VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Photos: RJH08 carb - is it all here?

I just got this Carter RJH 08 today, but I'm not familiar with these carbs enough to know if it is all here. I'd like to rebuild it and install it on my car because I have an aftermarket carb on it now. The reason this guy had it is because he had done work on a '31 Chevrolet for another man and the carb wasn't running quite right and needed a rebuild. The owner strongly preferred buying a restored, rebuilt carb rather than fixing the old one, hence the extra carb hanging around.

Does it look complete? Anything that would prevent me from ordering a kit and rebuilding it?

It looks to be all there except for the rubber boot that would be on top of accerator pump housing.

The carburetor appears to be complete on the outside except for the rubber boot on the accelerator pump. Inside looks like the standpipe and choke cone are there. Since the choke cone is partially closed there may be a problem with it sticking. Can't see the parts under the brass bowl.

Rebuilding those carburetors takes more than just ordering and installing a kit. Many of the parts in the available kits are worthless. You might get lucky and do a cleanup of the parts you can get to and then put it back together. If that works then you are money ahead. If not then two experienced rebuilders frequent this site. They have the tools to take the carburetor completely apart, clean all the parts, measure them to be sure they are all correct, replace needed parts and reassemble. That is a rebuild.

Yeah if NOT experienced in rebuilding I would send it to one of the two Pros Above

Here are some shots I took a while back of my Carter RJH08-150S NOS that I acquired. Plenty of photos, even under Bowl.

As mentioned by others, the rubber pump boot is missing. Also missing is the bracket holding the throttle and choke cable housings, and the 2 bracket mounting screws.

Jon.

That would be this guy here:
Cable Bracket

Thanks for the replies. If the choke cone is the part inside the carb that I took a picture of it is open because I tried to open it to get a shot of what was inside the best I was able.

The pictures are very helpful. I would prefer to do the work myself. Has there ever been a write up of how to check and rebuild these units? So far, I haven't found one online yet.

To do a proper rebuild it is necessary to take the carburetor completely apart. That normally requires a venturi puller which is a tool that Carter produced. I have seen a couple made by machinists. There are some carburetors where the venturi is loose enough to take out by hand. That leaves the standpipe in place. It takes a square socket to unscrew the standpipe. It is another Carter tool. A third problem area is the low speed jet. It is fairly common to have the slotted nut (sweated to the tube) come out leaving the tube still in the bore. It takes a special puller to remove the remaining tube. It is also necessary to compare the internal parts to the specifications. That takes measuring devices (calipers, drill bits). The specifications are available on a few internet sites.

There are a couple of us on Chat that have the experience, tools and knowledge to rebuild your carburetor. The cost is reasonable considering the time and experience required.

If you are going to try to rebuild the carburetor yourself, be aware that the venturi, choke cone and standpipe are all made out of pot metal. Even with the special Carter tools and lots of experience, there is a good chance of breaking the pot metal parts, especially if you don't have the experience or the correct Carter tools.

As Chipper mentioned, to remove the venturi takes a special venturi puller and I only know of a few that still exist. From the looks of your carburetor, I doubt if the venturi, the standpipe or the low speed idle tube will be removed easily.

Another thing to lookout for is the "tower" where the low speed idle tube is installed (the tower is visible when the float bowl is removed). If the tower is badly corroded and eaten away at the top where the low speed idle tube is installed then the carburetor is not really a candidate for rebuilding.

Vetteman - if all the carb needs is a superficial cleaning, do it. If the carb needs rebuilding, send it to one of the guys that specialize in these (please note - I am no longer building carbs due to the demand for the kits I produce). So do not send it to me.

If the carb needs rebuilding, at the bare minimum you are going to NEED a venturi puller, and a standpipe wrench. You will probably also need a low-speed jet puller. The tools ARE available, but quite expensive; or if you are a tool and die maker you can make them.

As to instructions: I posted these on our website some time ago:

http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Service_Carter_Brass_Bowl_updraft.pdf

I understand the desire to do everything yourself, and this carb is a relatively simple design. But without the special tools, it is NOT a user-friendly carb.

Jon.

I agree that a cleaning with a good solvent, rag and brush is worth the effort. If after that the carburetor does not perform well a full rebuild is warranted.

Since I already have a carb on the car and it is currently running, I don't mind taking my time with this piece. Since I plan to keep this vehicle for many years I would like to be able to have the tools and knowledge to do it myself if it needs to be done in the future, when perhaps getting someone else to do it may not be an option. If I need to make my own tools then that's something I'm willing to look into.

I took some more photos with the bowl off. Everything is free and moving properly.

Does not look that bad. Had a little water over a period of time. The float is shot. The Filling Station has a replacement. I suggest cleaning it up and trying it. You may be able to find photos of the Carter tools online. A few will be a challenge to make or find.

New Float, New Gasket for Sure...

I'd like to go through the carb to make 100% sure it's ok, even if it's a risk. I want to learn how and ensure I'm able to if in the future I can't find someone else to do it. Also, I'm going to have to move a fuel line so once I put it on the car I don't want to have to change things back if it doesn't work right.