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1) Take a bunch of pictures while you’re disassembling it. “Before” pictures can answer an immeasurable number of reassembly questions. Use your phone and go nuts from lots of angles. You never know what’ll answer a reassembly question until you look. If the pictures don’t help, just delete ‘em.
2) Clean, clean, clean rotating parts. Get some #0000 steel wool to polish the metal parts, particularly any rotating ones, to acquire smooth action. More polish generally = smoother action, especially on throttle rods and other parts, like acceleration pumps, that benefit from smoothness.
3) Clean, clean, clean the castings, voids, holes, and passages with wires, pipe cleaners, brushes or whatever. 4GC carb passages were _precisely_ sized to meter the air/gas ratio Dirt screws that up and can make your engine run poorly. After cleaning, blow out passages with compressed air to be sure they’re the exact size the factory intended.
4) As you go through it, imagine how the springs, jets and other components were designed to accept driver input (from the gas pedal), react to that demand, raise the rods from the jets to enrich the mixture, or let ‘em drop to lean it out if demand drops according to pedal input.
Your job is to make 55-60 year old parts work as close to new as you can: Polish, clean, gasket, clean, tighten, etc.
4) As you go through it, imagine how the springs, jets and other components were designed to accept driver input (from the gas pedal), react to that demand, raise the rods from the jets to enrich the mixture, or let ‘em drop to lean it out if demand drops according to pedal input.
What rods in the jets?
Honestly, you guys that are not familiar with a 4GC should not comment.
You will only confuse the poor OP.
So im the assembly process and I don’t see any needles in the new kit. Can anyone shed some light? Do I need to order those separate, or do I reuse the old needles? Old needles and seats on the left, new set from the new kit, on the right in the bag.
So im the assembly process and I don’t see any needles in the new kit. Can anyone shed some light? Do I need to order those separate, or do I reuse the old needles? Old needles and seats on the left, new set from the new kit, on the right in the bag.
So im the assembly process and I don’t see any needles in the new kit. Can anyone shed some light? Do I need to order those separate, or do I reuse the old needles? Old needles and seats on the left, new set from the new kit, on the right in the bag.
Call whoever you got the kit from and ask where the new needle is. Its the Viton tip on the needle that becomes indented from use and doesn't seal off the fuel. Its stupid to use an old needle if you are overhauling the carb.
Here are a couple pictures of the new “needles” in place. The other picture explains these aluminum padded needles. Do I go ahead and use the new ones? Let me know your thoughts all.
Here are a couple pictures of the new “needles” in place. The other picture explains these aluminum padded needles. Do I go ahead and use the new ones? Let me know your thoughts all.
No question about this.
Use the new needles and seats.
As the paper in the kit explains, the new needle / seat assemblies are a different design than the originals.
Well, got it all buttoned back up. Zero leaks, anywhere. Rebuilt the fuel pump while I waited for the kit to arrive for the carb. The fuel pump was leaky. Both have been rebuilt and I think my first rebuilds were a success! I am having issues with a high idle; I can’t kick the pedal down to bring the idle down once it’s warmed up. It’s stuck on slight throttle….the idle screw doesn’t even touch the throttle body surface. Thinking there is an adjustment with an arm, or something I am missing. I didn’t have this issue before the rebuild.
Anyway, I will keep you posted as I drive it. Thanks guys.
Congratulations Mike.
Check the fast idle cam to make sure it moves freely.
which ‘step’ should the fast idle screw set on? Do I adjust it completely cold? Not sure how that was set because there was no screw and spring present when I took it apart…
From the Bulletin I sent you for the 4GC...you'll get it, pretty straight forward. Wouldn't hurt to just read the several areas on Fast Idle Cam. You got this.
Maybe it is an optical illusion, but in that first straight-on photo, the engine appears to be leaning to the passenger side. You might want to check the motor mounts. Not having the motor completely level will affect the linkage for the throttle and transmission linkages.
Good job on getting the rebuild done.
As far as the fast idle and not getting it to slow down I think I see what might be wrong. How come you have all those gaskets between the carb and the intake manifold? The only gasket I have on my car is the one that came with the kit. Also the bolts have been replaced and not sure if you remove all those gaskets that they are going to be too long.
Earlier I mentioned that the idle system has been blocked off and wondering if that is the reason someone blocked it off or was it the other way around? #6, 7, 8.
When you made the carb adjustment on the car did you follow the step of using the holding fixture device on the dash pot? A work around for not having the device it to temporarily remove the dash pot then make the idle adjustment.
