Old carb tools that no one remembers anymore --

[goodfellow]

I found a stash of these carburetor adjustment tools and belt tension gages on e-bay -- quite a treasure trove of tools that used to cost a fortune but now seem all but worthless to most folks. I tried to explain their use to a friend of mine, but I sold my last Holley 4165 years ago, and without an appropriate carburetor to explain the procedure I might just as well have talked to a wall.

It seems that carburetor know-how has faded into history, and many younger folks have absolutley no clue how they work and how they can be adjusted and modified.

All the tools came in a nice kit (mostly Holley, GM, Rochester specific).

[bonneyman]

Yep. Last time I took my carbed truck in looking for a mechanic got told nobody works on carbs anymore. Started putting together a few of the tools just so I could do basic adjustments myself.

Carb work is like watch repair - a skill totally disappearing from the earth.
Aside from specialty shops and small gas engines.

[J.A.F.E.]

Even back when carbs ruled good carb people were hard to find.

I'm convinced one of the reasons Brit cars have a bad rap is because no one knew how to adjust the carbs and the first thing they inevitably did was "adjust" the mixture. Add in most were multiple carbs and you have a recipe for disaster. Rolls Royce used SU carbs like the rest of the British industry did.

[Papaw]

Nine out of ten modern mechanics never have seen a carb, much less tuned one.
It is all fuel injection now.

[PowderKeg]

Nine out of ten modern mechanics never have seen a carb, much less tuned one.
It is all fuel injection now.

Not just that, but I'd also venture:

- 9 out of 10 have never seen a SAE nut/bolt (hence the proliferation of "Do I need SAE tools?" posts elsewhere).

- 9 out of 10 can't grasp how 12 pt sockets can/should be used on more than 12 pt nuts/bolts (hence all the "12 pt is useless except to round over..." posts elsewhere).

- 9 out of 10 don't realize there's a HUGE difference between "diagnose and repair" and "remove and replace" (hence all the return trips to shops).

Nice catch on the carb tools, I've got a mix-mash of stuff from several decades past messing with 60's vintage Ford Autolights and a few Hollys.

[oldnslo]

I helped my neighbor across the street of 15 years pack up his 5 car garage and downsize to a much smaller house. We tossed easily 200 carbs (all domestic, 80% 4bbl) into steel bins for scrap. He ran a carb shop in SoCal for many decades and retired 20 years ago.

Yep....those carb'd days are loooong gone.

[slip knot]

With the marketing of this ethanol crap, I've gotten more carb experience in the past 5 yrs than in all my years working on cars. Nowdays when a carb shits the bed if you cant repair it, its junk cause their aint any good replacement carbs available anymore.

[strik9]

All of my 35 odd cars exept one had carbs.  All were flaming shitheapd except three.

  I didn't even suspect there were special tools for them much less what half the makes were.  So I ignorantly messed with them until it was good enough to get me to work without draining the tank in five miles.

   Now I see the way it should have been done and all those heaps have rusted to a stain and four mismatched rotten tires.

[ken w.]

When I started carbs were being fazed out. I've rebuilt my fair share of them , but I don't miss them at all. Now I work on small engines and rebuild them 3-4 times a week. At least small engine carbs are easy.

[lostmind]

I worked at a Carb & ignition shop in the 60's  Even then there were few mechanics that did any thing but replace the carb. We had bins of parts and specialty tools for each brand.
Books 10 inches thick with instructions and specs.
Biggest qualifier was , " can you read and comprehend"
Not that hard if you can follow instructions.
I still prefer fuel injection , most carbs had to trade off air/ fuel mixtures through the various stages and temps.

I still have tools from the 80's emission carbs I hope I don't get to use.

[john k]

When I started there was always one guy that got all the carb work, and this was in several shops.  Was trained on it, and did a lot, but then came the emissions carbs.  Since then most of the younger guys (which means everyone)  seem scared of carbs, but not as scared of them as they are a point/condenser ignition.  My last ten years at work, put in exactly two sets of points.   At home, prefer carbs and points to the newer systems,  they don't take 500 dollars in parts to get them running. 

[bonneyman]

Here's my carb screw adjuster made from scratch using a broken piece of Proto yellow handle.

Works nice, too. But neither of the remaining vehicles is carbed, so, this thing just became a wall hanger.

[CRTDI]

More forgotten carb tools...



















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[DeadNutz]

Both GF and CRTDI those are incredible carb tools. I see Blackhawk on the sockets and Plomb on the offset driver, what other names are on the tools in the Stromberg kit?

[goodfellow]

The Stromberg set is pristine -- definitely a show stopper CRTDI. Thanks for sharing such an incredible find.

[muddy]

I try to watch my carbs but my hunger usually gets the best of me!

[CRTDI]

Both GF and CRTDI those are incredible carb tools. I see Blackhawk on the sockets and Plomb on the offset driver, what other names are on the tools in the Stromberg kit?

Thanks fellas...    Some are marked as B.P. CO. SERV DIV. I believe the little offset driver is an add-on piece to the set.

[bonneyman]

The Stromberg set is pristine -- definitely a show stopper CRTDI. Thanks for sharing such an incredible find.

^^^What he said!