From the atmospheric pressure and faulty carburetor adjustment division of Tool of the Week comes the large dial vacuum gauge. As the Starlet was going through its bi-annual carburetor meltdown, the time was right to bust out the vacuum gauge to see what was going on. Spark was there for sure. There was plenty of air. That left fuel and fuel delivery as suspects. This particular vacuum gauge also checks for fuel pressure. Bonus! With a few extra lengths of hose and a t-connector, we first determined that the fuel pressure was in the correct range. A hose hooked up to a vacuum source below the carburetor base revealed that the engine was doing OK too. That left only one thing that could be wrong, and what we knew was wrong all along. Wacky float. The forward thinking bunch that designed this particular Aisin carburetor made it so the only way to adjust the float is to remove the air horn – or top, of the carburetor. Off came the carburetor for yet another fun-filled carburetor rebuild and float drop reset. With the carburetor and everything else bolted back into the Starlet, the vacuum gauge went back under the hood along along with a timing light to set the idle air-fuel mixture into the highest vacuum point sweet spot. And now for an official announcement. The next time this carburetor comes off the Starlet, it will not get rebuilt, or get bolted back on.
Find this very Fuel Pump and Vacuum Tester gauge here, or similar versions at other fine retailers.
Hmmm… Next time the carb comes off, it won’ t be getting rebuilt or reinstalled. To me, that says either engine swap or Megasquirt fuel injection. When does the other shoe drop? My money is going on fuel injection. 😉