Hanging it outside in that hot Arizona sun for a few hours a day might not be a bad thing either.
 
Hanging it outside in that hot Arizona sun for a few hours a day might not be a bad thing either.

Yeah I agree, we have a natural drying oven here!
I brought it in because it’s going to be a windy day here. Maybe some blowing dust.
Sandpaper isn’t a good look. Haha!
 
Yes, I found that out when I spent some time out there many years back. The dust isn't dust, it's sand. You can't wipe your painted parts off with a rag, they'll get scratched. I went out and bought a feather duster, lol.
 
HELICOIL REPAIR
My thread repair kit showed up today and I wasted no time in repairing my stripped out carburetor float bowl hole. I have never installed a helicoil before ( especially such a small thing ) and I can’t believe I’m the only one , so I thought I’d outline the process.

I bought a complete kit through Amazon. Not an actual Helicoil brand but a close cousin.
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It has everything you need for the job, including 10 threaded inserts. This kit is for 4mm holes.

First thing I did was drill out my stripped hole.
Then begin tapping.
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I used a small amount of oil on the tap as I went.
KSHansen had warned that given the position of the repair ( right above the choke housing )
That I would have to grind the tip off of the tap
Because the tap cannot pass completely through the hole. He was correct. By the time the tip of the tap was hitting the choke housing, it had just started to cut threads.
So I backed it out and ground the tip flat.
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Then went back in and finished cutting the threads.
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Those with experienced eyes will notice that I’m a little off perpendicular. It’s a little skewed but it did not affect the performance of the repair.

Then, using my installation tool, I simply screwed the insert in place. Prior to doing this I cleaned out the threads with alcohol and paper towels and put a drop of blue locktite on the newly cut threads to help hold the insert. We’re only talking about four threads here!
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Once the insert is screwed in you insert the punch , lay it on top of the drive tang and give it a sharp rap and the tang breaks off.
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Does this look like a $32 dollar hole to you? That’s what it cost me to repair it.
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One last thing to do, give it a little test fit.
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Beautiful! Snug as a bug! I had really considered doing a bandaid fix on this thing.
I could’ve simply ran a bigger screw in there, but then I’d always have one oddball screw to keep track of. In the end I’m very happy with this repair, and I learned something new.
Thanks to all who offered advice. This was a job I was reluctant to take on, but like most jobs that make you nervous, education and preparation win the day.
That and the support of your friends of course!
;)
Thanks, Bob
 
A couple hints for anyone needing to do this repair.

If you have access to a drill press use that to drill the hole nice and perpendicular. Then chuck the tape in the drill press but DO NOT turn it on, rotate the chuck by hand while putting a very slight down pressure on the tap with the drill press. For small and hard to clamp items like this carb having a second set of hands can be helpful.
 
Having a drill press would of been wonderful. Although you really have to be careful, as soon as the drill clears the hole , it WILL hit the choke housing.
 
Go ahead and price out what a shop would have charged you for that repair and I think you'll find you're ahead. And even if it was near the price of your kit, you can do many more repairs now. Every time you do one, use the kit, that knocks the price down. Sometimes you just have to spend money to make money or save money.
 
Nicely done Bob!! Yeah... a drill press would have been nice, but to quote a man I dislike... "you go to war with the army you have.... not the one you wish you had"
About the only thing that I would add is that I like to use red loctite on helicoils.... but that's just my choice.
Chalk it up as another skill to add to your growing skillset. :)
Again, well done!!
 
HF sells a 'crappy' one...........I know, I have one. LOL

I actually HAD one years ago and sold it because I never used it! :banghead: I wish I had it back!

Go ahead and price out what a shop would have charged you for that repair and I think you'll find you're ahead. And even if it was near the price of your kit, you can do many more repairs now. Every time you do one, use the kit, that knocks the price down. Sometimes you just have to spend money to make money or save money.

I completely agree! Plus I learned something new!
 
DIAPHRAGM TEST VIDEO

I don’t know what to make of this. I just put my left carburetor together and did a little test slide to check my diaphragm, and I think it looks like the slide is falling too fast. I inspected the diaphragm before when I had everything apart, and I even took it back apart and checked it again. Everything looks good, no holes or any visible damage. Tell me what you think of this, I see no difference when I raise the slide and release it, with or without the vent covered.

 
Covering the vent hole with your thumb should have drastically slowed it down. Looks like you got a bad air leak. At least it does on my 34's.... I'd expect the 38's to act the same.
 
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Do you have the choke valve in place? and in the off position? I believe that can cause this.

I know on my 1978 after I assembled the carbs holding thumb over the big slot at the top would keep the slide up almost forever. I was almost worried it might be sticking but with the slot open it drops about like yours.
 
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