Is there a trick to removing/installing the carburetor? (throttle-shaft vacuum leak)

[xsdg]

'85 6-wire feedback carb

 

I have a stubby 12mm, and every single time it takes me at least a half-hour to pull or install the carb.  The majority of that time is spent just fighting with the four hold-down nuts on the base of the carb.  Does anyone have any suggestions to make the process go a little faster?

 

The main problem is that the nuts are pretty close to overhangs on all four corners, so I can't get my ratcheting box-end around them at all.

 

 

And a secondary question: if I'm going to be pulling and reinstalling the carb a bunch, is there any good way to deal with the fuel in the float bowl?  I undid the cover last time, and then I spent the next hour trying to get the square-section gasket to sit properly, so there's no way I'm taking that sucker off again.

 

(And no, switching to a different carb isn't an option).

 

 

For the curious, I'm working on a throttle-shaft vacuum leak, and I'm going to be mixing and matching parts between the on-vehicle carb and a second carb I got from a junkyard.  If anyone has suggestions short of re-bushing the throttle body, I'm all ears.  At $100 for the re-bush, and $125 for a junkyard carb, that's not all that compelling.

[godzirra]

every time I removed one it always took a while. A 12mm Gear Wrench takes up a little less space than a box end. You might try that. Also if you hit them with some PB blaster once you get them broke loose you can generally remove with fingers.

[DanielC]

This is the wrench I use to get to the carb nuts.

[xsdg]

godzirra: so I guess it's not just me.  *sigh*  I think one of my sets is a Gear Wrench knockoff from Harbor Freight; that's the one with the ratcheting box end.  I haven't been able to get in there yet, but I'll take another look-see.

 

Another thing I was considering was a ratcheting open-end, like this set, but I figure it'd probably be a nightmare trying to find something like that in a stubby version.

 

 

As for the carb rebushing, ask and ye shall receive, huh?  Found this on YouTube, and I'm planning to give it a shot:

 

Basically, the idea is to press a brass washer in there on the outside of the throttle body.  I know my throttle shafts have some axial play, so I should have space.  And if I mess something up, hey, that's why I've got two :D

[DaveZilla]

Yup... just heated up a cheap wrench and bent it 90 like the pic above... I also cut out part of the box end and bent that side as well... Those Hitachi carbs are a PITA to remove because of that one nut...

I ended up putting a Holley 5200 on mine which is MUCH easier to install and remove. Why the Holley?.. it's exactly the same carb as the Weber and it even uses all Weber parts, but costs about 1/3 the price.

 

Looks like you might have found the solution to your problem, but if not, I may have enough parts on my old Hitachi I could send you if needed, just cover the shipping. I'll have to pull it out of hiding and see if the base plate is still usable tho because I took the throttle lever off and put it on the Holley.

 

search ebay for a carb from an early 70's Ford Pinto or Chevy Vega... they're Holley 5200 series carbs (the same as the Weber DFV series 32/26) ... I got mine brand new in the box for $20 cuz nobody else bid on it :) It is a mirror image of the Weber 32/26 DGV series that usually go on these trucks, but I was able to make it work by making a new throttle bracket and using the Hitachi throttle lever.

[DanielC]

I have found if you put the most difficult nuts and washers to reach on first, and put the easiest to reach nuts on last, the job is easier.  just start the nut, a few threads.  Then as you put on the second, and third nuts, you can tilt the carb up on one side or the other, to make it easier to reach the remaining nuts.  When all four sets of washers, and nuts are started, tighten the most difficult one to reach first, and tighten the easiest to reach ones last.

[xsdg]

DaveZilla: Unfortunately, I live in California, so carb swap is not an option.  If you could take a look at your base plate, I'd appreciate it; I have two sets of throttle shaft/butterfly assemblies, so that's not a problem.  I have a feeling that I might end up destroying one of the base plates by trying to jury-rig a new bushing, though, so having an extra spare would definitely come in handy.  My zip code is 94043, if you want to get a rough gauge on shipping.

 

DanielC: Will try that order; thanks.  Also, I'll definitely give some thought to bending up a wrench to make this easier.  I'm pretty sure it was easier to get at the bolts on the EGR than to get at the ones on the carb.