Do Carburator Rebuild Kits work?

[foxtower]

Had some time to "play", giving the old TO-30 a tune-up and looking at what improvements I can make toward slowly restoring the thing.... (in between jobs around the farm)

Then after adding the tune-up parts it wouldn't run! Thats when I took off the air hose to the carb and discovered that even after cranking a short time without the choke it drips $19.00 a gallon gas profusely! (Ok,I'm exagerating the price a gas a little...but only a little!)

I got it running by randomly replacing tune-up parts with the old ones... after the condensor and rotor were replaced with the old parts it ran again.. but it sure isn't running great. It likes to back fire and bog down... could this be related to the carb?

So I'm thinking of rebuilding the Oliver tsx-603 carburator on the thing... Has anyone tried a rebuild kit and is there a dealer that will more than likely provide reliable replacement parts for the kit?

Or should I just replace the carb (expensive!) with the tsx-458 it's "supposed" to have?

Any thoughts or experiences you have would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Mickey]

I'm not familiar with the engine or carb. Is it an up-draft or down-draft carb? From your comments you have some ign problems, at least with the condsensor and/or rotor. I'd also check on the timming.

Do carb kits work? depends upon what is wrong. Kit typ includes necessary gaskets, needle valve and seat for gas shut-off and if a down draft carb, an excellortor pump. Only if the problem is with one or more of these components will the kit help.

It may be for some reason the float and needle valve are not doing their job. I'd take the carb appart and check to see if float is working, it actually floats in gas and it is set for proper height. It may be time to take the carb appart, give it a GOOD cleaning, install the new parts and set the float level. Idle mixture screw is typ about 1.5-2 turns out from seated position. It is best set using a vac gage and set for max vac. Maybe slight in from max reading.

That about it for generic comments on possible causes.

[Ingersoll444]

Well being its the wrong carb, and its a leaker anyway, I would probably look for a new one, or at least a nice running, rebuildable one. Im not thinking thats your only problem, but its a good place to start.

[Kbeitz]

The carbs pretty simple... the gas pushes the float up stopping the gas from coming in... It the float tang got bent from the tractor bouncing around the float cant push the needle point valve up to stop the gas from coming in and it will drip... Or if the float is full of gas it wont float...
To adjust the carb, turn it upside down and level the float... Then try to blow (easy) air into the gas inlet... You should not be able to do this... Flip it back over and then try the air thing again... Now it should take air...

http://user.pa.net/~kbeitz/Post-em/carb%20-%20float.jpg

[Wingnut]

Marvel-Schebler the leakest carburetors in the world; a carb will for a while its a bad design.

It is run smooth just stop your tractor after used by turning off the fuel.

Marvel-Schebler = fuel on ground

[foxtower]

Mickey- Thanks! I've ordered a kit just so I have gaskets on hand for cleaning it.

Ingersoll444- Hmmm, I'd say I have many more problems than just the carb... slowly but surely I'll get there I'm sure. Then the fun part will be painting it!

Kbeitz- Thanks, good way to test it (though obviously it's going to fail now) I looked at replacement carbs..well beyong my budget, though it's interesting that the tsx-603 is much more costly than a typical Ferguson carb....

Wingnut- gee, it wasn't leaking at all last season, and ran great! I think winter took it's toll even though the carb was drained.

So thanks again for all your inputs... guess I'll try the rebuild kit from Walts .. now if I can just find the specs for the carb settings without purchasing and Oliver 55 manual....