VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1041 Chevy Carter carb W1

My 1941 Chevy Carter Card W 1, leakers fuel from the throttle rod after the car is turned off and the accelerator is pumped. This is a rebuilt carb with 500 miles on it.

When you pump the throttle gas is squirted into the throat of the carburetor. It drips down and sits on the throtle plate and some can leak out around the throttle shaft as this is ot a water tight fit.
A normal condition.

That is a common situation with downdraft carburetors, some more than others. There are ways to reduce the leakage but not completely stop it without extensive modification.

I was told by a carburetor gentleman at the "Chevs of the 40's" catalog, my carb was apparently rebuilt according to 1941 specs when gasoline was different than today's standards. He stated it is a simple float adjustment of lowering the float by .03 to stop the accelerator pump from overfilling the bowl when the car is turned off. It is a steady drip of gasoline onto the hot exhaust manifold. Being a retired Firefighter, this make me nervous. Any suggestions? Gustave.

Good Morning Gustave,

Below is what I just posted to Stefan in Germany. Why don't you look it over and read through your 41 manual then open the carb up? You can check the float level and look to see if any debris has accumulated in the float bowl. You can check out how loose the shaft is and blow everything out good.

I think we have ragged on Chevs of the 40's before about the quality of their carburetor rebuilds? Do you know exactly how long the carb has been on the car? Some guys put 500 miles on a car in a month of driving others it takes 2 or 3 years.

Being a retired fireman I hope you keep an extinguisher in your car along with some simple tools and whatever might help with a break down. Of course the best tool you can have is a cell phone so you can call your wife(partner) for advice!

We have discussed carburetor problems like yours several times in previous post TOPICS. Try doing an ADVANCED SEARCH using the word CARBURETOR? If you have any problems with the search process let us know and we can help more.

In those posts we have discussed that the float needle needs to be replaced with its seat (so they are compatible), If you don't this could cause a leak of the gas in the float bowl. We have even discussed some recommendations to use certain builders for your work. It is usually better to pay a few extra dollars to have a carb rebuilt by a business that specializes in only carburetor work verses one that supplies rebuilt carbs from venders with dubious experience? Chevs of the 40's does not advertise who does their carburetor rebuilds, nor who does the work on other rebuilt parts they sell. So a certain amount of caution is necessary.

Good luck, Mike

Any suggestions......For the last 40 years and over 100,000 total miles on my cars combined I have run the local ethanol gas with all standard carburetor settings with no problems. The only thing I have always done is advance the timing as far as possible as per the shop manual. The gas does evaporate faster but that is another story.

Thanks for the assist, Mike.
The previous owner rebuilt the carb himself in April, 2014, when he first got it. He stated to me he put 500 miles or so on the car since the rebuild.

Being a retired fireman I hope you keep an extinguisher in your car along with some simple tools and whatever might help with a break down. MIKE , WHAT EXTINGUISHER WOULD YOU RECOMEND ? WOULD IT LAST FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR . I HAD THE CARB FLOAT STICK WIDE OPEN ONCE . GAS ALL OVER . SCARED THE SH** OUT OF ME . THANKS FRANK

The way I see it the dumber you are the more extinguishers you need. I have three in my garage, and carry one in my 41. I don't know why I don't carry one in my 77 Impala or my daily drivers? I guess I should. Like Frank, I did have a carburetor leak when a rubber gas hose went bad in my 77. I could smell the gas leak in the car! I parked the car and called home for a ride.

Last year, I was at a gas station when smoke started coming out around the front hood of a car. The lady asked me what she should do. I told her to drive her car away from the pumps, and get away from the car. I ran in to alert the cashier to call the fire department. The cashier didn't know what to do. By now flames where coming out of the engine compartment of the car. The lady had opened the hood to see what was smoking. I went back to the pump area and grabbed an extinguisher. By the time I got to the fire it was really going, but emptying two extinguishers on the fire quickly put it out. I assume the car was totaled, and do know how dangerous the situation was for all of us, and how lucky we were.

Here is what I carry in my 41. It has been there for over 10 years and has not been refilled. Notice the extinguisher is not refillable. All my extinguishers are ABC Kidde dry chemical extinguishers.







The following extinguishers are around my garage. They are rechargeable and I have had them recharged once in 2008. I have had no problem with them needing yearly recharging. I have a very large one on my desk, one hanging by my stairs, and another at the top of the stairs. I'm wondering if the one at the top of the stairs should be moved to the middle of my second floor, which only has the stairway exit and windows at each end?

Maybe, Gustave can provide us some good recommendations?

Good luck, Mike

MIKE , THANKS FOR ALL THAT INFORMATION . IN THE PAST I HAD A THROW AWAY EXTINGUISHER THAT GAUGE READ CHARGED , BUT WHEN I TRIED IT - NO GO . BUYING A NEW ONE EVERY YEAR GETS PRICEY . SINCE YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE , SHOULD ONE FAIL , YOU HAVE BACK UP . FRANK

Gustave,

You can easily tighten up that loose throttle shaft. Just as gas leaks out when the engine is off air leaks in when the engine is running, causing erratic idle quality and RPM. If you do tighten up the throttle shaft one thing you will notice immediately is that the idle quality will respond to very slight turns of the idle mixture screw, allowing a perfect and consistent adjustment.

To tighten up the throttle shaft you remove the throttle plate and shaft. Then you take the shaft to a well stocked hardware store and get 2 thin wall bronze bushings to fit the shaft.

To fit the bushings to the carb body you chuck a round bar the size of the throttle shaft in a drill press and pass the round through both the throttle shaft bores in the carb body then tighten the drill press vise in the carb body, drill the bores to the bushing OD, push in the bushings and reinstall the throttle shaft and throttle plate.

I've done that job on Carter W-1, Carter Ball & Ball, Rochester Quadrajet and Carter Thermoquad carbs in my little home shop. It's nothing to be intimidated by.

A little more complicated but definitely doable at home is making a bushing for a loose W-1 accelerator pump/metering rod bell crank shaft. The same basic method is used.

Excellent reply, Brino.
I am slightly mechanically inclined, but do not have access to the press and tools you describe. I purchased a rebuilt carb from Chevs of the 40's. I had an initial leakage problem from a brass screw in the carb housing for the low idle. I called and talked with Ed C. He gave me great help, and I successfully solved the problem. The car runs very well now. Thank you again for the superb advice.
Regards,
Gus...

When it comes to car fires, most of them end up being a total loss. I have been on a few with my 18 years on the Milwaukee Fire Department. Just a word of caution is car fires elevate quickly, so unless you are there right at the beginning....forget it. On newer vehicles, if one is going to attempt to extinguish a small engine conflagration, once the hood gets opened and raised, she gets going. Also, do not stand directly in front or the rear of the vehicle because direct flame inpindgment on the compressed shocks of the bumpers will cause them to explode which will shoot the bumpers directly in your path. Plus the vapors from the burning interior sends CO and other noxious gases from combustion into the air. Not good to breath. Remember these four letters when operating a fire extinguisher: PASS. Pull the pin, Aim the extinguisher, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep the extinguishing agent towards the base of the fire. The faster and longer Sweep motion adds to extinguishment effect. It is easier to call 911. Be safe, but have fun and enjoy!
Regards
Gus