I am going to be re-building a stock FORD 2 barrel carb in the next week or so. I've never rebuilt a carb before but I know my way around cars pretty well.
Is there any thing I need to know before I get started?
Any helpful tips or tricks?
I rebuild those carbs on a daily basis, IF you have access to a bead blaster, bead the blast the damn thing. It'll clean off 99% of the crap on the carb. CLEAN IT WELL, blow it out with compressed air, make sure ALL of the passageways are perfectly clear. If you don't have access to a bead blaster, aquire a ****load of carb cleaner, maybe 7 or 8 cans, you want those passagesways as clean as possible against, blast it out with the air and carb cleaner, alternating to break everything loose and clean out the passages. If you have access to a smog machine, get it tuned, before any cats if you have them for some reason. 2 - 3 % CO at Idle, about 0.8 - 1.2% CO @ progression or 2500 RPMs (15MPh), and around .5% - 1% CO @ Cruise or 3700 RPMs(25MPh). If you cannot adjust your idle and it is TOO LEAN, take a small set of drill bits, mini drill bits, and drill out the idle jets to 0.032" each. That will give you great tuneability, depending on the model of the carb, the idle jets are located either on the bottom of the cluster, or on the top of the cluster under the two caps, on either side of the screw holding the cluster in. This will also richen up the progression. If your cruise is too lean, take a ream and ream it out a little bit, A LITTLE BIT GOES A LONG WAY. Fords are extremely sensitive to jetting changes, ONE jet size on a Ford can equal up to a 2 % CO change, causing too rich of an idle, progression, and cruise. Bad gas mileage and more. If you have ANY other problems, please PM me, and I will do my best to assist you.
EDIT: Other things to watch out for, your replacement power valve, make sure it is not blown, after you run the engine, pop off the bottom power valve cover, and make sure it is COMPLETELY DRY IN THERE, if it is not the power valve is blown. Also DO NOT reuse old gaskets, NEW NEW NEW NEW! All I can think of at the moment.
Get a carb rebuilding book at a car parts store or local hot rod shop, it gives many little tips before you start. The one thing I learned from my past experience is to check the throttle shaft to see if there is too much play. My present carb has too much play and no amount of adjustments can bring the idle down except to pull on the pedal with my foot. Backing the idle screw all the way out doesn't even help, which according to the book means a vacuum leak, which happened at the throttle shaft. Make sure you have a clean work area and don't lose the small parts!
Your 2100 is just about the simplest carb to rebuild. Don't
sweat it. Just keep everything as clean as possible. If the power valve wasn't blown before, it isn't going to be after the rebuild. One thing, if after the rebuild, it is running rich, and you turn in the idle jets all the way and it helps, the PV is blown.
Well my carb is actually an F-2. Its on my '63 fairlane Sports Coupe.
First of all what does the power valve do, and what does it look like? What are the symptoms of a blown power valve? Right now the car idles fine and is drivable, but if I step on the gas too quickly the car just dies. So I have to accelerate very slowly to keep it from dying. I want to make sure I eliminate that!
I have access to a bead blaster so I will use that to clean it up.