Carb restore

I think restorers do media blast them - maybe with baking soda, dry ice, or some such. I personally wouldn't bother unless you are entering a Concours D'Elegance.

Try the Eastwood site for ideas and products.
http://www.eastwood.com/autobody/blasting/media.html
http://search.eastwood.com/search?w=carburetor refinishing

 

I wouldn't be scared to media blast it in a small cabinet. I would do it after dipping it and roughly reassembling it, though. Ball up some tinfoil and pack it tightly in the spots you don't want your glass beads to go. I researched the Eastwood carb paints, and I think an at home Alodine treatment would be what I would try. Good luck.

 

For $280 you can get a new one: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/jet-37001?seid=srese1&gclid=COvviZHO7MYCFU2SfgodqakLXw

 

Used to be that the carb dip was the way to go. Seems that today the dip is either highly regulated, or less effective, or both.

Last couple carbs I worked on, I bought Berryman's carburetor cleaner and sprayed the carb bodies to clean them. Seemed effective enough.

 

That Eastwood carb refinish isn't fuel resistant (believe it or not!) and doesn't really look like the factory finish.
As others have said, unless a show quality restoration is your goal, just clean it up really well with carb cleaner.

 

I suggest you get a pan, a toothbrush and a quart of paint thinner, and clean the outside of the carburetor as best you can. Get it really clean with the solvent and brush. Dirt is your enemy. The cleaner the carb is to start with, the more pleasant and easier the job will be, and the better chance you'll have of an excellent result. Wear rubber gloves.

Then go to a clean work surface and start to take it apart, following the diagram that comes with the rebuild kit. Notice where every part goes and how it came apart. Take notes or pictures or whatever works for you. Keep the parts organized and together.

Do not remove the main jets. Do not remove the throttle shaft and throttle plate. Just take everything apart so you can remove all the consumable parts (gaskets, seals, diaphragms, etc.)

Once everything is apart, clean the carb body and other metal parts with the spray carb cleaner and another tooth brush. Clean clean clean, spraying the cleaner through all the passages and blasting with compressed air if you have it. Clean all the parts you will reuse. The carb cleaner will cut any brown varnish left behind by years of contact with fuel and remove any greasy residue.

Once you have all the parts clean and organized, laid out in front of you, start to assemble with the new parts. Continue till the carb is assembled with all the required new consumable parts.

The rebuild kit should contain instructions for the proper initial settings of the carb. Do that, install and tune. Done.

 

^I'd I agree with everything Tim said, but I would remove the main jets and clean out real well in the passages behind them. Make sure your screwdriver fits the slot in the Jets so they don't get damaged. DON'T remove the throttle shaft or plates, you're just asking for trouble there.

 

I saw online that pine sol is a good cleaner for carbs, so what the heck I'll soak it overnight and see what happens

 

The main problem I've seen with removing jets is that you have to do it right the first time. They are brass and tight in the carb body. The slot will be damaged if your driver is not kept tight in the slot and climbs out. I have a big screwdriver that I ground specifically to fit a Motorcraft jet slot tightly. I screw the carb down to the bench top, put the driver in the jet slot, press down hard with one hand and turn the square shaft with a crescent wrench in the other. The jet unscrews with a pop.

 

Yep. Real easy to wreck the jets.
Also beware the chance of leaving brass chips in the passages.

 

They do make specialized screwdrivers for jet removal. Instead of having the taper at the end of the working surfaces the blade sides are actually parallel, or if really made right, slightly ground back just above the end of the blade so they won't walk out.

 

Back in the day, when I worked in a speed shop and built 5-6 carbs a week, I had a special jet driver for Holley carbs and some cheapo screwdrivers that I had ground down to fit the Jets on other makes of carburetor.

 

Sounds like a gunsmith screwdriver.

Why aren't they all made that way???

 

Pine sol worked pretty good as a degreaser. Some of the heavy stuff didn't dissolve but it got loose enough to blow off with some air

Before



After

 

The Pine Sol helped, but I would use some carb cleaner on it now. Here is my 25 year-old GM throttle body after soaking in and brushing with Berryman's Carb Cleaner, available at your local FLAPS.

 

I went ahead and disassembled the carb and media blasted it, the jets came out easy. I just have to make sure all the passages are blown out and checked with a wire.

 

Nice and shiny, I guess I can wire wheel mine and get it like that. Not sure what original looked like from factory