Carburetor assembly: The Hard Part. Help!

[Steve Jelf]

Most of the steps in assembling a carburetor range from easy to super-easy. But I have always found lining up the holes in the throttle shaft and plate another story. You can see by the pliers marks on this plate that I've been struggling with it.

On my own carb I don't care about the marks. As Dude Lester says, "It don't hurt the runnin' of it none." But if I do a carb for somebody else I don't want it to look like it was done by a fool. Anybody have a quick and easy way to line up the holes?

[Herb Iffrig]

Try using a sewing needle as a drift pin, to line up the holes.

[Allan]

I have used two staples to line the holes up, one leg in one is easily inserted, from the wrong side, allowing the plate to be swiveled on this to bring the second hole in line. Then the second staple can be inserted from the correct side. Added help in the form of a slight taper filed on the staple legs also helps lead the staple in.

Hope this helps.

Allan from down under.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I sometimes outside the carburetor, put the butterfly into the shaft and line it up where it is easy. Then using a fine point felt pen draw lines on the butterfly alongside each side of the shaft. Then when the shaft is in the carburetor throat, it is easy to see exactly where it will line up. Simple flipping the shaft arm and long nose pliers makes small adjustments to so close that a small pick will line up the final thousandths for the pins or screws to go in easily.

[John kuehn]

I’ve found you have to make sure you have the brass plate replaced back in the exact same way. If it’s the one that came with the carb do it because the holes in the shaft aren’t always drilled in perfect alignment.
If it’s a new plate I use a small nail to line up one hole then another to get both in place. Then you can replace the staple clip easily. Even in the repo shafts and brass discs are always drill alike. Or so I’ve found.

[Mark Gregush]

Simple, drill and tap for these; https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/prod ... &cat=41661
or use brass cotter/split pins.

[rondupree]

Simple...

Before you disassemble the carb either scribe a line or use a magic marker to mark lines on the butterfly on either side of the shaft. Use your marker to mark the right side of the throttle plate. If the carb is already apart, line everything up with the shaft and plate out of the carb, then make your marks. With the plate marked it is a LOT easier to get the holes to line up when you are reassembling.

[Original Smith]

I've done this for years, and never had a problem. Find another piece of wire the same diameter and use that as a guide. I've also used a scribe to help me get started.

[jiminbartow]

Paper clip.

[Steve Jelf]

Yes! That's so simple I should have thought of it myself. I put the plate in another throttle shaft outside the carb, marked it along both sides of the shaft with a ball point, and started over. I soon had one hole partially showing. I tapped in a large safety pin with a small hammer to line up the hole, stuck a piece of wire in to hold it, did the same with the other hole, and installed the clip. Many thanks for the help.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Sometimes it takes a simple-minded to find a simple solution?