Need help with 1978 124 Spider Carb (32ADFA 102)

[AbuBee]

I've never built a carb, never repaired a carb, or tuned a carb. I need help!

I got a repair kit for my 32ADFA 102 Carb (just to rebuild and make sure everything's skookum for reinstall) and my buddy who's great with carburated engines was going to help. However thanks to Corona, we're under shelter in place orders. I have other stuff I want to do to the car, but I REALLY wanna rebuild this carb to try and get this thing running.

I've looked everywhere and haven't found anything on how to rebuild these carbs. I found one video, but it does't seem to be for the same carb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGLFNpkbURs

I'm thinking about recording a video of the dismantling process in order to understand how it works and be able to send that to my friend to help communicate what needs to be done, but I don't wanna mess anything up just by dismantling. Can anyone help? I'd love to skype someone or just get some tips or resources to make this easier.

This is the repair kit I got: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/wa ... /124?pos=0

I can't keep staring at this thing, I WANT IT FIXED!

Thanks boys!

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I've never built a carb, never repaired a carb, or tuned a carb. I need help!

Well, you've come to the right place. But gosh, where to start...? A few general thoughts:

1. If you ask 10 people for advice on Weber carbs, you'll get about 15 answers, and some of those might be correct. That's rule #1.

2. Webers are very "tune-able", but with that comes a complex design that can cause you to pull your hair out.

3. Take pictures. From the top (air cleaner removed), and from all 4 sides. Take pictures as you disassemble.

4. Rebuild kits typically don't include every last gasket or seal or widget that you might need, but they do contain the common ones.

5. The general order is: (after taking pictures) Remove the linkages to the choke rods, remove the float bowl cover (usually 5 screws), remove the various side devices like the choke mechanism, accelerator pump, etc. Remove the various jets, marking each as to whether they came from the primary barrel or secondary barrel sides, spray carburetor cleaner through the various holes, clean out the float bowl if it has sediment or rust, clean the various jets (main, idle, air corrector, emulsion tube). Reassemble. Do not use RTV or the like or any surface.

6. I strongly suggest NOT taking out the choke plates or removing the throttle plates unless you absolutely must. The screws are very easy to strip, and once they come out, they often do not retighten. The last thing you want to do is have a throttle plate screw come loose and be sucked into your intake manifold at 6000 rpm....

7. Fortunately, no toilet paper or hand sanitizer is required to rebuild a Weber (at least not for the carb), so you're in luck there.

One thing that I have found helpful is to understand what each of the parts do, and fortunately, there are a lot of resources out there on the Web that discuss the theory of operation, troubleshooting, etc. I think there is even a guide for the 32ADFA out there somewhere.

Feel free to come back for more!

-Bryan

[aj81spider]

Bryan's advice is good. I'll add my experience as well as offer some resources.

I knew nothing about carburetors and rebuilt my DMSA. As Bryan suggests, take lots pictures of it on and off the car. When you think you've taken every angle take some more. I thought I had taken every angle and when putting it back together there were a few head scratching moments.

I did mine in my garage. I put down a big piece of paper on the floor next to me and took notes (in a notebook, not on the paper). As I removed something I took pictures of it, took notes that referenced the pictures, and then - most importantly - I drew a box on the paper, put a number in it and put the screws and pieces taken off in that step in the numbered box. That way, when I put it back together again I checked my notes, my pictures, and got the right pieces out of the right numbered box so I was sure I was using the right screws and pieces for that step. Here's a picture of the paper in action:



I have a Fiat guide on the ADFA, as well as an exploded diagram. The guide does not go over rebuilding the carb, but it does provide a pretty extensive theory of operation and guidelines on how to adjust it on and off the car. If you don't have it PM me your email address and I'd be happy to send it to you.