The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Carburetor...rebuild or replace?

Hey guys!

Finally got my "new" 61 Chevy home from Washington! Pics will come soon I hope...it's in a lot better shape than the blue one I used to have.

This truck has sat for three years, only being started up on occasion to keep the battery charged. I drove it home from the lot it arrived at, and it seems to be "not all there" under the hood. The engine sputters and wants to stall upon takeoff, but once going, it's fine. And it idles fine too. I've decided that the carb should be rebuilt, because the old gas and sitting around has likely goobered it up, and the gaskets and seals on it are seeping fuel. Is rebuilding it with a carb kit worth saving the money, or should I just turf this thing and go buy a new one? What do you guys think?

Oh, engine is a 235 with single barrel.

i am not a carb expert at all. when i have rebuilt a rochester b they always run better, but i have a 50/50 chance of them doing great. these carb kits used to be a cheap try, but this last fall they are getting harder to get (have to order from warehouse, every oreillys used to have one in stock) and more expensive at oreilly's. and the really bad news is- a rebuilt carb is getting even more expensive and i have a 50/50 shot with them too. good luck!

I'd try running some Seafoam through it first. If you have a one of two gallon bladder tank do yourself a favor and by pass the fuel tank by connecting the bladder directly to the fuel on the carb. I've used Seafoam to clean out a lot of sitting and neglected motorcycle carbs

http://www.seafoamsales.com/

Go to http://www.bangshift.com/blog/basic-tech-rebuilding-a-rochester-b-carburetor.html for a quick look at the job.Good luck !

I've decided to replace it. Half the throttle kicker is missing, and the spring for it is gone, and it leaks everywhere. It's mickey-moused to run like this, but never stays running for more than a few startups without me having to fiddle with it.

just go ahead and buy 2 rochesters. throw the first one away( it won't run much better than yours now) and put the second one on. you'll save yourself some trouble of having to order another one that way.

I would try putting a kit in it. These carbs are basic & simple. If you have parts missing post it. I & other fellow Stovebolters have parts carbs sitting around & will send you any parts you need. You may want to clean out the fual system & put in fresh gas. Put an inline filter between the tank & pump.
Like Hoggy say's, half the remans aren't any good. Of all things if you get a reman don't turn your old carb in till you are all done & satisfied.

The old towel trick can help on occasion as well. It's free and simple.
Get the revs up to about 2000-2500 or so.... then take a clean towel and choke off the top of the carb until the engine almost dies. Repeat a few times. See what happens. You may be surprised.

I hate to see so many problems blamed on the mystical old carbs of the past. They are so simple, yet nobody much takes the time to understand them. Very subtle changes make all the difference in the world. Just get a rebuild kit..study it hard...and make the adjustments EXACTLY like the diagrams say to...and you should have a great running carb. So many times, I've misunderstood what the diagram was trying to tell me to do, but when I REALLY understood, it was like having a new engine. There's nothing wrong with these old carbs that a little TLC can't fix. Unless you have a worn throttle plate, you can rebuild anything. As far as the remans go...I've never bought one...but I would suspect that they have been on the shelf a long time nowadays and could use a little lube on the piston pump and float hinges just from sitting on the shelf for so long. Also, the sme adjustments that I've mentioned earlier apply to a reman...the guy who assembled it 25 years ago might not have known what he was doin' then either. So, it makes sense to know yourself how to do it. That's my two cents...your mileage may vary. Jim

I kited my Rochester, runs great now.

Easy to kit.

When I got my truck, the carb looked as if it were filled with mud. I put a kit in and it ran much better. The only problem was that my throttle shafts were worn and leaked. This resulted in an inconsistent idle. Oherwise, it ran great. I ended up getting a NOS carb off e-bay for about $125. I would say that the condition of the throttle shaft is a big factor in the decision to rebuild. They are easy to rebuild - all you are really doing is taking them apart, cleaning and putting them back together, with some simple settings to adjust. However, if your idle shaft is bad, it will nevr run 100%.

Well guys, I saw all these posts a bit too late. I have already replaced it with a reman. Runs alot better but not 100% When goosed, it hesitates, almost stalls and then revs. Runs and drives good though. A friend of mine told me that my choke may be set wrong. I'll check that when I get to my truck again...which these days, it seems like I never will!

Thanks so much for all the replies. I probably should have rebuilt it, but with my lack of knowledge of carbs, all I saw was a 50 year old carb that was broken, missing parts, and leaked all over the place, so I said to heck with it I'll just get a new one. Ha ha

got any xtra parts? i just submitted a post in parts wanted let me know if you can help?

When I got my 1954 pick up truck with a 235 in 1974, a rebuild kit was $8 and many of the Rochester one barrels were not worn too bad. Now kits are getting close to $30 and many used carbs are worn badly. Many reman carbs are junk and cost well over $100 with a core required. It is true the carbs are simple but many small things can affect maximum performance. Here in the Los Angeles area, there are several reputable carb shops that will rebuild a carb for $75 including bushing the shafts and bench testing to make sure all is well before you put the carb on your engine. I just had my Rochester rebuilt for $75 which included a new, correct #58 jet installed. Now the 235 runs great again and is ready to pull our 1950 travel trailer up to California's wine country for some fun. I recommend posting a request, here on the Stovebolt, asking for a carb shop in your area where other Bolters got a quality Rochester rebuild at a reasonable price.

Well, like I mentioned, it's a bit late. I bought a reman carb, and still have to take the old one back for core. The truck runs better now but there's still something wrong with it. It idles beautifully, but when the gas pedal is punched, it'll sputter and sometimes stall. When slowly pressed, it revs up ok. I can drive it as it is, but would like to find out what I need to do to get it to run really well. Maybe I'll have to get my rebuilt carb rebuilt, ha ha

Speaking of which, anyone know of a good carb rebuilding/tuning place in Calgary Alberta Canada?

Did the remanfucture put in new bushings on the shafts? If it leaks air through them it will not run for S##T. I had a reman for my 1962 and that was the problem.
That maybe your problem too. Check to see if there is any play on the shafts.
62Blue
Don

Don, what shafts do you mean? I'm pretty unknowledgeable when it comes to carburetors.

I think he means the throttle plate shafts.
Sounds more like the accelerator pump has a problem. Maybe a blocked port in the pump circuit ,or not adjusted right.

Yeah, it sometimes coughs, or pops, when I stomp on the gas. I was thinking maybe the spark advance vaccuum is hooped...I had one guy tell me the choke is not adjusted right. Could be that too, because it runs way better (although at higher RPMs) if I leave the choke pulled out.

Adam. I have been having the same problem with my 61. I have had the carb apart a bunch of times. One thing that will improve mine and could be your problem is to adjust the air/idle mixture. I don't have the same carb as you but the principal is the same. You need to reach maximum rpm and vacuum while at idle and then make an adjusment from there. You should be able to find the adjusment procudure online for your carb unless you have a book. A new one will come preset but may need some adjustment still. I went ahead and bought another core to rebuild because I cannot get mine running right and it was a remanufactured as well. I will let you know if I find the problem.

Thanks 61 Nate. I have adjusted the air?idle mixture to where the engine sounds the best. It idles incredibly nice, starts up real easy even after sitting around for a week....just hates being goosed.

Adam