Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Discuss all things Model T related.
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules

Topic author
MichaelPawelek
Posts: 702
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:01 pm
First Name: Michael
Last Name: Pawelek
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1919 Touring, 1925 Coupe
Location: Brookshire, Texas
Board Member Since: 1999

Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by MichaelPawelek » Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:08 pm

Read in past posts about drilling out, cleaning and sealing carburetor passage ports. Works great and easy entry in the future….😊

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0849 ... UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DS ... UTF8&psc=1

Image
Image
Image
Image


speedytinc
Posts: 3840
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:24 pm
First Name: john
Last Name: karvaly
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 14/15 wide track roadster. 23 touring, 27 roadster pickup, 20ish rajo touring
Location: orange, ca
MTFCA Number: 14383
Board Member Since: 2020

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by speedytinc » Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:37 pm

Does anyone really ever need to reopen & clean out the idle passages after the carbs initial restoration? Looks like wasted effort.
Is this an extreme example of OCD?


Topic author
MichaelPawelek
Posts: 702
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:01 pm
First Name: Michael
Last Name: Pawelek
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1919 Touring, 1925 Coupe
Location: Brookshire, Texas
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by MichaelPawelek » Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:50 pm

I guess it depends on the past use of the carburetor and current performance. This NH works very well at running speed but idled something terrible. Now cleaned out it performs great and archeologists 1,000 years from now will thank me for my work.😊
Besides that it too friggen cold outside today and I’m bored……

User avatar

perry kete
Posts: 1563
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:46 am
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: Seth
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Coupe 1927 Touring
Location: Jefferson Ohio

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by perry kete » Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:56 pm

I like the idea of being able to quickly get into an area for maintenance without a lot of down time.

TOO COLD! your high shows 51* today our high is 19* with -3* tonight...I'll trade you.
1922 Coupe & 1927 Touring

User avatar

Mark Gregush
Posts: 4956
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:57 pm
First Name: Mark
Last Name: Gregush
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 cutdown PU, 1920 Dodge touring, 1948 F2 Ford flat head 6 pickup 3 speed
Location: Portland Or
MTFCA Number: 52564
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Mark Gregush » Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:35 pm

That is how I have doing for a while. 7 blocks to ACE, buy the Allen heads, tap the hole, install with some sealer, done. Or find brass stock, cut, install, peen, file as needed. Guess it's a wash. :D
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas! :shock:

1925 Cut down pickup
1920 Dodge touring
1948 Ford F2 pickup


Topic author
MichaelPawelek
Posts: 702
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:01 pm
First Name: Michael
Last Name: Pawelek
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1919 Touring, 1925 Coupe
Location: Brookshire, Texas
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by MichaelPawelek » Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:35 pm

Anything under 60F is too cold for me……😊

User avatar

Quickm007
Posts: 1198
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:58 am
First Name: Mario
Last Name: Brossard
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1911 Touring and 1914 speedster
Location: Quebec City Canada
MTFCA Number: 30981
MTFCI Number: 30981
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Quickm007 » Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:53 pm

-7.6°F today here, I thought I'm born in the wrong place :shock:

Thank you Michael for sharing, I like it.
Super Mario Bross ;)

1911 Touring
1914 Speedster


kevinf
Posts: 96
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:17 pm
First Name: Kevin
Last Name: Fielding
Location: Ewe-taw

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by kevinf » Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:27 pm

Is it worth doing, with out a doubt. I don't drill out all the plugs but I make sure to drill out the ones that access every passage. I then spray carburetor cleaner through every passage. My chosen method of sealing is using 1/8" brass rod and peening them in place.

User avatar

TWrenn
Posts: 3389
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:53 am
First Name: Tim
Last Name: Wrenn
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '13 Touring, '26 "Overlap" Fordor
Location: Ohio
MTFCA Number: 30701
MTFCI Number: 24033
Board Member Since: 2019

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by TWrenn » Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:01 pm

I just soaked an NH body overnight once in a can of lacquer thinner and after that the carb worked fine. Needed re-painted too!


