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Rebuilt my Carter AFB 3461s myself as I needed to replate a few pieces and wanted make it look nice (LoL).
Before Installation on a newly rebuilt engine needing break-in, I thought it would be a good idea to take it to a shop (somewhere) for testing and adjusting to make sure it functions properly. Seems there's lots of issues with these old carburetors addressed on the forum.
Just curious if anyone else has done this and who might provide this service?
Doug,
From the looks of you workmanship you don't need any service to tune the carburetor. Snug the front emulsion screws and turn them out approx 3/4 turn each and set the choke spring tension so the choke blade just closes at room temperature and run the engine, the AFB is a great carburetor.
If the passages are all clean, and the jets, metering rods, and springs are all stock for your engine, the carburetor will work properly. I don't think it would add any value to test the carburetor on another engine. The only possible adjustment would be the idle mixture and idle speed; those have to be tailored to the engine on which the carburetor will live.
If it were mine, I'd just bolt it on and fire up that fresh engine.
2025 C2 of the Year ('63 and '67) Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Originally Posted by Dougs63
Rebuilt my Carter AFB 3461s myself as I needed to replate a few pieces and wanted make it look nice (LoL).
Before Installation on a newly rebuilt engine needing break-in, I thought it would be a good idea to take it to a shop (somewhere) for testing and adjusting to make sure it functions properly. Seems there's lots of issues with these old carburetors addressed on the forum.
Just curious if anyone else has done this and who might provide this service?
--Doug
I feel you are VERY wise in your thinking. Do you know of someone reasonably local to you that you can run it on their car? To have that carb dialed in the best it can be.......before firing an fresh engine that requires break in, would be wise beyond your years. Or, the other choice would be to use a known good carb to fire and break in your engine. Your camshaft will thank you
If you followed the Yellow Brick Road in the kit's instructions and matched your carburetor model to the specs in the instruction because the same kit typically covers multiple models then put him on the car and get on with your life. I assume that you cleaned all the passages and blew them out with compressed air. I've rebuilt hundreds of carburetors and never tested one before installation. That is not to say someone might have 'improved' your carburetor by changing metering rods and jets so things will always be perfect but in almost all cases the carburetor will work and after a little adjustment will run smoothly. Obvious you should be on the lookout for leaks and flooding on startup and normal choke function. It's probably wise to make sure you don't have a stuck heat riser as well.
I feel you are VERY wise in your thinking. Do you know of someone reasonably local to you that you can run it on their car? To have that carb dialed in the best it can be.......before firing an fresh engine that requires break in, would be wise beyond your years. Or, the other choice would be to use a known good carb to fire and break in your engine. Your camshaft will thank you
Good point. I may try to pick up a good Edelbrock to break-in the engine.
I would just suggest that you be sure to go through all the adjustments listed in the rebuild instructions if you haven’t, and verify your carb is adjusted accordingly. I think a lot of people tend to just do the major parts and gaskets replacement, set the floats and preliminary idle mixture adjustment and trust all the linkage adjustments, accelerator pump height, choke break, etc were still OK. An example being the last time I had the primary AFB carb on my Hemi apart I decided I better check the heavy link rod adjustment listed between the primary and secondary shafts. I found it had spread considerably and linkage wouldn’t open the secondary shafts/blades completely, by a lot. I suspect a few too many stomps of the accelerator to the floor over the decades may have opened it up over time. Carb looks really nice.
Ask yourself how many dealerships ran a test carburetor even after rebuilding a carburetor before starting up a brand new engine or an overhauled engine with a new camshaft and lifters. The answer asymptotically approaches zero. I know we never did and we routinely rebuilt the carburetor as part of the process. As long as you are able to get the engine speed to where you want it for initial break-in within a few minutes you are golden. Save your money for more useful things.
My plan is to install the engine and transmission in the bare frame with the body off in order to run down any issues without the body interfering. Set up a test stand of sorts. Engine is still at the machine shop. They're building the 327 short block. So I'm probably looking at August/September timeframe to get started.
My plan is to install the engine and transmission in the bare frame with the body off in order to run down any issues without the body interfering. Set up a test stand of sorts. Engine is still at the machine shop. They're building the 327 short block. So I'm probably looking at August/September timeframe to get started.
Have the machine shop do the initial break-in and dyno the engine for you. Then there is absolutely no issues. Many folks do this all the time.
Carburetor Testing before Installation?
