VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 Need a new Carb

The Rochestor Carb on my 48 is beyond a DIY rebuild at this point. She's leaking fuel out around the throttle shaft, weeping around one end of the top cover, and her choke shaft is bound up. Where's the best place to get a good rebuilt unit.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Do you want the correct Carter W1 carburetor or a replacement Rochester carburetor like you have now?

Junkyard Dog:

My 216 performs very well with the Rochester Carb. I thought I'd stick with that.

Regards:
Oldengineer

You might want to check with your local NAPA store. I heard awhile back that the early rebuilt Rochester carbs. were still available from them. Don't know if what I heard was true or not but it might be worth checking to see.

I checked NAPA online and found a rebuilt Rochester for sale.

Thanks guys. I'll call NAPA and see if I have any luck.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Ordered a rebuilt Rochester from Autozone online this morning. I checked NAPA, but, they were about $100 higher. Anyway, Autozone has both the Carter and the Rochester available.

Regards:
Oldengineer

The replacement carb arrived today via FedEx. I hope it works as good as it looks. Hope to get it on the engine tomorrow night, and, fire her up.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Is it an early low cover or the 1952 and up high cover?

Chevy Nut:

The carb I got is for a 51 216 - according to AutoZone's online catalog. It was slightly different from the unit I took off. On the old carb the fuel inlet was on the left side of the bowl cover - toward the valve cover, the replacement unit has it coming in on the front - facing the front of the engine. I also had to slightly modify the bracket for the choke and throttle cables. It wouldn't fit right, because the top cover was slightly different. I had to trim it with a Dremel and a cut off wheel to get it to sit down tight against the top cover. Got it all back together after work today. I dumped some gas down the carb, and, she started right up. The engine will now idle much slower than before. I set the idle speed at about 900, and, adjusted the idle air. I set her at 900 to keep her cool, because I always sit in traffic for a long time - trying to get out of my town. Couldn't do a test drive yet - bad storms here all evening. Will post again, after I get a test drive in.

Regards:
Oldengineer

"inlet on the left side of the bowl cover"??? The automatic chole carbs had that but I can't recall of a hand choke carb. being that way.

I wonder if it wasn't a mid 60's Rochester B that somebody put on?

The new old stock Rochester carburetor that I have on my 1951 Chevrolet with a hand choke has the carb. inlet facing towards the front of the car as it should be. I also have several other spare Rochester carbs. for my 1951 and they all have the inlet at the same location.

I have the idle set on my '51 at around 500 RPM.

Chevy Nut:

Yep - my old carb was a manual choke unit, and, the inlet faced the valve cover. There was a 90 screwed into it so the gas line could hook up to it. Have no idea what the model # was - tag was long gone. The manual choke mechanism on the new Rochester is identical to the old one.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Don:

They made a carb in the mid 60's that'll fit a stock 216? I'm beginning to think what I had was a conglomeration of carb parts that somebody slapped together.

Regards:
Oldengineer

I'm wondering if someone didn't use a carb like the one in the link and "made" it fit?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROCHESTER-C...HEVY-GMC-TRUCK-194-230-250-/281314298164

Don:

I went to a cruise in tonight, and, looked at a 54 Chevy. I noticed the top cover on his carb looked like the one that used to be on my car. I suspect somebody combined parts of 2 different carbs - because the bottom of my old carb fit my 216, and, hadn't been doctored up.

Regards:
Oldengineer

The top of a late carb. will not work on the bowl of an early 216 carb.
The only 216 rochester that had the fuel inlet on the side was a special automatic choke carb. sold through parts but never used in production.
I have a new "in the box"one of those.

Chevy Nut:

I'm stumped - but - I'm glad now the correct Rochester is now sitting on my engine. I bet AutoZone's rebuilder is going to be scratching their heads over the core I sent them.

Regards:
Oldengineer