What tools do I need/How should I prep for cleaning / fixing the carb this weekend

[LemonShark2]

Hi all,

On tap this weekend is taking off the Carb, and cleaning, possibly tinkering with the Carb. To be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm hoping it just needs a thorough cleaning, but I'm not even sure how to do that!
-What do I use as a cleaning solution?
-What do I use as a tool for cleaning? Pipe cleaners?
-What tools do I need to safely take it off?
-What else should I know?
-I don't even currently know what model it is, or if I have a late or early model A4. It's the standard engine off a '77 Catalina 27.

Help me prep for success!

Thanks

[sastanley]

Hi all,

On tap this weekend is taking off the Carb, and cleaning, possibly tinkering with the Carb. To be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm hoping it just needs a thorough cleaning, but I'm not even sure how to do that!
-What do I use as a cleaning solution?
-What do I use as a tool for cleaning? Pipe cleaners?
-What tools do I need to safely take it off?
-What else should I know?
-I don't even currently know what model it is, or if I have a late or early model A4. It's the standard engine off a '77 Catalina 27.

Help me prep for success!

Thanks

-What do I use as a cleaning solution?
Carb cleaner

-What do I use as a tool for cleaning? Pipe cleaners?
Have a few rags on hand to mop up fuel, a couple plastic containers to collect fuel/set the dripping carb, and a piece of soft (copper) wire..you may need to strip it all the way down to one strand to clean the two tiny jets on either side of the butterfly valve..cleaning these are critical for good idling and good transition from the idle to main jet. None of the jets are large enough for pipe cleaners.

-What tools do I need to safely take it off?
It should be a 1/2" SAE wrench for the two bolts to the manifold, and the main jet drain plug (watch out for the little felt sealing washer on this bolt..easy to tear/lose, etc.) A good flat screwdriver is needed to remove the screws that separate the carb.
Various small pliers, etc. may be needed to get the linkages off..I put ring dings on mine so I don't have to futz with a sharp cotter pins.

-What else should I know?
Wear safety glasses when you spray carb cleaner, you'll be surprised when it goes thru a carb passage and comes straight back at you!

You will probably ruin the carb bowl gasket separating the carb, and maybe the manifold flange gasket. Available here at the Moyer site...(and maybe locally too since it would take too long to ship from Maryland to WA this weekend.) A local marina between me and the boat carries lots of Atomic 4 supplies, and I use them if I can't wait for a Moyer shipment.

-I don't even currently know what model it is, or if I have a late or early model A4. It's the standard engine off a '77 Catalina 27.
Late model engine and late model Zenith carb. There are generally two types in sailboats..early & late. Moyer sells LOTS of parts for both, so peruse the catalog here to start recognizing the differences. Late models started well before our '77 boats..they are actually close to the end of the run..the last A-4 I know of in a Catalina was around 1982-83.

If you are not doing an overhaul (just a good cleaning) there aren't too many parts to lose in the carb..the screws holding it together and the main passage/bowl plug is really the only pieces to take off..You'll see the main jet inside the bowl and will want to spray the you-know-what out of it to make sure it is clean. Using a single strand of wire, be sure to wire out and spray the little (I mean tiny) holes you'll see between the main butterfly (not the choke butterfly near the throat). Spray all the jets and holes you see, make sure there is no gunk anywhere, and be careful when re-assembling to make sure you line up the bowl gasket between the two halves.

edit - You can shake the float loose if you shake things too much...the pin that holds the floats in floats in the hinge...when the carb is together it is captive but can slide out sometimes when apart. If this happens, the float bowl valve could come loose too..just keep an eye on things..

Good Luck!

[JOHN COOKSON]

You can try this also: Spray some carb cleaner into the passages and let it sit for a few hours\overnight. Then ream the passages and spray again. As noted the spray will come out at unexpected angles right at you.The wire in the bag twists from the super market work for some passages. Peal the paper away from ~ 1/2 of the tie. The end with the paper is easy to grasp.


TRUE GRIT

[sastanley]

John great idea on using the bread twistie ties!

[LemonShark2]

Thanks all! Some good suggestions here - Will definitely pick up some Carb Cleaner, and some bread.... haha

We shall see if I have to buy some replacement gaskets...

[sastanley]

When Dave Neptune chimes in, he'll recommend liquid bread, which is a staple to feed the crew on my boat too! ...but alas, it comes with pop tops or bottle caps...no twistie ties.

The gasket issue is all about how careful you are. I ripped the carb gasket on my lawnmower a couple years ago, so I use a little bit of Permatex #3 Aviation Brand (which Don Moyer highly recommends so I have it handy) to smush the broken piece back when I bolt it together and fill the gaps.

[LemonShark2]

When Dave Neptune chimes in, he'll recommend liquid bread, which is a staple to feed the crew on my boat too! ...but alas, it comes with pop tops or bottle caps...no twistie ties.

The gasket issue is all about how careful you are. I ripped the carb gasket on my lawnmower a couple years ago, so I use a little bit of Permatex #3 Aviation Brand (which Don Moyer highly recommends so I have it handy) to smush the broken piece back when I bolt it together and fill the gaps.

Haha! Don't worry, I've got plenty of liquid bread aboard... Noted on being careful with the Gasket! Unfortunately I have very little engine access, and will be contorted... However Ill still do my best.

[ndutton]

The most important tool given your resume' is the Moyer instructional video.

http://www.moyermarine.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=CLIP_01_550

[LemonShark2]

The most important tool given your resume' is the Moyer instructional video.
http://www.moyermarine.com/cgi-bin/s...ey=CLIP_01_550

I know this is sort of hard to see - but can you confirm I'm still working with the original / same carb from the instructional video? Photo attached.

[sastanley]

Yes...it looks like it. You also have the "extra" drain plug in yours in the bottom of the fuel bowl. The plug in the "back" that you can't quite see is the main jet plug I referenced earlier..it uses a washer..the plug you can see in your pic is a tapered thread plug with no washer.

If I remember correctly, you said you had a Moyer in-line polishing filter?? Some of us with mech pumps have removed the hard line (the hoop) between the fuel pump outlet and the carb inlet and gone to soft fuel hose and put the filter in between. I also have a pressure gauge.

[jbsoukup]

IMHO you can't properly clean a carb without compressed air, or at least it makes it so much easier.

[tomsailmaker]

hate to say it and I might be wrong (but I don't think so) looks like you are getting an exhaust leak. Might be a good time to try and fix it.

[romantic comedy]

In my days without a compressor I would just walk up to an auto repair shop with a disassembled carb and ask them to blow it out. They just did it quick and charged me nothing. Most of the time, they just let me do it myself.

Another thing was to go to a shop with the air blower complete with a quick connect fitting. I would just get the air hose and do it myself. Most shops use the same air fittings.

I also took my air impact tools to a shop. I would have the part in the truck and all I needed was air. Worked great with VW flywheels.

[JOHN COOKSON]

IMHO you can't properly clean a carb without compressed air, or at least it makes it so much easier.

I agree.

In this case the plan is to just clean out the passages not the whole enchilada disassembly and rebuild and substitute a can of compressed carburetor cleaner for the compressed air. I think so anyway.

TRUE GRIT

[JOHN COOKSON]

hate to say it and I might be wrong (but I don't think so) looks like you are getting an exhaust leak. Might be a good time to try and fix it.

It looked to me to be a water leak from the rear most manifold barb area. Naturally I can't prove this. We'll let the owner comment.

TRUE GRIT