I don't know about you, but I get a certain amount of gratification when I fix, rebuild, or restore something myself-that is, as long as it works, or at least functions the way it was meant to! But what about all the times when success is not a resulting factor ... what then? Suck up the pride and have whatever it is done right, right? Right.
When it comes to carb restoration, my personal skills often fall off at the cosmetic redo level-the mechanical aspects are typically left better in the hands of the professionals, or at the very least someone much more skilled in the art of rebuilding than I. Sure, I've redone tons of early single barrels; some work great, while others, well, let's just say that "working" is not the word best used to describe the end result. Whether it's in the technique, the tools/equipment used (or better, "not" used) in the process, or simply the quality and condition of the carburetors used to begin with, sometimes, it's a crapshoot whether or not they'll be any better after going through them.
Ultimately, I don't feel there's much of a difference, if any, between the early carbs when it comes to making them function correctly. While the mass public appeal has adversely affected the costs related to anything with the number "97" attached to it (thankfully, reproduction models are available-and obviously much better in the way of performance), as far as the other garden varieties go, typically it doesn't take a whole lot of dough to restore, let alone purchase outright to begin with. (Personally, I've never jumped the Stromberg 97 bandwagon, and thus never understood the whole thing with the astronomical prices-but then again, I'm a Chevy guy, so, that probably explains most of it right there ... but I can have a "trio" of GM-based one- or two-barrels for what it'd cost for just one 97! Just my 2 cents.)
Inside a bustling maze of...
Inside a bustling maze of state-of-the-art assembly lines, Holley's Custom Shop is an oasis of old-school craftsmanship. In contrast to the hundreds of employees who assemble Holley's current-production carbs, just one person handles each custom shop carburetor. The skilled hands of a rather enthusiastic Greg House handled the rebuild on our Rochesters.
So, the million-dollar question is, "Just who can I trust with rebuilding my vintage carburetors?" Well, the answer is quite simple-and it won't cost you anywhere near that-Holley's Custom Shop. How much more insurance would anyone need than that: just knowing a company like Holley (who's practically been doing carbs since they were first conceived) is handling the job of not only giving my carburetors a face lift, but rebuilding and subsequently bench-testing them. It's money in the bank as far as I'm concerned. That's why, when it came time to go through a pair of Rochester B-series for the 235 inliner that I'm running in my '39 Chevy, I didn't think twice about whether or not I should fool with them in the first place-they were boxed up and shipped to Bowling Green, Kentucky, without hesitation. And save for those vintage induction experts among us (you know who you think you are!), I'd suggest the same for all of you with similar carb needs. According to Holley, they can repair and restore any early Rochester, Carter, Motorcraft, and, of course, Holley carburetor to original, factory specs-inside and out.
When each carburetor arrives,...
When each carburetor arrives, it's tagged, photographed, and a work order is started. While House has seen worse, our carbs were nowhere near show-quality-but the important aspect was, they were complete and in excellent re-buildable shape.
House made quick work of tearing...
House made quick work of tearing down our carburetors, ensuring that each and every component-internal and external-was not only removed with care,...
... but as previously stated,...
... but as previously stated, itemized and bagged accordingly.
The original throttle plate...
The original throttle plate screws are staked into place. House uses a tiny belt sander to grind them down before removing them; same goes for the choke butterfly.
The throttle shaft is carefully...
The throttle shaft is carefully deburred and smoothed after the butterfly is removed-...
...this will prevent the throttle...
...this will prevent the throttle body bores from getting damaged when removing (and reinstalling) the shaft.