Need my carb rebuilt

[kmartin83]

With working full-time, going to school full-time, and not having rebuilt a carb in about 30 years, I don't think it is wise to attempt rebuilding the carb myself. Does anyone know someone in the Sacramento area that will rebuild the carb for my 79? It runs good, but I can't smog as the COs are off the chart. Want to get it on the road - this is my last stumbling block. Any recommendations? Thanks.

[mbouse]

I know you are unsure of yourself, but if the mechanical parts are in good condition, rebuild it yourself ... gets my vote ...

it is entirely possible to remove the carb from the intake, slap in a rebuild kit, and put it back on the manifold in under two hours.

[kmartin83]

Easy for you to say! (LOL) No one around here will help me - they all think Fiat carbs are taboo! My dad tells me "no guarantees" and then laughs! AAUGH!

[manoa matt]

I was in the same boat a few weeks ago. I searched and searched for some place that would rebuild carbs. Nobody would want to do it. Finally I came to the realization that if I have the rebuild kit, and I have several Fiat manuals. I am already one up on anyone else. They may have been rebuilding carbs for years, but if they don't have the right Fiat specifications and adjustment measurements, then why would you trust their work?

I also realized that If I could rebuild the engine and trans then a little carb shouldn't be a problem. From the outside looking in, it seems as though youre working on a swiss watch. But when you actually take it apart you'll realize that there are'nt that many parts, and its quite simple.

Just start by letting the carb soak in some cleaner or solvent while youre in class or at work. That should loosten all the gunk so when you get down to it ,your actual cleaning time will be less.

If you do it yourself then you know WHAT was done, HOW it was done, and WHEN something goes wrong, you know WHY. Plus you'll save alot of hard earned money!

Hope this helps

Matt

[mbouse]

Give Mark Allison a ring. He's lurking around this forum somewhere. Maybe he'll come to your rescue.

And, since you are talking about the worst carb Fiat ever put in a Spider....maybe Mark could suggest a better carb for your California Car! No sense sending good money after a poor carburetor.

And, if you are really desperate, i still have the original carb off my '80. I will ship it to you if you pay the postage. You'll have to use your linkage.

[So Cal Mark]

just slapping a kit into a carb may or may not cure the problem. The key to a successful repair is to determine what the problem is before tearing it apart. And with a smog failure, knowing what the readings were is critical. With the tight standards for emissions in Cal, "off the chart" can be less than the Spider was ever designed to operate at. With a CO failure, all of the emission systems need to be checked and verified. For instance, if the air injection system isn't up to snuff, or the catalyst is worn out you can't get the carb lean enough to pass the test and still have enough power to spin the dyno.
On most Spiders these days I have to rejet the carb overly lean to get thru the test, then return to the proper jets to keep the car driveable. Of course if there is a problem with the carb that has to be corrected.

[spidernut]

I found rebuilding the carb on my '79 to be REALLY easy. I hadn't rebuilt a carb since about 1985 and had no problem at all. If I hadn't moved 8,000 miles away to Okinawa, I'd be glad to help since I was in the Sacto area before I left. The rebuild kits are more pricey than the overhaul kits. I found the overhaul kit to be sufficient on my car.

As always, Mark gave you some great advice. Though the carb overhaul kits are really inexpensive, it may not do the job for you. What did the mechanic say other than the CO levels were high? Did he/she recommend a remedy?

[dwcars0]

Re carb rebuild. I was doing a google search for fuel injection and came and came up with a lot of info on injection and carbsl Check it out.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&ned=c ... ch+the+Web

[kmartin83]

Thanks everyone for the tips. Mike, I may just take you up on that 80 carb. However, I THINK I am going to try to rebuild myself, maybe this weekend (after my 1500 word essay due ) I have 2 manuals, one is the standard shop manual, which should help me. In addition I have everyone here, right? (LOL!)
The specs on the pre-test inspection: CO% was 5.30 for 15 mph (gross is 3.06) and 6.19 for 25mph (gross is 2.84). The oxygen measures were 4.7 at both rpms (well below max of 8.3), the HC was 232 and 200 (max are 425 and 375) and the NO was 163 and 162 (max is 1434?). All the parts passed, including ignition timing (10 BTDC). Mark, does this make any sense?
P.S. My dad had a new muffler installed (flowmaster), and he says that the cat. conv. works good, but I'm still not sold on that one. Sometimes I feel like it's doggy going uphill, but I'm not smelling the cat, so it may be just prior to going out. I also replaced all the vaccuum lines, new air cleaner seal, new plugs, new wires, new dist. This was all done before the pre-test inspection.

[So Cal Mark]

the CO is certainly higher than it needs to be for best perf and fuel mileage. You need to make sure the air injection system is pumping air and that the air inj manifold isn't carboned up. Also check the vapor cannister for saturation. Unfortunately you need a CO meter to be sure. Along with a installing a carb kit, you should check to make sure the right jets and air correctors are in the carb

[mbouse]

If you want my carb, be sure you keep your linkage arm from yours....

mine was sacrificed to a carb swap project.


just drop me an email if when you decide.

[kmartin83]

Well, since I have no time on my hands, I was able to find a guy who works on european cars (his name just happens to be Mark - I took that as a good sign ) So I took my fiat in to be looked at. He said that I should replace the carb and that the 80 would be a better carb (Mike I could use yours) and that my air injection isn't working, and my EGR isn't working. He said he could force the air injection system by putting an electrical air pump in to get me by smog, but that I should replace. He's looking into it on his end, and I told him I would post for any feedback and help. Also, he told me that catalytic converter could use a replacement as well, but it is not essential.

[So Cal Mark]

the stock air injection pump was a GM unit, they're easy to get and still fairly cheap. Especially compared to an electric one. If the pump hasn't been working for awhile, the air injection rail in the cyl head may be plugged with carbon, a real possibility with the rich condition you have.
Your cat could be ineffective due to the rich condition also, without the air pump working the cat has a better chance of getting fouled. (gee, all of the problems are connected!) When you rebuild the carb, pay attention to whether the jets are installed in the proper locations, i.e. primary jets in the primary not the secondary and vice versa. The instructions or shop manual will tell you the jet numbers for each location.
The cat should be tested with an infrared thermometer, and the outlet temp should be at least 100 degrees hotter than the inlet. Less than that and the cat isn't working well. With the CO readings, make sure the charcoal cannister is fuel saturated.

[mbouse]

if you still want my carb, send me an email and I will get your mailing address. when i find out the cost to UPS it to you, you'll be able to paypal me the necessary funds.

[kmartin83]

Where can I get a new air injector pump? I looked at International Auto and didn't come up with anything. Any ideas?