How to Clean a Ford Carburetor
Flooding, acceleration stumble or other performance problems are commonly caused by the presence of dirt, varnish or other foreign matter within the carburetor. Ford carburetors are not immune to these problems. Ford used several types of carburetors, including one-barrel, two-barrel and four-barrel carburetors. The vast majority of carburetors used by Ford were models produced by Autolite, although carburetors manufactured by Holley did appear on certain high-performance applications. No matter which type of carburetor is used, all carburetors used by Ford can be cleaned easily with the same method.
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Instructions
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1
Remove the air cleaner assembly from the top of the carburetor. The air cleaner assembly is attached to the carburetor with a single wing-nut, which sits on top of the air cleaner lid. With the wing-nut removed, the air cleaner assembly can be lifted off the carburetor.
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2
Spray a liberal amount of aerosol carburetor cleaner, commonly found at most auto parts supply stores, onto the exterior of the carburetor and allow the cleaner 10 minutes to soak into the deposits on the carburetor. Take care not to spray the cleaner down the carburetor's throat.
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3
Scrub the exterior of the carburetor with a small wire brush to remove any deposits.
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4
Locate the throttle linkage on the driver's side of the carburetor. This linkage is connected to the accelerator pedal inside the vehicle. When the accelerator is depressed, the linkage is pulled to allow fuel and air to pass through the carburetor.
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5
Start the engine and allow it to warm up.
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6
Spray the aerosol carburetor cleaner down and around the throat of the carburetor with the engine running to clean the deposits within the carburetor. The engine will likely slow down as the cleaner reaches the combustion chambers. To prevent the engine from stalling, pull the accelerator linkage located in Step 4 toward the windshield to raise the speed of the engine.
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Tips & Warnings
Extinguish all flames, as aerosol carburetor cleaner is flammable. Immediately consult a physician if the carburetor cleaner is ingested, as its chemicals can be harmful or fatal if swallowed.
