Farmall A Carburetor Repair

[DJ in NH]

Hi folks,
I have a 1944 Farmall A with a Zenith 52499 / 9752 carburetor that is in pretty rough shape that needs to be repaired or replaced. A complete repair kit is $ 55 while a new Zenith carb is $ 400. This is what I found so far. One of the mounting flange holes on the carb to intake manifold is broken. Have a fix for that one. Not pretty but it works. The brass shaft for the choke butterfly broke in two. The repair kit supplies both throttle & choke butterfly shafts complete with the brass bushings.

Need some help with the following. How do remove the brass butterfly shaft bushings & replace with the new ones ?

What is the best way to remove & replace the brass Welch plugs ? Should you use something like a Loc Tite product or install the new plugs dry ?

There is a brass Welch plug located at end of the throttle butterfly shaft. Not sure if that plug needs to be removed to remove the shaft or is there a passage way located there that needs to be cleaned out.

I ran the carburetor through a ultrasonic parts cleaner numerous times but will also run a wire through the passage ways as well. Thanks for any helpful info or tips you may provide.

 

[riverbend]

I don't have an A so other guys may have other opinions.

Is the carb cast iron or aluminum alloy ?

Warm up the carb body and press out the old bushings. If it is alloy you may have to support the body when you push out the old bushings. You might need to make a stepped mandrel too. The new bushings may have to be reamed to the shaft size, it depends on how they were made. Reaming throttle shaft bushings takes a piloted reamer to do it right. It will probably work even if it isn't perfect.

I have never had to remove the brass plugs to clean a carb but they may not have been as bad as yours. Drill a small hole through the plug and lever it out. If you use a sealer make sure that is fuel proof.

I don't think there is a passage at the end of the throttle shaft. My I&T manual does not show a sectional drawing of the Zenith carb.

What did you do the fix the flange ?

 

[grandpa Love]

I agree..... Never had to remove brass plugs, if it ain't broke........

 

[DJ in NH]

Thanks Riverbend and grandpa Love for your help and guidance.
The carburetor is cast iron. The fix for the broken flange is really not much of a repair. Where the flange broke it left a narrow piece protruding from the body of the carburetor. My late dad simply took a square nut and ground one side flat that would allow the nut to catch under the flat spot on the broken flange. Not very pretty to look at but the tractor ran like that for a long time.

So it sounds like the brass shaft bushings can be either pushed through the body of the carburetor and out or pull them out from the way they went in.

I think I will order the repair kit and give it a try. The tractor has been sitting covered in my back yard and hasnt been run for 20 + years. I know the value of a Farmall A is pretty low even when fully restored but it has a lot of sentimental value. Once again thanks for your response.