The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Carter W-1 RPD?

I have a couple questions about my Carter W-1 carburetor. The metal tag has "839987" which I guess is Chevy's part number for the 574s. The tag also has "K7"; a tiny cut-out shaped like the clubs symbol from a deck of playing cards; and another tiny cut-out of two diamond shapes side-by-side. What does all that mean? Also, the float bowl doesn't have a "C" for Chevrolet; it has "RPD". What does that mean? Is this 574s somehow different than the 574s made by Chevy? (carbking, are you out there???) Thanks for any help with this!
Dale

Dale - you stumped me.

Not 100 percent sure of the meaning of "RPD". In times past it has been explained to me by self-annointed experts that RPD meant "replacement parts division" OR "Rochester Parts Division". I have never seen a definative answer on a GM document; so it might mean one of the above OR it might mean something else. And since I don't know, I won't speculate on the meaning, although I have my own opinion.

The "K7" is a date code meaning either the 10th or 11th month of some year ending in 7. Since the 574s was not produced as a service carb (the 684s was used as the SR), the 7 probably represents 1947. This is the typical A=January, B=February, etc., etc. code. The reason for the vagueness concerning 10th or 11th month is that in some years the letter "I" was used, and in some years it was omitted.

The "cut-outs" were inspector stamps. I do not have a cross-reference of the stamp code to the stamping inspector.

Bottom line is this is one of the Chevrolet (or GM) produced carburetors.

And I apologize for the incomplete answer. While our library of Carter (as well as other original carburetor manufacturers) information is pretty good, we have less complete information from the car manufacturers (except for Pontiac and Oakland).

Perhaps someone else will have "RPD" on a GM document such that we may all learn the exact meaning of RPD.

Jon.

Jon - Thanks for the reply and the date code info. I poked around on the internet and found a number of references to the "Rochester Products Division" of General Motors. But I didn't find anything related to Carter. If the "C" carbs where produced by Chevy (at their Bay City plant) maybe the "RPD" carbs where produced by GM at another location?

Maybe Rochester Products Division, since it was called Rochester Products?

I'm getting a little cornfused here Jon. I've been searching for a couple of days also for Carter history and can’t find anything that indicates that GM produced Carter carburetors. They of course used them as original equipment like Ford and Chrysler did. Also Rochester Products Division was formed after the era of the W-1 wasn’t it? And again did RP ever manufacture carburetors under contract from Carter?
Also the Bay City plant 'C' that is mentioned was seen on the Rochester 'B' model carburetors after it was acquired by GM wasn't it?

Sure is a lot of "weren’ts and wasn’ts" on this one.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I thought the Bay City "C" carburetors were a Chevrolet copy of the Carter W-1, and were in no way related to to the much later creation of Rochester Products Division from North East Electric Company. I don't know if Chevrolet made them under license to Carter or not.