Installing a Pinto carburetor may seem like it involves highly technical work. However, the process only require basic tools and an understanding of automotive mechanics. With standard garage tools available at any hardware store, you can upgrade the air-fuel mixing unit on your old Pinto in about an hour or two with a brand new carburetor.
Instructions
- 1
Open the car hood and prop it up. Locate the car battery and disconnect it using a crescent wrench. Locate the carburetor attached to the intake valve bolted to the top of the engine block -- the unit responds when the throttle pedal is pushed and has fuel lines connected to it. Identify the throttle cable which activates the carburetor. Disconnect this apparatus from the carburetor by unhooking it from the carburetor throttle slide hook and set it aside.
2Locate the fuel line connected to the carburetor. Loosen this line with a crescent wrench and pull it apart from the carburetor. Have a shop rag underneath to catch any residual fuel.
3Use a crescent wrench to loosen the intake valve nuts that connect the old carburetor to the engine intake valves. Separate the carburetor and pull it free of the engine. Dont tip the carburetor or fuel will spill out of it. Insert a shop rag into the intake valves to prevent contamination of the engine.
4Use a plastic spreader to scrape off the old gasket material from the intake valve mating surface if any is hanging on. Continue until the surface is clean.
5Unpackage the new carburetor. Remove the shop rag from intake valves and place the new mating gasket that comes with the carburetor on the valves. Position the new carburetor unit so it lines up with the valve bolts. Tighten the bolts to secure the carburetor onto the engine, securing each nut in an X pattern. Double-check youve removed all rags from the valves so nothing gets sucked into the engine.
6Attach the fuel line, throttle cable and vacuum lines if applicable to the new carburetor. Tighten each one down with a crescent wrench.
7Check that youve wiped up any spilled fuel sitting on the engine or nearby. Reconnect the car battery. Pull the car choke cable to activate the carburetor. Start up the engine. Tune the carburetor idle and mixture screws with a screwdriver as necessary until the car runs normal. Close the hood.
