Okay. After sifting through some archives I have discovered a couple of things about the Holley 1920:

1. SlantSixDan is apparantly THE authority when it comes to these little carbs.

2. There is generally a TON of info on troubleshooting them on this board.


My question, however, is where is the BEST place to get rebuild kits? I know I can find one at NAPA, but are the Echlin kits worth my time and $?

Or, is there a reputable rebuilder I can just send mine to and have it done right from the get-go?

As always, thanks.

Eek! Repeatedly saying "Throw it away and put on a Carter BBS" doesn't make me an expert!

There're guys (Argentina Slantsixer) who've done more puttering around with 1920s and derivatives than I have. I know my way around them. They're pretty simple. Once they take a notion to stop working, though, they will stop working right, despite your best efforts.

Where to get a rebuild kit? I've tended to prefer Standard-Hygrade kits because they've tended to be made of somewhat better materials than other brands, but this info is a couple years old and might no longer be true. Afla Products has been a reliable supplier of kits for even tough-to-find applications, but they aren't really set up to deal with end users. If you catch 'em on a friendly day, they might sell to you, if you have your carb number ready (it's stamped on top of the float bowl adjacent to the fuel inlet fitting, starts with an "R" and ends with "S", "SA" or "SB").

AFLA products
1433 Fairbrook Dr.
Des Peres, MO 63131+4215
Phone: (314) 821-6037
Fax : (314) 821-6037

At this late date, your 1920 is sure to have serious wobble in the throttle shaft/bushing area (where the throttle shaft passes through the carb body). A carb kit doesn't contain parts to fix this; the body has to be rebushed by a competent machine shop. I used to have my throttle shafts rebushed by G&S Auto Machine, phone 303-795-1412. Don't know if they still do it, but when they did, the price included UPS return shipping.

A reputable rebuilder who'll do the job all the way correctly? Sure, that'll be

Old Carb Doctor
1127 Drucilla Church Road
Nebo, NC 28761
800-945-CARB or 828-659-1428.

But really, the Carters do tend to work better when set up right. What specific year and model are you working on?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

So modest. Serious props to Argentina-SlantSixer as well.

I've got a '72 Dart with a 225, 3 on the tree. No preference for me as to which make to use, Carter or Holley. Lord knows I've had my issues with Holley 2 bbls in the past. I've always heard Carters (of the larger variety) are easier to tune.

If the Carter is the way to go, where to find a quality remanufactured one?

Old Carb Doctor?

Don't want to steal your thread, but I have a 1920 question.

Anybody know where I can get BRASS floats for the 1920? I'm working toward building a 30's roadster powered by a slant, with three 1920's, sporting the glass float bowl from the 50's vintage 1904.

Roger

There is no such thing as a "quality remanufactured" anything, especially not a carburetor.

I don't believe Old Carb Doctor sells carbs outright; think he only does service work on the carbs you send him, but I could be wrong. Contact These people and These people to see if they have the core you need; best choice for your application is a Carter BBS carb number 4955. Wait, wait, Here's your core! Buy this guy, send it off to the Old Carb Doctor, and back will come a good carburetor that should run well for a long time.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Wow.

What can I say?

Thanks.

Ya cain't. They don't exist.

It's possible you could adapt the brass float from one of those glass-bowl ("Visi-Flo") Holleys to work, but it would involve bending the inlet needle contact tab more than 90 degrees, which may or may not break it off.
[/quote]

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Okay, last question (yeah, right).


What about the choke and throttle linkage if I switch to the Carter?

Choke and throttle linkages will all hook up directly, as will all hoses. Fuel line enters from front, instead of from side. No big deal, do the fuel line mod and solve a bunch of problems at once.

Can also replace aging choke thermostat, if necessary. The electric choke conversion kit's the better deal. Whole kit will cost about the same as a replacement original type choke thermostat, or less. The kit you need for your 2bbl setup is a number 1232.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Just to clear something up: My '71 shop manual lists the Carter BBS as the carb used on the 198. Wouldn't it be to small (in CFM's) to work properly on a 225? Or, was a different Carter used on the 225 in other years/applications?

The BBS was used on the 198 in '70-'71, and not on the 225 from the factory in the US. But, there stopped being a CFM difference between carbs for different-size slant-6s in 1966. For 1967, both the 170 and the 225 got the larger-throttle-bore (1-11/16") carburetor size, regardless of whether the carb was a Carter or a Holley.

So, no. This particular BBS works great on 225s.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks for clearing that up Dan.

Slant6Dan:

I picked up the Carter you found for me. Nice find. Its an old rebuild, never re-installed. Seems quite clean. Great deal for $25. Thanks again.


Talked to the Old Carb Doctor as well. Really nice guy. I gotta put together some $$$ for a proper rebuild from him.


Did a mock up fit of the Carter and you're right, throttle and choke linkages seem to match right up. There are some other vaccuum nipples that perplex me though. My 1920 had four lines running to the carb: Charcoal cannister and PCV (both large hoses running to manifold vaccum) and distributor and air leaner (small hoses running to metered vaccum). Carter has only one large manifold nipple (passenger side) and one metered (pass side also). There appears to be two additional vaccuum nipples on the other side (high and low, both small). I'm pretty sure one of these (metered) runs to the air cleaner -- cap the other?

As for the passenger side, do I run manifold vaccuum to the cannister and just replace the PCV with a breather?

No problem.
And very capable, too.
Air cleaner gets manifold vacuum, not ported (you say "metered").
Just took a look at a pic of your specific carb; it's missing one nipple. See that hole that's at the same level as the fuel inlet, 90 degrees away on the passenger side? That's your float bowl vent. Needs a nipple just like the PCV nipple, and that's where your charcoal canister hooks up. You can maybe rob a nipple off your 1920.

Small diameter "metered" on the passenger side of the Carter: Distributor advance.

Small diameter manifold vacuum at the lower level on the driver's side: Air cleaner.

Small diameter manifold vacuum, upper level, driver's side: Choke pull off (missing from this carb unless the seller included it)

Large diameter manifold vacuum, passenger side: PCV

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

[/quote]

As a matter of fact, many argentinian 1920 (not the 1922 I told you guys about) had brass floats. I'm gonna see if I can track them down and see how much they cost. Don't rattle my cage, though, I have to find an appropiate schedule hole to do so.

I've sent SSD some argentinian parts for slants that are way easier to get (and kinda cheaper even including the shipping) than up there. Perhaps Dan can comment on the goods quality.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.