Carb Clean Up

As it is always the case that when I can't make it to the workshop I feel like I am wasting time if I didn't do something towards completing this project.

As I had recently removed the carburettors in preparation for removing the engine from the chassis, I thought that I would set myself a good challenge to learn all about the carburettor and give it a good clean up at the same time.

I started by removing the pancake air filters which as you can see are heavily rusted. The foam inside was so gone they turned to dust with the slightest touch. I had a go at removing the rust but there are too many areas where the rust had badly pitted into the metal. I had a look online and you can pick up a brand new pair for about £25 which seems a good price to add a bit of bling to the engine bay.

Once I had removed the air filters I then wanted to remove the return spring support. I have notice that this carb did not have a large heat shield but there was this smaller one which looks like it should do the job.

I then removed the piston suction chambers, which were fairly dirty both inside and out. But as I was cleaning them I did appreciate the engineering that went into manufacturing these items.

Looking into the carburettor body there was certainly a large amount of black tar like deposits that will need to be carefully cleaned.

But for now I finished cleaning one of the suction chambers and was happy with the result. I am not sure how to get it shining like a mirror yet but that can be a job for another day.

More information about tuning up SU carbs can be found here:

http://www.classiccarhub.co.uk/articles/guide_to_setting_up_tuning_su_carburettors.html