There’s heartache and joy that come with owning, and caring for, an older vehicle. It’s helpful if you can sort out a number of problems on your own, it will save you cash and trips to your local mechanic. One of the more seemingly puzzling aspects of old-car ownership occurs when you drive a vehicle with a carburetor. Hagerty is here to demystify the deliverer of air and fuel for you.
The best way to familiarize yourself with any car part is to disassemble it. So the first part of Hagerty’s two-part video guide involves a walkthrough of a carburetor teardown. There are floats, jets, needles, valves, and springs all waiting for your venture into the world of your carb. You don’t need of tools to get started, just a few pliers and screwdrivers should get you moving. And a bottle of carb cleaner will get plenty of usage as well.
If you’re going to tear down and rebuild your carburetor, you’ll want a simple rebuild kit handy. A proper kit includes all of the diaphragms, seals, needles, seats, and more.
As you tear down the carb, you’ll find parts that are either due for replacement or just need a simple cleanup. That’s the beauty of a carb rebuild. Once properly addressed, and the carb rebuilt, your car will be running better than ever.
Once you have the carb completely broken down and cleaned up, it’s time to crack open the rebuild kit and put everything back together. It’s an entertaining puzzle, but a puzzle that makes more and more sense every time you tinker with it. The video below can help you with that part.
