Carb kit application warning

[sdoan]

If you buy a carb kit for the stock carb from Schuck's/O'Rileys (sp?) and they look it up by computer (1984 Tercel 4WD) it is going to be wrong. Their computer says Walker part 15827A and it is WRONG. It is similar but all the gaskets are wrong and it doesn't have the right rubber parts. It probably fits a 2.4L engine.

These are Walker part numbers. My guess is that all computer application guides are wrong for Walker carb kits unless each auto parts chain hires their own data entry team (doubtful).

Even though it was opened they took it back because they checked the paper catalog and it says #15830A so they've ordered it for me. I don't know if #15830A is correct but I'll let you know. On the good side it's about $10 cheaper. (edit: Walker part #15830A is correct)

Moderator note: I put this in the repair thread because the parts thread is usually for used or dealer parts. Anyone wanting information on rebuilding their carburetor is more likely to look here than in the parts thread.

[ARCHINSTL]

As a point of reference - I used the GP-Sorenson kit a few years ago; it is 96-612 (on the box, from the mfgr.). It was from either AutoZone or Advance.
Tom M.

[deejay1272]

Thanks for the warning. I was in a Schucks auto parts store not 2 hours ago asking them for this part number! Good thing I decided to hold off on this purchase. I'll be careful to avoid the part number listed above.

[gatemaster]

Get a weber and avoid that issue, but thanks for the warning.

[deejay1272]

I like the Weber, but it costs nearly half what I paid for the car so I just can't justify. That said, I sure could use a bit more horsepower and a few less vacuum lines under the hood. I'm also a bit worried that the Weber would cause my engine to run hot, therefore adding additional stress to the components and possibly accelerating wear and tear on the engine. Is this fear justified?

[ARCHINSTL]

I have not noticed any increase in the apparent operating temps of the engine - sure has not affected the heater output, either...
The Weber has been on just about a year now. I have not noticed any dramatic mpg improvement as some have, but the power seems to be improved (at least it sounds more powerful...).
The flexibility is much improved, so overall it was worth it - PLUS - tuning is one HECK of a lot easier now!
Tom M.

[sdoan]

I'm also a bit worried that the Weber would cause my engine to run hot, therefore adding additional stress to the components and possibly accelerating wear and tear on the engine. Is this fear justified?

DeeJay, I've thought about the same thing. If the Weber is jetted lean to meet emissions and gas mileage expectations the combustion temperatures will be high so using the Weber as an excuse to eliminate all the emission control things could be bad. As I understand it the EGR system is designed to lower combustion temperature on lean running engines - which also lowers NOx emissions if I recall. If the Weber is jetted richer all through the power range then I'd feel good about eliminating all the vacuum lines I could (except for the increased smog and decreased gas mileage). The complexity of that carb is amazing. A good Mikuni carb (VM28) can have 1 moving part (airslide) and the poor Aisin carbs on the Tercs have 2 throttle plates, 5 vacuum diaphragms, 2 electrical solenoids and a electrically heated base plate! Most complicated carb rebuild I've ever done.

I think the only way to tell combustion temperature is to look at the spark plugs, or use a Gunson ColourTune, or perhaps an exhaust sniffer.

I think SplatterDog has a Weber and the tools to tell us if they run lean and hot.

OTOH the rebuild of my original carb has restored good drivibility even though I had to reuse almost all the parts and could find nothing particularly wrong with it...

[splatterdog]

No heat issues whatsoever. Not dissapointed in the slightest with the webers.

As far as longevity, that depends on how good/bad it currently runs. My 84's engine wouldn't have made it this far on it's original carb. Also because of the large improvement and miles driven, the carb was paid for in about 6 months. Any rich/lean carb will reduce engine life. So if your carb sucks and you are getting less than 30mpg a weber could be a wise choice. Both my out of box carb and the rejetted per racetep's recommendations one work great. Both feel good and it's hard to rate one against the other with the gearing and tire size differences. Both average 31mpg and never get under 30.

If you want a real ugly carb, look no farther than 2.6 mitsu's. Those early caravans never ran right.

[deejay1272]

Well, a Weber may be my best option in the end, but I'm going to see if I can tune my existing carb to get me to the ~35mpg mark. That's my end goal. Currently I'm at a measly 26mpg - that's with proper air pressure in my tires. Funny thing is that my plugs appear to be running hot (mostly white when I pull them).

Can anyone offer any suggestions for where I should start looking to find the cause of such poor fuel economy? I know it's definitely not my lead foot, I drive like an old lady! Oh, and when I pull my plugs, they're mostly white, which doesn't seem to compute in my book since I'd expect my mixture to be rich given this poor fuel economy.

PS - Sorry for the thread hijack!

[sdoan]

Oh, and when I pull my plugs, they're mostly white, which doesn't seem to compute in my book since I'd expect my mixture to be rich given this poor fuel economy.

PS - Sorry for the thread hijack!

I had very light to white plugs and a slight ping cruising down the freeway and it turned out to be a leak in one of the distributor vacuum diaphragms. If your timing is too advanced it will heat up your combustion chamber (white plugs) and cause poor fuel economy. But you'd probably hear it pinging.

Short trips and cold starts kill my fuel economy. And low compression will kill it too. And I've heard that a leaking AAP(?) diaphragm in the carb will ruin fuel economy too.

[gatemaster]

Using the Weber I get better power, better gas milage, better reliability, and it is easy to tune and work on. I passed federal emissions easily in NM at 5200 feet altitude with the weber tuned for power, the EGR blocked off, and the only vacumm line connected from the carb port to the dist. at 8 degrees advance with the vacumm line disconnected.

[sdoan]

The new carb kit arrived:

Walker part number 15830A is correct. It is a much more comprehensive kit containing more gaskets and an accelerator pump plunger. It looks like there are enough gaskets for the base, the electical heater plate, the heat shield and even the manifold.