rebuilding a carb this weekend

greetings,

have a edelbrock 1400 series on a 350 on my cj that needs rebuilding.
got the kit and wondered if there was anything i should know before
diving in this weekend. looks pretty straight forward from the pieces
i'm seeing. also are there any good links on how to tune the thing
after i (hopefully) get it back together?

thanks

Pretty straight up like you guessed. It's the old 1957 Carter AFB:
http://www.carburetorfactory.com/expvw04.html used most by Chrysler,
just long enough for their owners to switch to Holley ti try and caught
the Fords and Chevys. You want the take the metering rods out before you
remove the top, I has the loose check valve balls like carburetors,
that'll fall out when you turn upside-down, something you don't want to
do over an open port. I usually use and old card table that I don't
think much of, near or outside the garage door as far away from the
water heater that I may get. Covered with towels that'll soak up the
gasoline and stop the check valves and other small parts from rolling
out across the floor.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

" wrote:
>
> greetings,
>
> have a edelbrock 1400 series on a 350 on my cj that needs rebuilding.
> got the kit and wondered if there was anything i should know before
> diving in this weekend. looks pretty straight forward from the pieces
> i'm seeing. also are there any good links on how to tune the thing
> after i (hopefully) get it back together?
>
> thanks

well, got the carb rebuilt. not too bad, almost lost a few pieces when
it blew off the table :-/

had a few questions:

1) the carb had a bunch of carbon pebbles.. what's the cause and remedy
to this?

2) what's the optimum temp for a small block 350? i've got a good
cooling system so can pretty much nail the sensor spot on.

3) engine is idling loppy if that makes any sense. almost sounds like
a misfire at low speed (say 25 and under). once you step on the gas,
it seems normal. any thoughts?

thanks.

Oops, I shouldn't have done that!
The carbon is caused by spark plug misfire, being fired by the next
exhaust blowing it back through the cross flow cam into the intake. You
may have heard the distinctive bark.
Drag racing you want it as cold, for the most possible gas
expansion, for more horsepower. But it you want your engine to last, put
a 180 degree thermostat in for a compromise in power and SMOG nazis.
A miss at idle could an intake vacuum leak over one of the ports,
or again weak spark plugs as that is your highest atmospheric
compression.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

" wrote:
>
> well, got the carb rebuilt. not too bad, almost lost a few pieces when
> it blew off the table :-/
>
> had a few questions:
>
> 1) the carb had a bunch of carbon pebbles.. what's the cause and remedy
> to this?
>
> 2) what's the optimum temp for a small block 350? i've got a good
> cooling system so can pretty much nail the sensor spot on.
>
> 3) engine is idling loppy if that makes any sense. almost sounds like
> a misfire at low speed (say 25 and under). once you step on the gas,
> it seems normal. any thoughts?
>
> thanks.

" wrote:
>
> well, got the carb rebuilt. not too bad, almost lost a few pieces when
> it blew off the table :-/
>
> had a few questions:
>
> 1) the carb had a bunch of carbon pebbles.. what's the cause and remedy
> to this?

That happens when you run out of gas sometimes. The high vacuum
involved trying to start it empty can suck charcoal pellets out of the
canister into the float bowl. My 258 does that sometimes. The best fix
I have heard of and I should do it is to put a clear gas filter on the
charcoal canister line that goes to the float bowl vent.

>
> 2) what's the optimum temp for a small block 350? i've got a good
> cooling system so can pretty much nail the sensor spot on.

I am in Canada and like inside heat and even better defrost so I always
go with a 192 F or close to that. Colder gives really crappie defrost.

>
> 3) engine is idling loppy if that makes any sense. almost sounds like
> a misfire at low speed (say 25 and under). once you step on the gas,
> it seems normal. any thoughts?

That could be a lean miss. I am not sure with the 360, but the 258 is
really touchy about the best lean idle mix. If I set mine so the
sniffer likes it, it has a slight lope in it. If I set it a 1/4 or 1/2
a turn richer, it goes away.

If the 'lopping' is a surging in idle speeds, then suspect a bad purge
valve on the charcoal canister.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

yes i think you're right. the pebbles were curiously large. i'll try
and swap out the cannister (it's prolly 20 years old) and add the
filter as you recommended. isn't the charcoal usually bagged w/in the
cannister? i'm concerned there may have been internal damage before
discovery (i say there was a good 3 or 4 spoons in there). any
possibility of that?

> 1) the carb had a bunch of carbon pebbles.. what's the cause and
remedy
> to this?

That happens when you run out of gas sometimes. The high vacuum
involved trying to start it empty can suck charcoal pellets out of the
canister into the float bowl. My 258 does that sometimes. The best
fix
I have heard of and I should do it is to put a clear gas filter on the
charcoal canister line that goes to the float bowl vent.

I have a brand new canister and mine will puke pellets. The canisters
are very expensive.

There is a quick test for it if it has the vacuum purge valve on it. At
idle trace the canister line to the PCV line and pinch this line
closed. If the idle changes, the canister purge valve is shot and the
canister needs replacing. This 'normally' causes a massive pile of blow
by with oil shooting into the air filter.

If you have the canister that goes to the air snorkel, then the only
real thing to check is the air filter on the bottom and to make sure it
isn't putting a vacuum on the gas tank. (both type have a $2.00 air
filter on the bottom, different from the 'custom' inline one I was
talking about)

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

" wrote:
>
> yes i think you're right. the pebbles were curiously large. i'll try
> and swap out the cannister (it's prolly 20 years old) and add the
> filter as you recommended. isn't the charcoal usually bagged w/in the
> cannister? i'm concerned there may have been internal damage before
> discovery (i say there was a good 3 or 4 spoons in there). any
> possibility of that?
>
> > 1) the carb had a bunch of carbon pebbles.. what's the cause and
> remedy
> > to this?
>
> That happens when you run out of gas sometimes. The high vacuum
> involved trying to start it empty can suck charcoal pellets out of the
> canister into the float bowl. My 258 does that sometimes. The best
> fix
> I have heard of and I should do it is to put a clear gas filter on the
> charcoal canister line that goes to the float bowl vent.