Rochester 4GC Carburetor Rebuild

This page presents information on: My rebuild of a Rochester 4 bbl. (4GC - 4 Jet)
carburetor, with photos

I have undertaken the rebuild of my 4 bbl. Rochester carburetor. This project has been on
the "to do" list since the fall of 2009. I finally made the determination I would cross it of
my list! The first task was to order the rebuild kit. Mine was acquired online
from Daytona Parts Co. I purchased it only after confirming via email that the kit
materials were ethanol compatible. The cost for the kit was around $50.

In preparation for this project I bought a bunch of used Kent-Moore� tools/gauges, and
a Moroso� carburetor stand. I also collected as much Rochester Carburetor info/data as
I could.

TOOLS REQUIRED: Camera, box wrenches, flare wrenches, screwdrivers, hammer,

needle-nose pliers, a good metal ruler graded in 32nd's of an inch and with a set capable
T-bar, parts cleaning fluid, parts cleaning brushes, toothbrush, q-tips, a source of
compressed air and of, course, shop towels. Depending on your circumstances, you may
also need a tubing cutter, tubing bender and a tubing flaring tool.

Let's get a little nomenclature down at the start, to assure we are all on the same page
when describing both the carburetor and the rebuild process. My use of the
term carburetor refers to the entire assembled unit. That unit is made up of 3 main parts.
I shall refer to them as the airhorn, fuel bowl and throttle body. Each constituent part
has a number of smaller, but nevertheless critical parts [See exploded view diagram].
References in this article reading (#00) are to the exploded view diagram found on page 1
of the Rebuild Instruction Sheet.

Step #1, to mention the obvious, is to remove the air cleaner housing. In doing the actual
rebuild, the very first tool I reached for was my digital camera. I took pictures of the
carb, in place, from all sides and angles. This was so I would have a visual reference of
how a properly installed carb looked when I got around to putting her back on the intake
manifold. I took shots of the linkage connections, automatic choke setting, etc. I also
made a handwritten note of the choke setting. This is what the carb looked like at the
start of the project �
 Next, I disconnected all the linkage, so the carburetor
would be free to come off the manifold once it
was unbolted. Then I removed all the lines going to
the carb: choke tube, fuel line and vacuum line (?).
The question mark is there because there is a small
diameter, flared metal line with a fitting attached to
the base of the carburetor/throttle body. This line
runs down between the underside of the intake
manifold and the top of the engine valley cover,
toward the back of the engine. I have yet to ascertain
what this line is for, or does? [NOTE: ==>] I have since ascertained that it is, in fact, the
distributor vacuum advance line.

Once I removed the four nuts from the manifold mounting studs, the carburetor came off
easily. At this point I covered the intake manifold ports, to prevent dirt or parts from
falling into the manifold, and ultimately the engine.

The airhorn is what one sees when looking down at the top of the carburetor. In vintage
cars, the air cleaner sits directly on top of it. The airhorn top is home to the accelerator
pump and choke butterfly plate. On the right (passenger) side of the airhorn is the
automatic choke. The underside of the airhorn is where one finds the floats, power
piston, float needles and seats.

With the carburetor on the workbench, I drew a diagram of the top of the airhorn, giving
each airhorn screw a number. Each screw was removed and then labeled with the
appropriate number. This permits putting the same screw back into the same hole on
reassembly. One thing I did notice when removing the airhorn screws was that none of
them seemed to be terribly tight; nor were the carburetor mounting bolts for that matter.
In fact, they all seemed to be rather loose for my taste. I wonder if they had ever been
touched since being originally installed over a half-century ago, = w a y => back in
1954? For inexplicable reasons, one of the 13 airhorn screws did not have a lockwasher?
Nor was there an in-line fuel filter in the system?

One of the airhorn screws also holds the carburetor ID tag. While not critical to the
operation of the carburetor, it is important for both identification and historical purposes.
It provides the carburetor model # and the manufacture date code. The numbers on
my tag are 700790 and M4. For the date code, the letter "M" is the month. The number
"4" is the year in the decade. M4 equates to December of 1954. This is because M is the
twelfh letter of the alphabet, in sequence. "I" is not used to avoid possible confusion with
the number '1'. Do not lose, or destroy this tag and be sure to reinstall it!

