Carb Spacer

[EZDuzIt]

Just got a new 2 barrel Rochester carb for my 76 Apollo with the Merc 165 L6. I'm blanking if the spacer goes above or below the base gasket. Makes sense to me it would get sandwiched between the base gasket and the carb but I just want to be sure. It's crazy what not installing a spacer or sometimes even a riser properly can do. Please advise or if you have any other pointers while I have the carb off. I have the idle mixture screws two and a half turns out from fully seated. I have the idle speed set to where I can just barely see the slats. Anything else I should be paying attention to? Cheers!

 

[jimmbo]

I would think a gasket would be on both sides of the spacer

 

[EZDuzIt]

I would think a gasket would be on both sides of the spacer

This is what originally came off of the original carb. That's the new base gasket that came with the new carb and the original spacer.

 

[jimmbo]

The Mercury Parts Catalogs(at least the ones I accessed) don't show any spacer between the Carb and Manifold. I would get a second Gasket

 

[Scott Danforth]

All carb spacers have a gasket on each side.

 

[EZDuzIt]

Here's where it's leaking

 

[jimmbo]

Oh, so now there is a Leak between the Carb Body and the Throttle Plate. That Gasket is part of any Carb Overhaul Kit.

There is no spacer between the Carb and intake in the video

 

[Fun Times]

Gasket Item numbers 43 and 44, https://www.mercruiserparts.com/bam/subassembly/30957/983/30

Missing gasket number 40 in the photo?

CARBURETOR ASSEMBLY

CARBURETOR ASSEMBLY

www.mercruiserparts.com

EXAUST MANIFOLD AND EXHAUST ELBOW

EXAUST MANIFOLD AND EXHAUST ELBOW

www.mercruiserparts.com

 

[jimmbo]

#44 is the Gasket for the Four bbl to 2 bbl Adapter, which was never discussed by the OP. He showed #43, along with a Spacer that isn't shown in the Parts List/Diagram

 

[EZDuzIt]

Oh, so now there is a Leak between the Carb Body and the Throttle Plate. That Gasket is part of any Carb Overhaul Kit.

There is no spacer between the Carb and intake in the video

I haven't taken the carb back off hoping a buddy who really knows what he's doing stops by to look at it. That is where it leaked since installed. I have the service manual and installed it by the book. I'm not carb savy so I was hoping just buying a new one, since I'm replacing a lot of other stuff as I slowly restore the boat, would be the way to go. I guess I was wrong. That thin, oddly shaped spacer isn't listed or mentioned anywhere in the manual.

 

[jimmbo]

It isn't shown in the Video you posted of the carb

 

[EZDuzIt]

Well y'all, two brand new carbs failed. The first one leaked like a sieve and the second one would not let the engine get under 2500 rpm without suffocating and dying. No matter what adjustment I did to he mixture screws it just wasn't having it. So I took the original carb to my boat guy. Parts for the original carb beyond a basic rebuild kit are very hard to find. The plunger on my original carb was SEIZED; bad! My boat guy just happened to have one old carb like mine laying around. The air horn and plunger were good on it so he put it on my carb and completely went through it. So for less than 1/3 of the cost of a new carb, I got mine rebuilt. Got it on EZ Duz It and she's running better than she ever has!! Lesson learned, rebuild don't buy a new carb.

 

[Scott Danforth]

rebuild don't buy a new carb.

exactly. that and there has not been a new rochester carb built in 30 years, just bad chinese clones doesnt help.

 

[jimmbo]

I agree that rebuilding the original Carb is the better choice. When you buy a Remanufactured carb, it is difficult to know if it is actually has the correct Fuel Delivery Curve, or if it was originally the carb it is being resold as. There is more to a Fuel Delivery Curve than just which Jets/Metering Rods are installed.