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No matter how meticulous you are about routine maintenance and
tune ups, every
carburetor needs to be rebuilt from time to time, if for no
other reason than
to clean fuel residue and debris out of the internal passages.
Rebuilding
the carburetor also gives you the opportunity to closely
examine its
components and look for signs of excessive wear and tear.
Most parts in the carburetor are designed to last for the life
of the carburetor
(which should last for the life of the engine, or longer), but
there are a few wear-out
items that should be replaced occasionally. Those parts are
primarily rubber (or
rubber-like) diaphragms and valves, which can deteriorate with
age and continuous
exposure to the volatile chemicals in fuel.
Fortunately, the Motorcraft 2150 is one of the easiest
carburetors to work on.
Even if you've never rebuilt a carburetor before, chances are
you'll be able to
rebuild your Motorcraft 2150 carburetor without any problems.
This section describes how to rebuild a Motorcraft 2150 2V
carburetor using a
standard rebuild kit available from any auto parts store.
Rebuilding
the carburetor includes the following procedures:
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Removing the carburetor from the engine
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Disassembling and inspecting the carburetor
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Cleaning the carburetor components
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Re-assembly with rebuild kit parts
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Adjusting the choke linkage and float level
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Re-installing the carburetor on the engine
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Adjusting the idle mixture and idle speed
Carburetor rebuild kits
You can get carburetor rebuild kits at almost any automotive
parts store,
including all the major chain stores.
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NOTE:
Most stores will not let you return any carburetor rebuild
kit for a
refund if the shrink-wrapped box that contains the parts is
opened.
Check the rebuild kit in the store before you buy it
to
make sure that the parts box is sealed, and do not
break the
seal until you are ready to start using the parts to
re-assemble
the carburetor.
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Rebuild kits typically include all the parts you need to
rebuild and
overhaul the carburetor, including:
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Above: Typical contents of 2150 rebuild kit.
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Fuel inlet valve needle/seat and splash shield
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Accelerator pump diaphragm, elastomer bowl valve, and check
valve ball
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Power valve
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Assorted gaskets, seals, and spacers
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Tamper-proof choke cap screws and limiting caps for idle
mixture
screws (some kits)
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Instruction sheet with exploded view parts diagram and list
of settings for
choke adjustment and float level
Each carburetor rebuild kit is designed to be used with several
different versions
(or calibrations) of the carburetor. Some kits include two
different versions of
certain gaskets and other components to fit different versions
of the carburetor.
To maintain the original carburetor’s performance
characteristics, the most
important part in the rebuild kit is the power valve.
Because there are so many minor variations of the Motorcraft
2150 carburetor, and
so many different calibrations of each particular variant, you
really need to have
the carburetor ID code (found on the carburetor tag) to make
sure you get the
correct kit for your carburetor.
Carburetor ID tags
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Above: Carburetor ID tag on Motorcraft 2150.
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The carburetor ID tag is a small piece of sheet aluminum
stamped with the
carburetor ID code and the carburetor’s build date. The
carburetor ID tag is
usually attached to the carburetor by the front left screw on
the carburetor
top.
Carburetor ID codes are Ford part numbers, without the main
part identification
number (9510). Carburetor ID codes have a four-character prefix
that identifies the
application (for example, D8TE — 1978 truck) and a two- or
three-character suffix
that identifies the calibration (for example, BAA).
Refer to
this page
if you are not familiar with Ford part numbers and ID codes.
If you don't have the original metal tag on your carburetor,
you have two
options to get the correct kit for your carburetor:
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Find another vehicle exactly like yours — same year, model,
engine, transmission,
optional accessories, emissions system, etc. — and record
the carburetor ID
code from the carburetor ID tag on that vehicle.
(The ideal would be to find a vehicle with the same engine
calibration
code as yours.)
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As a last resort, you can use a rebuild kit manufacturer’s
catalog to find
your vehicle and engine application. This really is a last
resort, though,
because there were usually several different calibrations
for a particular
vehicle-engine-transmission combination, and the parts
catalogs rarely give
enough information to determine exactly which kit should be
used.
You might be able to correlate some information from a rebuild
kit
catalog with the M-block carburetor application tables on
this page
. These tables cover most 1971 to 1982 car and truck
applications,
though truck applications are listed in more detail.
Advice for the novice
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of rebuilding a carburetor.
The first
time my girlfriend (now my wife) saw me rebuild my Motortcraft
2150 in the
kitchen of her apartment, she referred to it as “open-heart
surgery,” but
it’s really not that difficult.
If you’ve ever built scale model kits of airplanes or cars,
you’ll find
rebuilding a Motorcraft 2150 carburetor to be a piece of cake.
If you have
the aptitude (and patience) for dealing with small parts, the
ability to
understand an exploded view drawing, and a sense of adventure,
you can do it.
If you’ve never rebuilt a carburetor before, you should
allocate a minimum
of three days to do it. You’ll spend most of that time waiting
for parts to soak
in cleaning solvents, so it’s not like three days of continuous
work. A long
holiday weekend is just fine.
Make sure you have a clean place to work, with at least 8-10
square feet of
flat, horizontal work surface. A dining table works fine. I
like to use a clean
terrycloth towel on the work bench to catch any little parts
that drop, so they
don’t fall on the floor or bounce off into oblivion. A
light-colored towel makes
it easier to see those little parts.
You’ll also need an area with good ventilation to work with the
cleaning solvents.
Carburetor cleaners are chock full of volatile organic
compounds, and they are
both flammable and highly toxic. I recommend working with the
cleaning solvents
outdoors, if at all possible. (Not in your girlfriend’s
kitchen!)
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