carburetor questions and identification

[tone]

I'm a newb and I'm having a hard time identifying the carb on my 64 Barracuda (3sp with a 273)... at some point a previous owner replaced the factory carb with what I believe to be a holley reman'ed 64-1166 carburetor, based on the box that the old factory carb was in. There are no tags on it. It's got various factory castings on the different parts, but I'm under the assumption that there isn't any easy way to identify it for sure without the actual tags, since it's a carter. Anyone have any ideas? I've attached a picture of the carb. Definitely looks like a Carter BBD of some variety, but no clue past that ..

I've been having fuel issues that I'd like to believe are carb related (poor idle, despite fiddling with the mixture screws - to keep it running, I have to have the choke partially out) ... I have a feeling there's some sort of vacuum leak and I'm not sure where to really start looking. If it's got throttle, it runs relatively smooth. I've done timing and replaced the points, rotor, cap, etc.

The car hasn't been run much in recent years, to the best of my knowledge - I have a suspicion that the carb might just need a good cleaning and rebuild.

Also, one more general question - forgive my lack of vocabulary, but what's the purpose of the plate with the hole in it on the passengers side of the carb, right below the vacuum hose that the choke cable bracket is attached to?

Feel free to educate me if I'm missing something obvious (and I hope I am) - I'm new to mopars and don't have much past a basic understanding of how carburetors work.

 

[tone]

No takers?

 

[torquehouse]

It is a Carter BBD. Most parts houses will sell you a carb kit that pretty much covers the range of years in which the carb was used. The most important settings are the float level and accelerator pump settings particular to the year carb you have. Following the basic instructions in the kit should at least get you up and running again. They're pretty simple carbs.

The "plate with a hole in it" that you referred to is the automatic choke well cover. Looks like someone has removed the bi-metal coil that sits below the cover and operates the choke linkage, and replaced it with a manual choke cable.

In searching for vacuum leaks, first check the carb mounting bolts/studs/nuts. Make sure the carb is bolted down tight. Look for vacuum lines that might be cracked, split or loose fitting on their ports.

If the car has been sitting for a while, check the fuel filter and make sure the fuel is fresh. Gasoline deteriorates over time and can turn into a varnish-like substance in the tank, lines, carb and filter. Check all the rubber lines in the fuel system for cracks or splits, as they can allow air into the system and cause fuel delivery problems as well. Follow the lines back from the carb, to the fuel pump, and under the car all the way to the tank. Lastly, don't rule out that the fuel pump can be bad. Check the oil dipstick. If the oil smells like gas, the fuel pump diaphragm could be leaking (going bad). Kinda common for a vehicle that has been sitting.

Hope this helps.

 

[tone]

Thanks torquehouse. I'll check those things out next time I work on it.