Harry Lillo
Posts: 327
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 10:18 pm
First Name: Harry
Last Name: Lillo
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Speedsters, racers, depot hack, coupe
Location: Calgary
MTFCA Number: 13996

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Harry Lillo » Fri Jan 21, 2022 6:37 pm

A friend of mine has an NH in his '27 Tudor. Very recently it was running rough and would barely idle.
We drilled out all the passages and found them to be plugged solid. They were resealed with brass plugs.
We installed a new gasket set and did not have to make further adjustments.
The car idled perfectly following that small repair.
From that I would say that cleaning and sealing the passages makes a difference.
Harry


Scott_Conger
Posts: 6431
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:18 am
First Name: Scott
Last Name: Conger
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '13, '15, '19, '23
Location: Clark, WY
Board Member Since: 2005

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Scott_Conger » Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:11 pm

Harry

the NH idle circuit actually powers the car from idle to about 1/4 of the throttle movement. With that circuit blocked and the carb adjusted to compensate, the car will be lame for sure. 99% of the guys who either love to or simply must fiddle with their carbs all day long while driving with an NH are nearly all suffering from a blocked or diminished idle circuit. When properly rebuilt, while low on relative performance, the NH is a "set and forget" carb once the car has warmed up. The Kingston L-4 is, too, but tends to be hard on fuel mileage. Not entirely sure why they're so unpopular, but you have to pretty much pay someone to take one off your hands...in any condition.

regarding screws, I'm not a fan. I can plug a hole in 1/4 the time anyone can drill/tap/install a screw, and the repair will be undetectable in fit, finish, or performance as from the factory. On NH's, I consider a screw to be a blemish and not a feature.
Scott Conger

Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny

NH Full Flow Float Valves
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured


Topic author
MichaelPawelek
Posts: 702
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:01 pm
First Name: Michael
Last Name: Pawelek
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1919 Touring, 1925 Coupe
Location: Brookshire, Texas
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by MichaelPawelek » Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:48 pm

To each his own. On the NH only one set screw is on the outside, is filled when painted and faces the engine so is unseen and certainly not a blemish….
Image


jiminbartow
Posts: 2202
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:55 pm
First Name: James
Last Name: Patrick
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Coupe
Location: Bartow, FL
MTFCA Number: 50126
Board Member Since: 2001

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by jiminbartow » Fri Jan 21, 2022 11:15 pm

Please clarify what this thread is about. Is it about “sealing” the carburetor ports closed? Why would you want to seal the ports that enable the free flow of fuel? Wouldn’t that be like sticking a straw in water, covering the end of the straw with your thumb and lifting the straw out and the liquid staying in the straw until you release your thumb from the end of the straw? That is what the vent holes in a carburetor do. I obviously don’t understand what this thread is about because it is hard to believe that anyone would condone sealing all of the vent holes in a carburetor. Please explain exactly what I am missing. Jim Patrick


AZTerry
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2019 11:18 pm
First Name: Terry
Last Name: Loftus
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 26 Speedster
Location: Phoenix, AZ
MTFCA Number: 7379
MTFCA Life Member: YES

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by AZTerry » Sat Jan 22, 2022 1:53 am

Hello Jim,

This thread is not about plugging the idle circuit passage but plugging the access points to the passage. The NH shown in the first post is a center drain NH and has three passages drilled in three different directions to create the single idle circuit passage. It also has three plugs in the passage. The plugs are to seal the starting holes for the drilling of the three passages to create a single sealed passage.

On a related note the side bowl drain NH has a different configuration where the bottom bowl nut attaches and a forth plug. I do not remember other details at this time.

I will also add I have rebuilt many NH's and have never seen one that did not need the plugs removed and the passages cleaned out with a drill bit. Your experience may different.

Terry


RGould1910
Posts: 975
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 8:16 am
First Name: Richard
Last Name: Gould
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1910 touring, 1912 roadster , 1927 roadster
Location: Folsom, CA

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by RGould1910 » Sat Jan 22, 2022 9:03 am

Thank you, Mike. With the links you provided it was easy to place an order!


Jerry VanOoteghem
Posts: 2952
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
First Name: Jerry
Last Name: Van
Location: S.E. Michigan
MTFCA Number: 24868

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Jerry VanOoteghem » Sat Jan 22, 2022 9:57 am

speedytinc wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:37 pm
Does anyone really ever need to reopen & clean out the idle passages after the carbs initial restoration? Looks like wasted effort.
Is this an extreme example of OCD?
I don't think anyone is necessarily suggesting doing this on a regular basis, unless problems have arisen, and then I suppose the screw plug makes an easy access. But for any properly restored NH, it's a must.