BE ADVISED: The folks at Daytona Parts must assume if you are buying one of their
rebuild kits that you know what you are doing. This is neither a good, nor a necessarily
valid, assumption. (Even though I have turned a lot of wrenches on a lot of cars, and
even replaced carburetors in the past, this was my first ever carb rebuild.) I say this as,
the accompanying kit instructions are more than sparse [See Rebuild Instruction Sheet].
In order to determine what went where, I found myself comparing the replacement parts
with parts I could spot and remove. Not the best way of doing things, in my humble
opinion! It is also a bit frustrating, as not all of the supplied parts are actually used in the
rebuild.

Removal of the airhorn exposes the innards of the

fuel bowl. Here is where one finds the
venturi, nozzles, valves, jets, springs, etc. In my
case, I also found a rather heavy layer of gunk and
varnish! So much so, that I was amazed the
carburetor functioned at all. Everything seemed to
be coated. (As this is an "after picture," the layered
gunk is not depicted.) Flushing the fuel bowl with
parts cleaner removed some of it, but not all. Here,
the use of brushes, q-tips, shop towels and elbow
grease is most definitely required.

The venturi clusters are easily removed. Three

screws hold each in place. New gaskets for the
clusters come in the kit. The clusters, as well as the fuel bowl body, contain orifices, jets,
nozzles, etc. Any where there were such, they were flushed with parts cleaner and blown
out with high pressure air. One kit part I could not locate on my carb was a small check
ball (ball bearing like item). I knew the carburetor had one, but did not know where it
was. A review of the exploded view of the carburetor provided in the kit showed it (#61)
to be in the fuel bowl body, but where? I also noticed a small metal bar inside a bore in
the fuel bowl, under the primary venturi cluster (#59). As there was a new one in the kit,
actually a very small T-plate, I knew it would come out. I was able to remove it with a
pair of needle-nose pliers. Under the T-bar (properly named as a pump discharge spring
guide) was a long, thin spring called what else, but the pump discharge spring. When the
spring was removed the mysterious check ball was revealed! Both it and the spring were
replaced.

Here is where the hammer comes into play. Yes, I know it sounds a little strange to be
using a hammer on a carburetor. The new T-plate lock/pump discharge spring guide has
to be set in the bore. The way to assure it is in fact properly set is to lightly tap it in
place, using a screwdriver, dowel, or somesuch as the driving object.

I must confess, while the kit comes with two (2) check balls of different sizes, I found
only the one; the larger of the two. I do not know if the second is used in my carb or
not? I have emailed Daytona Parts� for clarification, and will report on the answer
received.
I saw no replacement parts for the throttle body portion of the carburetor, other than the
idle adjusting needles/air mixture screws. Consequently, I initially determined that in my
case, there was no need to remove the throttle body from the fuel bowl during the rebuild
process. However, the throttle plates and bores needed some serious cleaning. The gunk
buildup on them was such as to prevent the throttle plates from fully seating. Both sides
of the throttle plates are not easy to access, absent dismantling the throttle body. I
subsequently decided to remove the throttle body from the fuel bowl. I am glad I did.
On thoroughly cleaning it, I found many orifices and passages. They only became visible
after separately flushing the throttle body with cleaning fluid and using the blow gun.

Ok, back to the airhorn, specifically the underside.

Here one finds the float assemblies. The float
assemblies are held in place with (drift) pins
(#42). These pins come right out by hand. Each
float arm pivots on a needle which travels inside a
needle seat. BE CAREFUL HERE! It is critical
that one observe which way the needle is positioned
inside the seat. It can be installed two different
ways. NOTE: Make a written notation which is
the seat end, and which is the pivot point end. With
the needle removed, the needle seat comes
out easily with a wide, flat blade screwdriver. Be
sure to put the supplied gaskets on the new needle
seats before installing them in the airhorn.

My floats had a slight coating of gunk on them. I presume this coating could affect float
movement/travel. Consequently, it was gently removed. Once cleaned, the floats have to
be inspected for leaks. If a float has a pinhole leak, the float can fill with fuel, and not
function. A simple test is to place the float in a pan of water. Does it float? If it does, all
is ok! If not, you have to either repair, or replace it.

