Choke adjustments and Cheap Chinese carburetor WARNING

[rcarlisle]

Edit: IF you are here for choke adjustments - read on down.  Or read from the end back.  

See photo.  Truck has been weird lately.  Would idle at 2500.  Ugh!   Sometimes I could manually push the throttle closed and get good idle.  Yesterday, I was messing and went up interstate at 70 just fine.  Pulled off and it was idling at 2500 and sounds like the fan hitting the shroud.  Pulled off at a church and raised the hood.   Ping ping ping and motor running like crap on a white rag.  

Vacuum all over the place, missing.  Figured I'd try the 3 miles to home and either limp or be closer for the tow truck if she blew up.  

Checked oil, a little low.  Added some, let it sit.  Started it again, quiet as a mouse.  Grrerr.   Went to try it again today after replacing a 6 months old Sylvania headlight (!!!).   Throttle was stuck weird.

I said some bad words and figured may as well remove the carb.   See photos.   I guess I know what the pinging was.  And probably the rest of the issues.  

Do I fix it?   With lots of thread locker on the new screws?   The one still in is bent.  Still got to inspect the butterfly disc to see if it is bent or not.

 

[Gary Lewis]

So how many of the throttle plate screws are missing?  And they weren't either staked or Loctited in?  Man, that is a serious error.

I think I'd replace the screws and ensure the throttle will close cleanly.  That can sometimes be a problem to get just right and takes me trial and error.  But if that's all that it takes to make the carb work right again, it would be a cheap fix.

[rcarlisle]

Thanks.  Only one screw missing.  Other is loose on one side. The other side seems secure.  Screwdriver wants to cam out of the screwhead.  

I'm kinda leaning that way since we had to put a roof on house recently and we are basically cashless for a while.  Maybe some hex heads?  And loctite.   But I will be making certain all fasteners are secure before I reinstall.

[Gary Lewis]

Hex heads are usually hardened.  But normally brass screws are used for the off chance that they come out and down into the engine.

[rcarlisle]

Good point.   I'm hoping that crappy little screw went on through the system and out the tail pipe.  I know what it sounds like in the engine, though.  It's not pleasant.

 These look like the crappy gold plated steel screws that China is famous for.  Not real brass.  I'll look at them more tomorrow.  

[85lebaront2]

Best Chinesium metal, about the strength of solder. They are probably metric thread. Use red Loctite when you put new ones in. On setting the plates. Remove the fast idle lever on the choke side, back the slow idle all the way off. Install the throttle plates just snug and hold the throttle fully closed. Tighten the screws, look through the bottom and make sure they are even. Then one at a time take them out and put Loctite on them and re tighten.

[mat in tn]

do the screws go all the way through where they can be pinched with vise grips? maybe replace them with longer ones so they can be

[rcarlisle]

Thanks.  Good advice.  I'll be studying both of theses suggestions.  The pinging as that screw went through the engine was not fun.

[mat in tn]

all you can do is hope for the best. it may be imbedded in the top of a piston, or it may have gotten spit out.
if damage got done it may tell you soon enough. it's a sickening feeling for sure even wondering. and it's not even my engine. this is why you see my builds with intake's taped up while no carb is installed.

[rcarlisle]

When I restarted the truck, it ran smoothly again.   Vacuum was steady again.   Hoping the screw went on out thru the exhaust system.  But yes valuable lesson learned.  

[mat in tn]

can you imagine the odds of that little screw being beaten to death while bouncing around trying to get through the valve which is only opening 3/8' and not ever being still while open? That would take a lot of luck and a lot of air flow!

[rcarlisle]

OK so where the heck is it???!!!!    IF I hear it again, I will be removing plugs and sticking my magnet down the hole.    I'm pretty sure it went down the driver's side bank from the noise location.  

And this comes to mind.   I used to work on a local street stock race car.   We had a roller rocker come completely apart one morning in practice.  Back at shop, we pulled the motor, pulled the oil pan and found all but like 3 of the little needle bearings.   Called the engine builder, who was a gruff old SOB.   HE said
"RUN  THE DAMN THING!  IT'LL EITHER LIVE OR IT WON'T!"   I'm kinda there now.  

It's quit making noise and was running right last time I started it after all this.    Apparently the throttle plates got all in the right place to work correctly one last time.  I think they had been bouncing around causing my random idle issues that I was blaming on general Chinese-ness of the carb.  

[Machspeed]

Randy, you can get a cheap endoscope off Amazon to look in those cylinders. Gary has one and I bought a similar model, though I can't reference it here. Think Gary did a review on his.  

[mat in tn]

that is an awesome idea. it can't fix anything, but knowledge is power

[Gary Lewis]

This is the unit I have: NIDAGE Wireless Endoscope.

[rcarlisle]

I'm looking at the endoscope.  Had a hard time finding the screws.  Have some to pick up in the morning. We'll see if they are correct

[Gsmblue]

Oh man, that sucks.

I have a similar scope of Amazon, very useful.

I have an edelbrock 1406 carb that came with my Bronco, it was rebuilt by the previous owner and “never worked right”. I switched out for a new one, if you want the old one I would be happy to send it to you for the cost of shipping. It will need to be rebuilt, I have no idea what is up with it.. I can send pics etc…

[mat in tn]

the 1406 being a four bbl won't work. he is staying with a two barrel at this time.

[rcarlisle]

Yep.  I just looked it up and saw same.   I like the Autolite theory of operation and the chinese carb is a very close replica with enough changes to get by patent/trademark/copyright.  

[Gsmblue]

10.4!!