[Coco]

Ok just a quick question will this Holley 64-5345 - Holley Remanufactured Carburetors - Suggested Parts - SummitRacing.com
A 289 1966 ford mustang without any extra parts.

[Boomyal]

They show that carb as applicable to your 66. However I do not believe it was OEM. I'm sure that the Autolite 2100 was the OEM carb.

What is and what is wrong with your current carb? Autolite 2100's are pretty bullet proof, and they are cheap to obtain.

[Coco]

well really nothing but lack of knowledge and help im only 15 and my dad said he would help but he dosen't really know anything. And he tells me this after i buy the car........ my uncle knows alot but he just got diagnosed with chrones =( so i just need to get this fixed i would like to rebuild the 2100 but i don't think i have the right knowledge to i dont even know how to remove it.. and i search how to and get no results =(

[Print Dad]

Hello Coco,
Couple of things from the old guy here
1. - Don't get upset with your Dad. Maybe he doesn't know much, but i bet the 2 of you could learn together. It would be cool to do a father son project. The way you both will learn is to ask questions, read books and go to car meets and ask more questions.. Sometimes even dads can learn.

2. - Why do you want to fix/ change the carb? What is it doing that makes you think it needs work. Perhaps there is another reason for your problem. is it skipping, stuttering, hard to start....what is the problem?

Lastly, as a Dad myself I gotta say ti is sometimes hard to admit that we don't know the answers but if he is willing to learn I bet you guys would have a great time.
Also remember Dad's generally have more money for projects.

Let us all help........ Print Dad

[The Greek]

I totally agree with Print Dad. If you get the reprint of the 1966 Mustang factory service manual, it shows you how to do the carb rebuild and it contains a lot of illustrations. Most of the Mustang parts dealers offer this manual and it doesn't cost a royal fortune to buy it. I have found that it is not only available in print form, but also on a CD. Don't get discouraged. We all had to start from where you are. Consider yourself fortunate to even own one of these classic cars at your age. When I was coming up there wasn't computors or forums or reproduction parts available. You are very young and you have time on your side. Check to see if your school district offers evening courses in automotives. Both you and your dad could attend and learn together. How cool would that be?

[Boomyal]

Also, if your car is still stock, it would be in your best interest to keep it that way.

[Boomyal]

Spend your money on something else the car needs and if your carb needs attention, learn how to deal with it. The 2100 is a very simple, efficient and durable carburetor. Here is a good link for you. Also a lot of rebuilding kits come with instructions.

Autolite 2100 Carburetor Rebuild

[Coco]

Ok i forgot to mention this the carburetor spits gas out like crazy so yeah definatly need a new carb =) it starts and then spits out gas.

[Coco]

But if i could find out how to take the carburetor out i probally would try to rebuild it so help is needed

[Boomyal]

Originally Posted by Coco

But if i could find out how to take the carburetor out i probally would try to rebuild it so help is needed

If you can't figure out how to get the carburetor out, how could you possibly figure out how to install a carb that was not even OEM to the car?

I'll give you a starting hint: Remove air cleaner, disconnect all linkages and hoses and make diagrams if necessary so you know what goes where. Undo 4 nuts at each corner of the carb base......

Gettin' the picture?

[Boomyal]

In other words, if you and your dad cannot figure out how to take the carbuerator off, and how to follow the simple instuctions in the link I provided above, you better have deep pockets to be able to hire it all done.

[Mn66emberglo]

There is some good council here. Get the shop manual for a 66 that will come in handy for a lot of other projects ($45). Get a rebuild kit($25). Those also have diagrams. Restoring cars is not cheap but can be done in manageable steps. Order yourself some free parts catalogs on the internet. CJ Pony, Macs, Mustang Unlimited, NPD are a few suggestions.

The carb looks intimidating to start. Once you tackle it you will learn it is not so bad. Easiest thing is to take of the air cleaner to get a good look.

Next before you remove any parts start taking some digital photos of each angle. Remove or unhook the linkages. Take a new set of photos. Put all the parts on a tray or something that you can ensure you dont loose anything. Keep taking photos as you remove something new. Easiest way to remember what goes where. The squirting gas could be as simple as dead float. Easy to replace. Complex problems get solved by breaking down the challenge into smaller parts and tackling one step at a time.

[Coco]

Well to boomyal I just meant the hoses.... They confuse me and look fragile and i don't want to mess them up.

And to Mn66 thank you very much for the advice im about to purchase a shop manual, and the pictures are i great idea.

Thank you all so much.

[tbunker]

I am only 22 myself. The original shop manual was one of the best investments I made. I use it all the time.

The digital photo thing is also a really, REALLY, good idea. I found that out the hard way.

Plastic containers with lids are also a really, REALLY, REALLLLYYY good idea. I found that out the really hard way.

I grew working on cars with the old man, but when I started tackling the carb stuff on my own, I even it was a little intimidating. But once you start digging into it with the shop manual and get talking to people who have lots of knowledge of how they work you won't find it so bad.

But the best pieces of advice I can give you is: be patient, take it slow, and think about what you want to do before you do something.

I agree with these guys about just rebuilding the 2100 Autolite. Awesome carburetor: super reliable, and good power for only being a 2BBL. Easy to work on. But also, you DON'T want to just go out and start buying carburetors and other parts before you figure out what you want to do down the road, and without doing lots of research. Trust me, I found that out the hard. lol.

Right now you might want to just stick with the ole reliable, easy to work on 2BBL but a few years down the road you may want to move up to a 4BBL.

My advice (remember, just my opinion), you should just rebuild the 2100 and then take your time to develop a long-term vision for the ole girl and do up a plan to achieve that goal: whether it be fixing it up to stock specs to keep for a long period or resto modding (performance upgrades: engine, driveline, suspension). It really helps to figure out where you are going and what to do. It also saves a bit of money too.

I understand this was a little long winded but I wanted to get advice best on my good and bad experiences as a young, classic, gear head.

Good luck man. It is truly fun and fulfilling.

[Joe Bean]

Coco, you are in the same place I was about 50 years ago. I bought a "race car" with 6 2-Barrel Stromberg 97 carbs on it and they all needed rebuilding. Plus, I didn't know a thing about carbs!

Through the years I learned how to rebuild them and knew why I always had a few pieces left over.

I believe that the best thing you can probably do right now is find a good (as in HONEST) carb rebuilder in your area and have him do it for a reasonable price. Carburetor science is getting to be a lost art nowadays with everything being electronically controlled fuel injection, so it might take some looking before you find the right guy.

In the meantime get a book on them and start reading. One I recommend is called HOLLEY Carburetors, published by H.P. Books. It is about Holley carbs, but describes the operation of a carburetor and their basic principles which apply to any carburetor.

Good luck Coco and don't give up, everyone has to start somewhere.