A critical step in reinstalling the floats is to be sure to FIRST INSTALL THE

AIRHORN GASKET. Once the float arms are in place the gasket will not go on! The
airhorn gasket must be in place, as its absence throws all your measurements
off. Measurements, what measurements? The float levels must be precisely set for the
carburetor to function properly. The float levels determine when the needle comes off
the seat, allowing gas to enter the carburetor fuel bowl. The float arm travel
parameters determine the low and high levels of gas in the fuel bowl. This is where use
of a good ruler graduated in 1/32nd's of an inch is critical. Technically, one could use the
flimsy, paper ruler that comes with the rebuild kit. Truthfully, I did not find it to be very
handy, practicable, or useful. All required measurements are taken from the underside of
the airhorn, with the ruler held tight against the gasket. Without it being in place, all
measurements are off by the thickness of the gasket. The rebuild kit does
provide a measurement specification sheet. This sheet also tells you where to bend the
float arm to adjust for the needed measurements. A WORD OF CAUTION: The float
assembly is delicate. Handle it with care! Be prepared to have to make repeated
measurements and adjustments. When setting the float for the closed position, don't be
surprised to find that doing so may throw off the open position setting. One must also
make sure the floats are parallel, and are able to travel freely within the confines of the
fuel bowl. The best way to assure this is, with the float arms in the closed position, does
the airhorn gasket clear the floats?

Now, it is time to start buttoning up the carb. First, install the throttle body back on the
bottom of the fuel bowl, using the new gasket that comes in the rebuild kit. Next, insert
the new accelerator pump spring in the accelerator pump bore/well of the fuel bowl. Put
a small amount of gas in the fuel bowl to ease the initial start. DO NOT TRY AND
FILL THE FUEL BOWL! I recommend filling it 1/3 full. Install the new accelerator
pump in the airhorn. Batten down the airhorn to the fuel bowl. When tightening the
airhorn screws, use an alternating, criss-cross pattern.

The next step is to install the new idle adjusting needles/air mixture screws in the throttle
body. THE CURRENT SETTINGS OF THESE SCREWS MUST BE DETERMINED
BEFORE THEY ARE REMOVED. This is accomplished by counting and recording the
number of turns to lightly seat each screw. Once that is accomplished, the screws may be
removed. The new air mixture screws are installed and lightly seated. Then, they are
backed off the precise number of turns you previously recorded. This is your starting
point when adjusting the settings on your installed and running carburetor.

It is now time to clean the intake manifold gasket seat. Use a scraper to remove all traces
of the old gasket. TAKE CARE THAT NO GASKET DEBRIS ENTERS THE
INTAKE MANIFOLD. Install the new carburetor gasket on the intake manifold. No
gasket adhesive is required to be used here, or anywhere else in the carburetor.

HINT: Now is the best time to do any work you want to perform on the distributor.
Your access to it will never be better. At the very least, check and set the point gap
before reinstalling the carburetor. Oil the distributor bearing while you are in the
vicinity. In my case, at this point I also installed an in-line NORS glass bowl type fuel
filter. I cannot believe there wasn't one in place! Hopefully, the fuel filter will capture
all the previously observed gunk before it can enter the carburetor?

Installation of the carburetor is the reverse of the removal. Put it in place and attach the
stud bolt mounting nuts. Now, attach the linkage. Check that the linkage moves freely
through its normal cycle. Then attach your fuel and vacuum lines, and the choke
tube. At this point it is necessary to adjust your choke setting to assure it closes properly,
and opens correctly during the engine warming process. The choke butterfly should not
be tightly closed on a cold engine. In fact, the specs say there should be .040 clearance
between the closed butterfly and the carburetor bore.

If the fuel bowl of the carburetor is bone dry at this point, it will take some pumping of
the accelerator pedal and a considerable amount of cranking of the engine to fill it.
Remember, without gas in the fuel bowl, the engine will never fire.
Once she fires, adjust the idle adjusting needles/air mixture screws to fine tune the carb to
run at its most efficient. Set the fast and slow idle speeds and enjoy your newly rebuilt
carb!

Here are some select pics of the rebuild in progress �

Accelerator Pump Bore (Highlighted) Accelerator

Pump Float Needle Seat on Airhorn Underside
Venturi Cluster/Spray Nozzle (Right)

MISTAKES MADE: So far (fingers crossed on 25 Apr), the only mistake made was in
the purchase of a carburetor stand. The one I bought accepts two different sized
carburetor bases. Size selection is accomplished merely by flipping it over. The
problem, neither size matched the base of the Rochester 4GC. While it was still able to
be used, it did not work as well as a proper one would.

