Carburetor -- Rebuild or Buy?

[Dave in Houston]

I dragged the old Bronco out of the garage and am getting it all tuned up, cleaned up etc and ready to drive. The carburetor float is sticking and the carb is leaking a little here and there. What do you guys think about rebuilding versus buying a new/rebuilt one?
I've rebuilt a lot of them years ago but am getting old and lazy....and maybe a little unsure of my skills. What can you buy a new carb for a '74 Bronco with a 302 and automatic?
Dave

 

[br0nc0xrapt0r]

is it the stock carb?

 

[MattW]

If it's the stock carb rebuild it. Rebuild kits are cheap and it's rather easy, especially if you've rebuilt a few in the past.

 

[Dave in Houston]

It's the stock carb. Everything on the truck is stock with 40k miles. But with 35 years on it a few things need tidying up.
I'll go get a kit, a can of carb dip and rebuild the thing.

 

[Tomdee]

I would also rebuild, cheapest way to go and still have a reliable carb.

 

[Smokeater11]

A buddy of mine and I just rebuilt a 600 Holley on Monday night that when I first saw it I thought it was junk. It was dirty and full of dust and spiderwebs but we pulled it apart and put it in the carb cleaning juice overnight. Once we rinsed it off and dryed it all out I was amazed about how good it looked. $22.00 for a rebuild kit, put it all back together and it works great. So I vote for rebuilding it.

 

[VT_Don]

Dave, there are a few pitfalls rebuilding carbs. With use, throttle shaft clearance will increase. Results in an incurrable, vacuum leak. Correctly sleeving the bores is not possible without precision machinery and tools. Have also encountered OEM carb parts that were defective to begin with, porosity, flashing, burrs, bent components, etc. This stuff ain't rocket science, but need good understanding of your carbs fuel circuit.
Most important, lots of cars and garages have burned from fuel leaks. Due yourself a huge favor and start the rig outside with a couple of fire extinguishers handy.

 

[Dave in Houston]

I'll put the rebuild on it this weekend. I may put new brake shoes and slave cylinders on it too. I put a power brake kit on it a couple of weeks ago and I expect the brakes probably need to be replaced. I think they're the original brakes. It stops pretty well but I bet the auto adjusters on the rear are frozen up.
Heck the thing still has the original biased ply, white wall, mud grip spare hanging on the spare tire rack.

 

[Dave in Houston]

Good points VT Don. The carb and the car are running really well, it's just that the float occassionally sticks (have to peck on the carb with a screw driver handle to free it up) and the bowl does leak down after it sets a couple of days (have to pump the heck out of it to fill it back up and start it the first time).
But you can bet I'll have a fire extinguisher handy when I first fire it back up. I don't want to burn the house down, and I sure don't want to burn the ole Bronco down!

 

[ugly74]

I'd just rebuild it. they're pretty easy, and a damn good carb.

 

[Pa PITT]

I'll pay the core price on that carb to keep it from going to a rebuilder.. Man I say rebuild that one 10 time before buying another item of trouble.

 

[jdcone]

Get a spare from a Pick-A-Part for $25.00 on their 1/2 price days too.

 

[sprdv1]

I'd just rebuild it. they're pretty easy, and a damn good carb.

Ditto on that...!

 

[Dave in Houston]

Bouight the kit, rebuilt the original carb and it's running like a champ.

 

[ugly74]

glad to hear it!
I didn't figure it would give you too much grief.

that's probly as good an offroad and/or DD carb as you can get.

 

[Dave]

Dave, there are a few pitfalls rebuilding carbs. With use, throttle shaft clearance will increase. Results in an incurrable, vacuum leak. Correctly sleeving the bores is not possible without precision machinery and tools.

2X - Over 40 some years of dealing with carbs, throttle and choke shaft wear and worn and bent linkages have been the biggest culpret from getting good results on DIY carb rebuilds.

 

[Dave in Houston]

I was lucky on this one. The carb and the Bronco only had 40k miles on them so there wasn't much mechanical wear, just dried gaskets and gunk in the carb from sitting long term. It was still running good, just leaked and the float stuck now and then. It's a wonderful little carburetor. The engine purrs like a sewing machine. It still had, and still has the original Motorcraft tag with the model numbers on it.