1955 help needed with teapot rebuild

[Gpaws55Bird]

hello all, new member here. I’m getting my grandpas 55 bird running for him again. i have a decent background with carbs and classic cars, but never this old.

i’m in the process of rebuilding the teapot and i want to make sure i do it right. there’s 3 questions i have so far. i’ll try to attach pictures. the carb is a list 1071-1

1. my instructions say some holley 4000s have a discharge nozzle assembly. and they don’t have idle tubes. i think my version is that kind.



is there anything missing from this section? i believe it’s all there.

2. the gaskets between the main body and the float body are confusing. i didn’t get new ones. but i got a long piece of rubber and some thin pieces of metal. are those to seal the carb?


are there gaskets that i’m missing?

3. my accelerator pump is the reason this is getting rebuild. it was leaking a lot of fluid from the area that goes towards the throttle linkage.


so the first picture here. do i just pull the old rubber off and push the new blue piece on? or is there a different way to do it?

for the second picture. i don’t have a new small curved piece of wire that holds the ball down so i’m skeptical to take it out. i do have a new check ball though. should i replace it?

thanks in advance. i might have more questions.

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[Gpaws55Bird]

does anyone know where these two pieces go? i just put the carb back together aside from the float and the accelerator pump. i can’t find it in the rebuild instructions i received.

 

[Brax]

does anyone know where these two pieces go? i just put the carb back together aside from the float and the accelerator pump. i can’t find it in the rebuild instructions i received.


View attachment 27997

Here should explain everything

 

[Gpaws55Bird]

Here should explain everything

got it, i think it got all my questions figured out. i’m setting the float height now.

so #34 (needle and seat) does it need be screwed all the way down and seated tightly in order to get #35 (fuel needle seat gasket) sealed tight?

if i crank the seat all the way down so the gasket is compressed it doesn’t seem like i could adjust the float properly. in order for me to bend the tab down far enough it makes the whole float assembly bind up.

does #35 need to be seated tightly? should i find the level it sits at when tight and adjust the float to that level?

 

[Brax]

got it, i think it got all my questions figured out. i’m setting the float height now.

so #34 (needle and seat) does it need be screwed all the way down and seated tightly in order to get #35 (fuel needle seat gasket) sealed tight?

if i crank the seat all the way down so the gasket is compressed it doesn’t seem like i could adjust the float properly. in order for me to bend the tab down far enough it makes the whole float assembly bind up.

does #35 need to be seated tightly? should i find the level it sits at when tight and adjust the float to that level?

Been a long time but if it’s a gasket it has to be tight to seal, after a quick look I would say it should be tight to seal

 

[Brax]

1955 Thunderbird | Carburetor

This page is devoted to the first restoration project - addressing a significant gas leak in the Holley 4000 carburetor.

www.1955tbird.com

Use this link scroll down and there are links for total rebuild all your questions should be answered

 

[doug7740]

I have never seen a Holley 4000 on a Thunderbird without idle tubes. What is the list number on your carburetor so I can cross reference it?

In the first picture it looks like you are missing the pump discharge needle. The picture below shows a Holley 4000 from a Thunderbird with the idle tubes and the newer style main well tubes.



You have the older style main well tubes. Take your time and be very careful when removing them. Grind the tip of a screwdriver to fit into the keyhole shaped recess in the top of the discharge nozzle. Try to move the nozzle back and forth, but take your time with this. Any movement at all is a sign that they will probably come out if you work them long enough. Sometimes adding some heat will help.

The long piece of rubber string is the air horn to main body seal. Cement the new air horn to the main body seal to the groove in the top of the air horn. Only use enough cement to hold the string in the groove. The thin piece of metal wire is the lock wire for the secondary venturi screws.

The small paper gasket fits between the main body and the throttle body. If the two large throttle body screws are over torque, it will distort the main body contact to the throttle body, which will cause a carburetor vacuum leak. That is why the overhaul kit should have two of these small paper gaskets so you can use two gaskets to correct any distortion.

As far as the accelerator pump, place the new pump piston cup on the accelerating pump piston. Place the accelerating pump spring on the pump piston, compress the spring and position the washer, then slide the pump operating rod through the slot in the pump piston stem. Slip the pump return spring over the pump operating rod.

Removing the accelerator check ball is not difficult. When you reinstall the check ball care must be taken to ensure the proper seating of the ball. Install the new check valve retainer in the accelerating pump well so the bent in portion of the retainer holds the check ball in place.



To properly clean the carburetor, all components must be removed before soaking. Soak all parts except rubber & electrical for two hours. Aluminum parts will get discolored if left in longer. Wash the parts with hot water to remove all chemicals. Blow out each passage way taking special notice of the smaller ones. Test each passage that air goes through the entire passage.

The spring and screw that you were inquiring about connects the accelerator pump to the throttle linkage.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Ward 57]

Carburetors are wonderfully complicated affairs. Thank heavens the newer generations were simpler.

 

[mattstbird]

I ended up sending mine to a company that not only rebuilds them but repaints everything so it looks like it did brand new in 55. Best 500 i spent

 

[zeroroadkill]

I ended up sending mine to a company that not only rebuilds them but repaints everything so it looks like it did brand new in 55. Best 500 i spent

Can you share where/who? Thanks.