My son bought a 800 CFM Rochester carburetor off of eBay. It said to consider it a core that needs rebuilding. When I pulled it apart the inside parts were brand new. New float, new needle and diaphragm assembly, new accelerator pump, it’s even blue, which I heard is for ethanol gas. It pretty much looks like it was rebuilt. Perfectly clean inside. My question is, it’s missing the number 28 clip as shown in the picture that goes from the end of the float to the needle. My buddy, who was a mechanic forever says it doesn’t need it. Is that true? He said he’s done lots of Rochester‘s that didn’t have the little clip. I’ve never done a Rochester carburetor that didn’t have a clip. Thoughts?
Its not a bad idea to use it, better to have it for a car that doesnt get driven much. Most use it,some dont. Two things if you do use it. It is a tunable piece. Set it up so any slight movement in the float will lift the needle. And dont hook it into a hole on the float arm.
Question… Pav8427, so you say don’t look it into the hole at the end of the float. Then what do you look it up to? That’s where I have always seen it hooked up to. CJay, i’m thinking I agree with you. As my buddy explained it to me fuel pressure will lift the “cork” up, and the end of the float will push it back down. Hopefully one of the carb specialists will chime in.
Read a paragraph by Cliff Ruggles (q-jet guru) that it was necessary decades back when fuel formulations left way more nasty deposits after drying up, and the "hook" was there to help the float pull the needle off the seat as the bowl dried out, so as not to allow it to get glued in the closed position. According to him, not a prob with today's fuels. Devon
The little clip/hangar latches on top of half circle flat of the float. It does not thread through either of the holes on the float. Devon
Wire is clipped onto needle. Opposite end is 'hooked' in center of float arm between holes. Yes Cliff says you dont really need it, but it wont hurt having it. There still is some residue with new fuel if it evaporates a bunch.
Wow! Seriously thank you all for your thoughts! I like everything I read. I’ll probably get the clip thing. (Chicken sh*t!)
I had a customer send his carb in for his new engine.. it had been done by one of the guys doing Q-jets now, and it did not have the clip on the needle. At the dyno, we could not fill the carb with fuel.. tap on it, nothing.. no gas, the 8psi pump would not push the needle open. Had to take the carb off the engine and turn it upside down, then hit it sharply on the bottom with a dead blow hammer to unseat the needle.. after that, it worked fine. Can't imagine what a customer might have gone thru trying to figure that out.. That clip has no real downsides, I always put them in. JW
I would use it, however it MUST be adjusted correctly or waste of time and can actually cause flooding issues if improperly installed as mentioned a couple of times on this thread. They REQUIRE minor adjustments as aren't tight enough on the needle and the opening is too wide to lift the needle unless you close it down some. The ONLY purpose of the clip is to raise the needle after the carb dries up to keep it from getting "glued" in. So there is no performance advantage one way or the other. You mentioned "blue" seal in the first post. Those are dubbed ethanol "resistant" but swell up in contact with any of this new fuel. The one I sell is lifetime warranty in any fuel and NOT the same part that shows up in your rebuild kit unless you bought it here. I'll also bet that the fuel inlet seat is not the .135" high flow variety that the Buick carbs used. They were standard equipment in the Buick big CFM 455 carbs to keep you from getting a bloody nose when the car sucks the bowl dry and noses over at the top of first gear on a hard run!.......
