers between the intake and the carb. When he heat modified the base plate, I guess he figured he could "jessfixerupabit" with something. So for those of you who wonder if you need to use those spacers between the carb and the intake - a picture is worth a thousand "Holy Sh*ts!!"

Geek

 

[motorman]

I won't bore you with the details of how my car all of a sudden had this very stiff oder of gas or how quick I got it shut down. When I pulled the carb, I found out that Bubba had obviously run it (327/300) without the spacers between the intake and the carb. When he heat modified the base plate, I guess he figured he could "jessfixerupabit" with something. So for those of you who wonder if you need to use those spacers between the carb and the intake - a picture is worth a thousand "Holy Sh*ts!!"

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c52/4Pilot23/CarbBase.jpg

Geek

the best fix is to install 2 cup type expansion plugs in the holes in the intake manifold heat passage. GM later did away with these holes.

 

[JohnZ]

Like Clem said, here's the fix with the exhaust holes plugged; that "hot-slot" design resulted in the biggest safety recall in GM history in 1969 for engine fires. Looks like yours didn't have the stainless baffle installed, but they'll still destroy a baseplate even WITH the baffle. This intake is for a Holley, but the principle is the same for fixing those for AFB's.

 

[Geek's 65]

Like Clem said, here's the fix with the exhaust holes plugged; that "hot-slot" design resulted in the biggest safety recall in GM history in 1969 for engine fires. Looks like yours didn't have the stainless baffle installed, but they'll still destroy a baseplate even WITH the baffle. This intake is for a Holley, but the principle is the same for fixing those for AFB's.

I took your advice from an earlier post and used a FelPro 1256 intake manifold gasket John. That cut down some of the heat but after seeing this, I am going to take your's and Clem's advice and just plug off the heat. It's a 65 so my choke doesn't need it and for sure the carb doesn't.

Geek

 

[magicv8]

I've see a few burned carbs, but that's a REAL patch.

Im rebuilding one for a friend that didn't grt that much damage, but the idiot that ran it without the heat shield. The exhaust corroded the throttle shaft, so Bubba then tried to remove the round throttle plates (I assume - to clean things up) and broke two screws in the throttle shaft and choke shaft.

I'm enjoying this one. If you know a good welder, I think that carb can be repaired.

 

[Geek's 65]

This is a case where God loves drunks and sailors - I bought a carb on e-Bay two years ago just to have to fool around. Now it is saving my As*. This one is pretty much a mort as I have found the burn goes through into the bowl area. THAT's where the gas smell was coming from I guess. I have stripped out the linkage that I was missing and such off the other carb but the throttle plate and choke plate are still OK I think. If you can use them to help your friend, I am more than willing to donate them. Lord knows I have gotten more than their worth in nuggets of gold from this forum.

G

 

[jimbo64]

Like Clem said, here's the fix with the exhaust holes plugged; that "hot-slot" design resulted in the biggest safety recall in GM history in 1969 for engine fires. Looks like yours didn't have the stainless baffle installed, but they'll still destroy a baseplate even WITH the baffle. This intake is for a Holley, but the principle is the same for fixing those for AFB's.

-just curious -how did gm correct the problem on the recall-just plug the holes

 

[jims427400]

Just cureous,when I had my tripowers rebuilt I didnt notice but does my set up also have this potential problem??

 

[JohnZ]

-just curious -how did gm correct the problem on the recall-just plug the holes

I don't recall, but it was only for cars with Q-Jets; the heat softened the pressed-in lead plugs in the bottom of the float bowl and they fell out. I was a Production Superintendent at Lordstown at the time (building Impala/Caprice and Firebirds), and we shut the plant down for two days to change the Q-Jets on every car on the site and in process and replace them with revised carbs from Rochester with new gaskets and baffles. They must have revised the bowl plugs or how they were installed.

 

[JohnZ]

Just cureous,when I had my tripowers rebuilt I didnt notice but does my set up also have this potential problem??

Nope, the 3x2's don't have the "hot-slot" design.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Got my Carb back from Bob Kunz a while back. Would it be smart to use a heat shield even though my intake doesn't have passages to the carb base? I'm thinking in terms of keeping the carb cooler.

 

[JohnZ]

A phenolic insulator (about 1/4" thick) might be a good idea to reduce heat transfer from the carb pad to the carb. Radiated heat from the top of the manifold to the accelerator pump can be an issue with stock manifolds, but yours appears to be raised enough so it has plenty of air space between the bottom of the float bowls and the manifold.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Thanks John. I think that's what I'll do.