Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

[LAC_STS]

I removed the air horn on my 1409 to check the float levels. I unhooked the connections, then I took the screws out and carefully lifted the air horn up.

I checked to make sure nothing fell into the intake and nothing dropped off of the carb because this is the first time I have messed with a carb.


Well when double checking on the procedure for checking the floats I saw in the manual that it says

" first, remove the Metering Rods and Step-Up Springs"

I didn't do this and the rods are still connected to the air horn. They are not bent or messed up or anything.

Then when looking at the exploded diagram I saw the metering jets.

Are these connected to the rods?

If so, are they most likely sitting in the rest of the carb which is attached to the boat?

Did I screw something up by removing the air horn without taking out the metering rods?


Thanks

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

Because they are delicate and you can mess them up when you put it back together...



The jets are screwed into the base of the carb...

You shouldn't be tearing your carb apart on your engine. You drop one little part in there it will fall down in the intake and wind up sitting inside your combustion chamber, and thats when the big bucks start rollin' out. You cant adjust the floats with just the top of your carb taken off...

Also if the manual says take a part off first before doing something else? Do what the manual says. Then you wont have to worry if you did something wrong...


Honestly I think its time you find a good mechanic...

 

[pwpns]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

Dont worry you didnt mess anything up the metering rods just set in the jets. when in cruise mode (i.e. idle or cruising along the fat part of the rod sets in the jet upon acceleration or pulling a load the vacumm drops and the springs push up on the rods and the skinny part of the rod sets in the jet lettting more fuel flow through the jet) it will just be harder to put the top back on the carb with the rods sticking down and trying to get them both aligned. It much easier to put the carb top on and then stick the rods in.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

Because they are delicate and you can mess them up when you put it back together...



The jets are screwed into the base of the carb...

You shouldn't be tearing your carb apart on your engine. You drop one little part in there it will fall down in the intake and wind up sitting inside your combustion chamber, and thats when the big bucks start rollin' out. You cant adjust the floats with just the top of your carb taken off...

Also if the manual says take a part off first before doing something else? Do what the manual says. Then you wont have to worry if you did something wrong...


Honestly I think its time you find a good mechanic...

Ummmm the manual says you can simply take the air horn off without removing the carb. as does a bunch of different sites I have looket it up on. The part that says about removing the rods was on the next page and I missed it. I said I missed it in the manual. Honest mistake and was wondering if I meesed something up.

And THE EDELBROCK MANUAL says to adjust the floats you take the air horn off, flip it over, and stick a 7/16 drill bit under the end of the floats. thats how high they should be. Then you check to see if they drop the correct amount which is 15/16 or 1"

So get it right before you start questioning someones abilities.






THANK YOU pwpns

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

Dude you ran a 3 day post because you couldn't get your oil filter off. You dont tear apart carbs while there on the engine. And if your so confident in your abilities why did you just make this post?

Im just sayin it may be wise to find a mechanic because you are going to mess something up. Do you want to go boatin or just keep posting questions???

Do what ya want...

 

[Shamus O'toole]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

not to get into a pissing contest but I used to take apart carbs while they were still on my race cars all the time. No way was i going to pull the carb off the engine just to change jets, squirters, ect. ect. it his boat and if thats what he wants to do then so be it. A little advice like 'be careful not to drop anything into the carb' might have been enough.


back to the original post.
Tou should remove the metering rods first because they can be easily bent when you replace the top of the carb.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

Yea I haven't tore into a carb until now. That's the only point you have.

It took the certified mechanic a while to get the filter off so it wasn t me. He told me I'm probably gonna have the same prob next time too. He thinks because of how they painted the engine.

I hadn't ever touched a dist either let alone a points dist. And with the help of some members here I just tuned mine up and got it running a lot better.

I also never went to one course, bought one lesson, nothing on how to trade equities or futures contracts and that's how I make a living now and have been for the last 4 years. All by my own research.

I also had never built a computer until last Christmas when I build a 3K Pc that you would have to spend nearly 9K for if you could even find one with comparable components.

You just told me you can't adjust the floats by taking the air horn off. Come on it's in the manual and I was suggested to do it by Edelbrock tech line when I told then the symptoms I was having.

So maybe you have to be shown or something but I know my limits and am very capable of doing things I have never done before.

If there was a space shuttle forum and someone would tell me how to do it I'd fly that bi*%*

 

[Cuyose]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

Maybe some of the replies were a little harsh, but the advise is sound. It's really not that hard to take the carb off and move it to a clean location you can take your time and check things over.

I know my way around engines pretty well and have made tons of adjustments on carbs, and there are many times a spring or screw popped off on me and I was glad it didn't have access to drop into the manifold.

As for the metering rods, no you didn't mess anything up...yet. But as stated earlier it is EXTREMELY easy for the weight of the carb going back in to bend the rods. There is little room for error when seating those rods in their jets, and a bend in those, that may be indistinguishable to the eye, can have drastic effects on the operation.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

Thanks.

I removed the rods now and luckily they werent bent or anything. I adjusted 1 of the floats that was not where it should be, and I cleaned everything up with carb cleaner.


Going back to the boat to put it all back together and see if it runs better when the secondaries open.

 

[John_S]

Re: Why remove meetering rods when removing carb air horn?

The 1409 is designed to be able to change the rods while the carb is on the engine. Once you have the air horn back on, install the rods and plungers. Have a clean rag over the barrels to catch anything that might fall in.