After proselytizing on the subject of determining idle adjusting needles/air mixture screw
settings, I proceeded to remove one without first counting the number of needed turns to
seat it! So, I had to default to a generic setting. Not good!

When I bent my fuel line tubing, I did not pay attention the location of the fittings. When
I made my bend both fittings were at the same end of the tubing. Needless to say, that
makes it impossible to slide the one fitting around the curve you have just created in the
tubing!

LESSONS LEARNED: The taking of "before" pictures turned out to be more than
helpful. I had to resort to one photo to properly reconnect the accelerator linkage.

If you are lucky, you will not need to replace any metal fuel lines. Unless one is
experienced and adept at bending and flaring tubing, have someone perform this service
for you. My initial attempt in trying to install the glass bowl in-line fuel filter was a
disaster. It leaked like a sieve at every possible connection! The first flaring tool I
bought/used simply did not work. It would not grip the tubing tight enough to permit the
flaring head to do its thing. The second one worked much better. The problem with the
second tool is that the tube tended to crack/split at the flare during the procedure.

Bending of tubing is a bit of an esoteric art. It does require the use of a tubing bending
tool. My particular requirement called for two 90� bends. That in itself is not that
difficult. The problem arises from the fact that what is really required on one is a
compound bend. The 90� bend at the filter end is routine, and no problem. However,
to get the tube fitting to line up with the fuel filter fitting, the tubing needs to also be bent
on its axis. That is no easy task! Since it is not, I am now looking at using an angled
fitting (elbow) on the fuel pump to attach the fuel filter in such a manner so that it will
line up properly with the line running out of the fuel filter and into the carburetor. It is
hard to explain, but when one is under the hood trying to make all the necessary
connections, it becomes painfully obvious what is required:
_____
|Carb |--------------------
|_____| /
/
/
(o) Fuel Filter
|
Fuel Pump O ----- |

Much to my surprise and chagrin, even though I took pains to be sure I did have gas in
the carburetor fuel bowl when I remounted it, the engine to date (2 May 2010) has yet to
fire? I am getting explosions, but not sustained firing?
[9 May 2010] I have removed the fuel filter entirely, and have reverted (temporarily)
to using the original line, sans filter, that ran from the fuel pump to the carburetor.

As I indicated above, when I was finished I had a check ball left over. That I did made
no sense. So, I sent off an email to the Daytona Parts Co.� folks asking what it was, and
where it went. To their credit, I did receive a very prompt reply. The leftover check ball
(#74) goes in the bottom of the accelerator pump well/bore. A spring sits on top of it, and
the accelerator pump sits on top of the spring. Depending on the position of the
accelerator pump during operation, the left over check ball controls the flow of fuel to
either the carb fuel bowl or the primary venturi cluster. Without it being installed, all fuel
entering the carb went to the fuel bowl. Without it being installed, pumping the gas pedal
only yielded exercise of the ankle/foot muscles! Duh! No wonder the car would not
start? I never saw, or found, the original check ball that was in this location. Perhaps it
flew into orbit when I blasted the accelerator pump well with compressed air? I don't
know? It is a mystery that shall continue to go unexplained, or at least until I clean out
my parts washer tank.

[16 May 2010] The carb is again removed from the engine and opened up to install the
left over check ball in the accelerator pump well/bore. After installing it, closing the carb
back up and remounting it on the engine, with a little cranking she fired and ran! I will
admit, at first she sounded a bit like a concrete mixer, but once I got the engine warmed
and the carb able to idle on her own I was able to make the necessary idle adjusting
needle/air mixture screw adjustments to simulate normal operation. Then I checked
operation on acceleration. She accepts the gas feed and has very good response.

I also have my fuel line leak situation rectified. It took an hour of searching through
parts cabinets and catalogs with my local NAPA� parts guy to find the right 90�
elbows, male-to-male fittings, etc., but the fuel pump now sends the gas from the tank
into the filter before going onto the carburetor, and it does it without leaking! There now
is only a single tube running from the fuel filter-out port to the carburetor, and it has a
single bend of 80� or so. The fuel pump is now directly connected to the fuel filter-in
port via fittings, eliminating the need of any tubing there. This part of the project was
better suited for the skills of a plumber, than a mechanic. Nor am I at all ashamed to
acknowledge that not only is plumbing not my forte, but that also, I hate plumbing!