Guest 49340 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) I bought a 1938 Buick Special 40 about 9 months ago. Carburetor problems are driving me and my mechanic crazy. Is there another carburetor and adapter plate for this car that will allow me install a different carburetor? I have tried two from Carb-X which did not work as advertised and could not recommend their services. Finding a rebuilt Stromberg AAV 1 isn't going well. Does anyone know where I can get either a new Stromberg (completely rebuilt that is) or the above mentioned adapter and two barrel of a different make? Edited April 15, 2017 by 49340 spelling (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Stromberg carburetors are engineered well and not difficult to deal with. Are you sure you are having carburetor problems? A Buick of that vintage is not difficult to tune or dial in. I suspect you have a different or multiple problems. Start with the basics. Do a compression check, put the distributor on a Sun distributor testor, go through the primary and secondary of the ignition system, then check fuel delivery, volume and pressure........you need both, often a problem, then when all of them is done, look at the carburation. Finding an experienced local mechanic can be difficult to impossible. Join the Buick club, and post in the Buick section of this site. It shouldn't be too difficult to get your problems fixed. IMPORTANT- Don't give up, it can take hours before you get it all sorted. Short cuts and guessing at problems will just get you buried deeper. Take you time.....you will get it. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Ed is absolutely correct ! What symptoms does the engine exhibit ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pont35cpe Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 An alternative, Carter WCD, 3 bolt with starter switch in the base, was used on the 248 Buick engines, should bolt right up to your engine. Are you sure the carburetor is your problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 49340 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 My mechanic is old school and knows carburetors. The whole electrical system has been checked, compression, etc. It was running extremely rich and, later, the carburetor leaked gasoline from every orifice when the engine was turned off. The fuel pump has been replaced. The car has a new gas tank. The lines are clean. We are back to the carburetor again. I would just like to know if there is a replacement carb out there or an adapter and carb for this vehicle. The car has been off the road for months. When it ran, it ran great except for the rich fuel mixture. We have been down every line we could think of to work on this thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 49340 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Pont35cpe, thanks for the alternative. A quick look on the web is giving me tons of rebuild kits but no carburetors. I will keep looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 You might find this link at least interesting: http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Buick_1937_1938_carburetors.htm The problem with the 1938 Stromberg is the automatic choke. No professional in his/her right mind is going to guarantee one of these chokes to function like a choke; and if the choke doesn't function correctly, the engine may be extremely rich. Be careful in changing to a different carburetor, as the linkage on the 1938 Buick may throw you a curve ball. Other than the Delco choke, the original Stromberg used on the 1938 Buick is virtually bulletproof. If you live in a moderate climate, have your mechanic adjust the choke so IT NEVER CLOSES! Cold starting may be a minor issue, but it can be done; and this should eliminate a carburetor issue (well, assuming your new fuel pump doesn't produce excessive pressure). Jon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) The Carb leaking after shutoff is hot soak. Running too rich could be too high fuel pressure, leaking is fuel expansion and boiling after shutdown due to heat. Carb and idle circuit should be calibrated for E10, anyways running rich should be easy to solve without Carb replacement. Old school from the sixties and seventies is not pre war old school. If your only issue is fuel mixture it should be reasonable to just dial in the Carb or fix what's wrong. Check fuel system for proper venting on the tank also. The car should be placed on a five gas analyzer and a chassis dyno if available. Don't assume you carburetor is correct for your application. Chang overs and swap outs are common seventy years later. Get the Stromberg prints for the car application, check linkage, and jets. Use pin gauges to be sure the jets are not drilled out......common problem. These are good cars without known engineering issues, tens of thousands were built. Keep looking, you will find it. The five gas will point you in the right direction. Ed Edited April 15, 2017 by edinmass (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Carb king beat me while I was typing.........he is the grand master on carbs here......Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 49340 Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 The automatic choke is working like it should. Dare I say, perfectly? Anyway, the quest shall continue to get her running. Hopefully, Mon. or Tues. my mechanic and I will get back at it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 32 minutes ago, 49340 said: The automatic choke is working like it should. Dare I say, perfectly? Anyway, the quest shall continue to get her running. Hopefully, Mon. or Tues. my mechanic and I will get back at it again. Where are you located? Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 (edited) 49340........Just a comment..........We regularly rebuild Stromberg pre war carbs and they "don't leak out of every orifice" , installing a "rebuild kit" is NOT how you rebuild a carburetor. We re machine all gasket surfaces, remove EVERY single part, plug, shaft, everything comes apart down to its most basic component. We then mechanically clean the castings, then chemically clean it, then treat the casting with the original finishing process........install new shafts and butterflies to eliminate air leaks, ect. We also remove manifolds and re machine them to be sure they are flat and don't have vacuum or exhaust leaks, clean and seal the tank, clean the lines, rebuild the pump with the same detail as the Carb, then make Modifications for E10, and then tune the ignition system , and bench set the Carb before we install it. Then we start the car, check for leaks, check fuel pressure, then road test. Last we put the car on a five gas analyzer and chassis dyno. That is how you rebuild a carburetor. Also having two mechanics that each have forty years of extensive experience with early carbs goes a long way to solving the problems most of the time. And yet we still sometimes struggle to get a car set up and dialed in. It isn't easy! Edited April 16, 2017 by edinmass (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 49340 Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Hi Ben. I am in MD at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 49340 Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 I appreciate your comment edinmass. CarbX supplied the rebuilt carbs that I tried. The one, the original, my mechanic redid did not leak. I am afraid that I did not state myself clearly in my original post. I would really like to put a new (rebuilt) carb on the car and get it out of my mechanic's garage. CarbX left a very bitter taste in my mouth, but I am willing to buy a rebuilt carb and exchange mine for core price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 49340, please scroll down to the Buick Club forums, to the Pre-war forum and explain your problem. There are several folk there that can/will help. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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