User avatar

Mark Nunn
Posts: 1105
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:01 am
First Name: Mark
Last Name: Nunn
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Runabout
Location: Bennington, NE
MTFCA Number: 50321
Board Member Since: 2017

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Mark Nunn » Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:15 pm

My source for brass plug stock was a package of brass wood screws that I had on the shelf. Those are easier to find than brass rod.
NH plug small.gif
Last edited by Mark Nunn on Thu Jan 27, 2022 8:53 am, edited 1 time in total.


jab35
Posts: 892
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:28 pm
First Name: James
Last Name: Bartsch
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '26 Coupe
Location: Dryden, NY 13053
MTFCA Number: 30615
MTFCA Life Member: YES

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by jab35 » Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:18 pm

Brazing rod is plentiful in my shop.


Steve Hughes
Posts: 153
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:09 am
First Name: Steve
Last Name: Hughes
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Touring 1921 Centerdoor
Location: Raymond, NE
MTFCA Number: 216
MTFCA Life Member: YES
MTFCI Number: 23070

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Steve Hughes » Sun Jan 23, 2022 6:36 pm

Why not just mix up a bit of JB weld. Press a little in the hole and strike off the top and let cure. Seals it up but is easy to drill out in the future if needed.


Jerry VanOoteghem
Posts: 2952
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
First Name: Jerry
Last Name: Van
Location: S.E. Michigan
MTFCA Number: 24868

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Jerry VanOoteghem » Sun Jan 23, 2022 7:05 pm

Steve Hughes wrote:
Sun Jan 23, 2022 6:36 pm
Why not just mix up a bit of JB weld. Press a little in the hole and strike off the top and let cure. Seals it up but is easy to drill out in the future if needed.
Is that what you've done?


Scott_Conger
Posts: 6431
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:18 am
First Name: Scott
Last Name: Conger
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '13, '15, '19, '23
Location: Clark, WY
Board Member Since: 2005

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Scott_Conger » Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:13 pm

There is the way it was done simply and originally, and then there is every other possible way. Not all of which have likely been tried, but no doubt, eventually will.
Scott Conger

Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny

NH Full Flow Float Valves
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured


Steve Hughes
Posts: 153
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:09 am
First Name: Steve
Last Name: Hughes
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Touring 1921 Centerdoor
Location: Raymond, NE
MTFCA Number: 216
MTFCA Life Member: YES
MTFCI Number: 23070

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Steve Hughes » Tue Jan 25, 2022 8:03 pm

Jerry: Yes I have done that. It has worked well.


speedytinc
Posts: 3840
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:24 pm
First Name: john
Last Name: karvaly
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 14/15 wide track roadster. 23 touring, 27 roadster pickup, 20ish rajo touring
Location: orange, ca
MTFCA Number: 14383
Board Member Since: 2020

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by speedytinc » Wed Jan 26, 2022 5:53 pm

I dont question the NEED to drill out the idle circuit plugs & insure the passages are clear. I believe its manditory.

My questioning is why use set screws? Does any body really have to pull those set screws & clear the circuit after the first rebuild/restoration of a NH?

It always appeared to me an unnecessary task to remove all of the original brass plugs. Why deal with the difficulty of getting it all out keeping the drill bit perfectly aligned?
Personally I drill out the brass plugs smaller & re-plug with a piece of lead shot. Has not been an issue in the scores of NH's I have restored.
One shotgun shell does over 50 carbs.

In my effort to do the best job possible, I question a set screw's advantage also considering the extra unnecessary time.


FWIW. If I was to use set screws, I would use a taper tap & go in deep enough to have the screw self seal, like a pipe plug.


Dan Hatch
Posts: 4111
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 7:31 pm
First Name: Dan
Last Name: Hatch
Location: Alabama
MTFCA Number: 49974

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Dan Hatch » Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:37 pm

Do you really need to plug the hole in the flange? Will not the gasket do that for you?


Doug
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2019 4:47 am
First Name: Doug
Last Name: Money
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Fordor
Location: Braidwood, IL

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Doug » Fri Jan 28, 2022 3:33 am

On our motorcycles many have used solder and made a small ball of it. Then tapped it into the hole with a small hammer. Pick off the excess and you are good to go.


Jerry VanOoteghem
Posts: 2952
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
First Name: Jerry
Last Name: Van
Location: S.E. Michigan
MTFCA Number: 24868

Re: Sealing Carburetor Passages….

Post by Jerry VanOoteghem » Fri Jan 28, 2022 9:01 am

Steve Hughes wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 8:03 pm
Jerry: Yes I have done that. It has worked well.
Cool! Thanks!

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic