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Thread: 1956 Buick Special carburetor troubles! Need some direction!

  1. #1
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    1956 Buick Special carburetor troubles! Need some direction!

    Hi all, I'm new around here and looking for some insight!

    I've got a 1956 Buick Special 4 door. The car underwent restoration in the late 80's, was used for parades and car shows for awhile, then went into storage in 1992 after the passing of the owner. I've pulled the car out of storage, and I'm trying to get it running again. I don't think it will take much, but I've got a problem with the carb.

    I had a friend helping me and we were just trying to see if it would fire and run at all. We bottle fed it gasoline out of a bottle one day while cranking it and it wanted to fire and was gurgling and putting along, but the choke was seized up and wasn't regulating the air mix correctly. Eventually, we got a big backfire, and gave up on it. Pulled the carb off (twisted two of the studs in the manifold off in the process) and inspected it. Took the cap off the end of the electric choke and it was completely corroded up. Won't budge.

    Now, that being said. The car has the 322 V8 I believe, with the Carter 2 barrel carb. I have looked all over the internet for the choke mechanism but I cannot find that part to save my life. The carb has the following written on it:

    Carter
    170-412
    1047 WGD 400S

    Does anyone out there know where I can get this choke mechanism for this carb?

    Any help is greatly appreciated! I'll post some pics up once I get her running!

  2. #2
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    Hi there,

    these carbs once and a while pop up on ebay. It is difficult to get single parts anywhere (especially at reasonable prices).

    Backfiring from the carb normally indicates too lean a mixture. I would suggest you also check the ignition before you retry starting her.

    As for the choke: You will only need it when cold-starting the old lady. So as long as you do not have a working mechanism, fixing the choke valve in a somewhat closed position while she is warming up, should also do.
    A bad solution is applicable to almost every problem !

  3. #3
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    56 special carb problems


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    So it's not so much that I don't understand how a carb works guys, although I appreciate the blatant diagram... It's more that I'm needing parts FOR my carb. I would leave the choke valve open and run it that way, but my problem is that the entire choke mechanism is seized up. I can't move the choke 'flapper' at all. That is unless I take the two screws out and pull the whole piece. There is no movement in the choke mechanism. I guess I'll have to break down and buy the entire carb, because it's
    not sounding like finding that individual piece is going to work.

  5. #5
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    One more thing-

    The car backfired while I had a friend hand pouring gasoline into the carb (while we ha not realized that the choke was seized) as I pumped the gas peddle. The car was somewhat running, but the combination of my pumping the throttle and his inconsistentcy pouring fuel plus the choke being partially closed was what caused it I believe. I don't think the ignition caused this, as that has been gone through already.

  6. #6
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    Hi,

    sorry, did not know the details.

    Okay, you said the choke mechanism ist stuck. Thus, I guess, you had the plastic cap off that is on the passenger side of the carb. But when you say the choke flap does not move at all, that sounds pretty much like the shaft is stuck, which again is going through the air horn / upper case half of the carb !?
    Or am I totally lost on the situation ?
    A bad solution is applicable to almost every problem !

  7. #7
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    Oh, one other thing:

    You might want to try them: http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/PartsCarter.htm

    ...but I found back then that a used core came cheaper than a set of jets.
    A bad solution is applicable to almost every problem !

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maikl View Post
    Hi,

    sorry, did not know the details.

    Okay, you said the choke mechanism ist stuck. Thus, I guess, you had the plastic cap off that is on the passenger side of the carb. But when you say the choke flap does not move at all, that sounds pretty much like the shaft is stuck, which again is going through the air horn / upper case half of the carb !?
    Or am I totally lost on the situation ?
    Correct. That shaft that holds the choke flap does go through the top of the carb itself. On the passenger side though (where that plastic cap covers the actual mechanism) it got corroded inside that cap and actually ate through the spring and seized up the actuator that moves that shaft. I've tried everything to lubricate that mechanism and scrape at it to get it to where it might be moveable, but no luck. I suppose I could just use a dremel to cut that shaft loose from the mechanism and move it by hand everytime I need to start the car. But I'd like to have it back to original and not half-@$$ this project. It's a nice car, and I think it deserves better than that! Lol

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    Okay, understood.

    But that sounds as if you will not get this decently done without removing the shaft and re-boring the shaft-bearings in the air-horn anyway, do you ?
    A bad solution is applicable to almost every problem !

  10. #10
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    Well I don't actually believe there are bearings in that body for that shaft? I pulled the three screws holding that choke mechanism on the passenger side and the one screw that holds the driver's side of that shaft to the throttle and slide the entire thing out (after I removed the flapper of course). That shaft just has holes that it slides in? I didnt notice any bearings?

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