VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 W-1 Carb

My 38 sedan is giving me fits. I cannot get it to run right. It is hard to start, and falls on its face under acceleration. I have looked down the carb, not running, had someone push on the accelerator and I see very little fuel squirting into the carb. I took the dust cover off and fuel is coming out around the accelerator pump rod. I replaced the accelerator pump and still having the same issues. Also, when the car is running it runs very rich.

I really need to get this solved. Does anyone have a recommendation? Maybe a recommendation on sending the carb out for rebuilding, etc.

Thanks

If gas is coming out past the leather in the accelerator pump the jet is plugged. That means that some crud has found its way into the carburetor. Probably other crud particles elsewhere. You have a Carter W-1 so very likely that the coordinating rod is bent and the metering rod is not properly positioned. If you don't have some experience in rebuilding the carb best to have someone with experience go through it. Be careful in selecting a rebuilder. Not all totally understand the Carter W-1.

Check that both the pump inlet and discharge check valves are working, and that the pump discharge jet is not clogged.

http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Carter_W1_service.pdf

Jon.

Thanks for the information, I appreciate it.

This is probably not the answer, but my 38 had a breather on it that was for a truck I believe and a dinged up ugly looking breather was in the trunk. My 38 would be hard to start and ran poorly. One day I decided to install the ugly breather and she fired up immediately and ran like a champ. It turned out the ugly breather was the correct one and the nice looking one was wrong. Good luck with your 38
Michael
38 Town Sedan

Chip - you type faster than I do!

Jon.

Good advice, Chipper

If one is not an expert then one is merely guessing when rebuilding a carburetor. Too many little details that must be just right for a properly operating carburetor.

I had three of my W-1s rebuilt by American Carburator out of Jacksonville, FL. None have been installed yet but the stinkin grey car has a rochester like from a 50 up on it. It must come off even though the car runs just fine. Another purity thing.

An aside Chipper. There are about three laws governing pressure, heat, containment, etc. I think two are Charles Law, Boyles Law and the other(s) I can't remember. I guess I could look it up but you probably kow them by heart. There is a lad at church that I challanged to tell me the different laws governing such things. I told him I would give him five bucks if he came up with them and what they governed next Sunday. I need to be ready. The pressure and boiling point of water/coolant has applications to our pressurized radiator caps and would be of interest to our readers here.

Thanks and best,

Charlie

Jon,
Not sure about that but probably just saw it before you.

To amplify on the W-1 carburetors. Setting the coordinating rod correctly is critical to the proper operation. It coordinates the position of the throttle plate and metering rod. If those are not correctly coordinated then the carburetor will be either too rich or too lean at some (maybe all) throttle positions. It is a common problem particularly when the accelerator pump is hydraulically blocked. When the pump plunger does not move as it should the coordinating rod can bend. There is a Carter gauge to properly set the coordinating rod. Some rebuild kits contain one as well. Just using the gauge is not enough!!! The throttle plate must be centered in the bore first. I have found that is rarely the case in carburetors that I receive to rebuild.

Sounds like possibly you have multiple issues.

The one with the accelerator pump not functioning is probably the pump jet being clogged, as mentioned by both Chipper and myself.

The running rich could have many different causes:

Too much fuel pressure (has the fuel pump been recently changed, or rebuilt with a non-USA kit)?
Electronic distributor conversion (poor ignition with a perfect carburetor will run rich!)
Defective carburetor fuel valve, defective float, or improper float setting.

Normally, I would suggest checking the ignition, but the ignition is not going to cause the accelerator pump failure, which can be solved only by disassembly of the carburetor.

Jon.

I think Carbbking rebuilds carburators also. He would be my first choice nowadays.

Charlie

If I remember correctly, Carbking no longer rebuilds carburetors. I believe that he now only sells carb. kits and parts.

Thanks JD. Obviously I didn't know that. Accordingly, I would suggest Americna Carberator.

Best,

Charlie

Thanks Charlie, for the referral, and JYD for clarifying things.

Carbking no longer rebuilds carbs for customers, although occasionally one of our own for resale.

And as JYD mentioned, offers a large selection of carburetors and parts, made in the USA.

There are a couple of fellas on this forum that should be considered over any general rebuilder, if the carburetor needs to be sent out. However, part of the fun of owning an older vehicle is learning to maintain it. As Chip mentioned earlier, there is one special tool (readily available) that is necessary to correctly rebuild the W-1. That, along with the factory instructions I posted earlier in this thread, good parts, and this forum to ask questions, should be enough for virtually anyone to do one themselves, should they desire.

Jon.

Great conversation guys, I have learned a lot through this post...now hopefully it pays off and i get this figured out. Thanks to all for taking the time to post.

I do continue to rebuild some carburetors but not the Carter W-1. I trained a VCCA member Dean Echols from Chino Valley, AZ to do them. He advertises in the Services by Members section of the G&D. Skipper does the early 6 updrafts and I do my best with the 1912-1931 carbs. The primary goal for all of us is to help people keep these old Chevrolets on the road and not perpetually resting in a garage or barn or out back. (For clarification that is not THE outback).

Chipper,



I didn't think of our carburetor experts here in the club and those who advertise in the G&D. My bad. They should be given strong consideration for our business.

Best,

Charlie