The instructions can be confusing but if you take your time and follow them exactly as written in the book they'll get the carb to run perfect.
It's also vey important to get the throttle linkage adjusted correctly, if not the idle can't come down. Every thing depends on the other things to be set up correctly. One other thing is to check and make sure your dwell and timing didn't go out of wack.
Good job on getting the rebuild done.
As far as the fast idle and not getting it to slow down I think I see what might be wrong. How come you have all those gaskets between the carb and the intake manifold? The only gasket I have on my car is the one that came with the kit. Also the bolts have been replaced and not sure if you remove all those gaskets that they are going to be too long.
Earlier I mentioned that the idle system has been blocked off and wondering if that is the reason someone blocked it off or was it the other way around? #6, 7, 8.
When you made the carb adjustment on the car did you follow the step of using the holding fixture device on the dash pot? A work around for not having the device it to temporarily remove the dash pot then make the idle adjustment.
The instructions can be confusing but if you take your time and follow them exactly as written in the book they'll get the carb to run perfect.
So the extra spacer is to lessen the amount of heat that transfers to the carb. That made the car run way better years ago. It was running warm and I figured maybe the heat was messing the fuel in the carb. Seemed to work on hot days.
As for the blocked off idle system, a carb rebuild shop did that years ago. This is the second rebuild on this carb. This one, I did myself, prior to that, I brought it in to a carb rebuild shop and they made that change.
It's also vey important to get the throttle linkage adjusted correctly, if not the idle can't come down. Every thing depends on the other things to be set up correctly. One other thing is to check and make sure your dwell and timing didn't go out of wack.
The throttle linkage adjustments is something that should be outlined in my manual correct? Right now, I’m sitting with the fast idle cam and adjustment screw, and the linkage as the culprits.
It's outlined in two places in the book. In the carb section and then in the transmission section.
Carb adjustments pg 290-294. Throttle return check (dash pot) device in use fig 8-131. J-6342-01 shown on pg 304 in the tools.
Throttle linkage adjustments pg 93-95. Did you get the BT-33-1 gauge? Fig. 3-135 on pg 93.
It's outlined in two places in the book. In the carb section and then in the transmission section.
Carb adjustments pg 290-294. Throttle return check (dash pot) device in use fig 8-131. J-6342-01 shown on pg 304 in the tools.
Throttle linkage adjustments pg 93-95. Did you get the BT-33-1 gauge? Fig. 3-135 on pg 93.
Here is my manual. And here is BT 33-1. I do not have that tool. Where can I get that?
A member Oldskeeper from here formed a company and he sells the BT-33-1 on his web site. It took awhile to get it because of it shipping out of Canada. http://jaswest.com/index.html
Ha! I have a nephew who lives in Eden Prairie (never noticed that's where you live), a niece who lives in St. Paul & a friend who recently moved to Florida from Cottage Grove. I gave up those winters years ago
Ha! I have a nephew who lives in Eden Prairie (never noticed that's where you live), a niece who lives in St. Paul & a friend who recently moved to Florida from Cottage Grove. I gave up those winters years ago
I’m from Saint Paul, born and raised. North End, Frogtown, Rice Street area. Just moved to Eden Prairie last August. Wishing the garage was bigger so I could work on the Olds more comfortably 😑
I don't know those areas well. I can tell you a first-hand experience though. I crossed over the I-35W bridge ~30 minutes to one hour before its collapse. I was heading back South (home) from my niece's wedding on the North side of Minneapolis.
So here is an update: I FINALLY got the vehicle running, in my opinion, the best it has ever run since I've owned it! I tinkered A LOT. Using the tips and insights you all provided. I played with the T.V. linkage from trans to carb; I messed with the fast idle settings, messed with the idle mixture screws, messed with the choke. Finally got it running as it should, and no more HARD downshifts from 2nd to 1st. It responds well and accelerates better than ever before. Things were out of adjustment since before my grandpa owned it. He never worked on it, he had it for a couple years, it sat. He never drove it. He got it from a little old woman in Willmar, MN, and it sure was a basket case. It still needs TONS of TLC, but I am making progress, for sure. Thanks to you guys, and the tough love, and the insights and suggestions, I will be plugging away at the Olds for some time to come.
Still have yet to tackle the 12.6 volts while it's running. GEN light came on HARD just a little bit ago, which it has never done. But any way, I will keep you all posted on the status of the newly rebuilt carb.
Basically, for the most part a PO had the ALT warning lamp wire connected to a ground on the frame of the vehicle - incorrectly wired causing the GEN light to remain ON.
