BJ/BK carb baseplates

[Mark65]

Is it possible to re-bush the (primary) throttle spindle holes in Holley BJ/BK baseplates?  I don't have a feeling for how much play is acceptable, but there is definitely some side-to-side movement.  I'm currently using replacement 600 CFM baseplates but I would like to get the originals back onto the original carb bodies if possible. Unfortunately it looks like someone was a bit frisky with a drill so all the primary blades in the original baseplates have a 3/32" hole in them - does that matter?  Also how difficult is it to remove the blades and re-stake them?  The car is for street use, not race and it's a 427 with a low riser. 
Many thanks, Mark.

[Drew Pojedinec]

Yes you can rebush them, it isn't hard.  95% of the time I get asked to do it, it is not required.
Remember that the original BK/BJ throttle shafts are NOT steel.  Many times the shaft itself is twisted or bent. 

early 1850 baseplates are the same, look for the casting "empire" on the front corner, same as several GT baseplates as well (but not all).  1850-3 and later baseplates have a large pcv/ 3/8 nipple on the side.  The channel can cause a vacuum leak on many intakes.  Running a spacer cures this, but it's something to check.

You can plug the hole in the butterflies, or you can replace them.  They will be 109 plates for the primary and 118 for the secondary.
I don't restake, I use loctite.  Just a tiny drop, purple is good for most usage, blue can be used but be very careful as a lil too much can make it impossible to remove them.  I use blue sometimes, but I install them, wait a few minutes and break them loose again, it'll provide nice drag without them being totally stuck.  Still purple is safer.

[Mark65]

That's interesting, thanks.  Is there a way I can tell if they actually do need re-bushing?  I live in the UK so I'd have to find someone competent if they do need to be done.

[Drew Pojedinec]

Well, they wear in an oval, not just a larger circle, so get a tiny snap gauge and see how bad it looks. 
The bushings themselves are super cheap, the reverse piloted reamer is a bit more expensive.

I know this line of thinking may go against convention, but people often think a vacuum leak there is the end of the world.  Well, if there is, it isn't massive, typically a tiny mixture screw adjustment brings it back in line.  Once the throttle plates open air is going to take the path of least resistance, and that is out the airhorn, so again, not a big deal.

I also have folks tell me that fuel leaks out the shafts, so it needs bushings.
If fuel is leaking out of the shaft it is because it is leaking out of the booster or transition slot on shutdown.  The issue is the fuel leakage, not the shaft.  Either lower the float level a hair, replace needle/seat, or insulate carb better from intake heat.

I don't know what it costs to mail stuff between EU countries, but I'm sure Tobbemek on this forum could do the job easily (he is in Sweden)

[Mark65]

OK, thanks Drew

[Tobbemek]

Hi Mark65. This is "Tobbemek" from Sweden. I does all sorts of carb-work like the customers demand,
from tune-ups to fully restorations. If you want me to help you out, i will be glad to do so.
You can look me up at Facebook " Torbjorn Tobbe Kristiansson" where i provide allot of my work. 

[Tor]

Hei Tobbe
Klarer du og få tilbake den orginale oliven grønne farven som er på BJ/BK forgasserene? Evnt hva koster det?

Tor

[Heo]

I can recomend Tobbe he did a nice job on my metanol coroded
lump and made a god working carb out of it

[Drew Pojedinec]

Hei Tobbe
Klarer du og få tilbake den orginale oliven grønne farven som er på BJ/BK forgasserene? Evnt hva koster det?
Tor

I've spent a little time studying this (ok fine, I obsessed over it for two years).  They weren't originally really green, just the yellow fades sooner leaving a more greenish cast.  It's kinda just how the chemicals in the castings survive.  Some castings want to be greener or more yellow by nature simply by the metals that make up the alloy.  Adding more sodium dichromate to your batch and hitting a lower ph like 1.1 helps the green emerge from the start, but very casting dependent.  Just my two cents.

[Tobbemek]

For some years there have been some posts on different forums where both drew and i have put in som thoughts on the subject of "finding the right old Holley color" and others to for that matter whit more knowledge. 1 What is the right "Holley color"?  the older late -50 to earley-60 carbs i renovates is clearly to the goldish look. Some later -60 High Performance carbs are looking more greenish yes but its hard to tell what they looked 50 years ago.
Like Drew says,  i don't know what color this particular casting will turn out when dryed and cured.
they all com out slightly different depends on the metal in the casting and the corrodes  over the years and even the contaminating to the metal deep in the pours. Even after cleaning, ultrasound, blasting and chemical treatment it will never bee the same as the castings came fresh and shiny straight from the foundry.
Most of my carbs come out looking to the green-grey look.
I think one must have several different chromate baths to ply with fore the same carb and just try and error to find a specific color and every try has to sitt for at least 2 days to cure. You can see the problem now to say " no problemo" i can color you carbs to the color what ever you think is the right color for your Holleys. I have never had a customer yet to complain about the color.
This question has been disgust for carters and rochester carbs too and the answer was that they used what ever color that was in "the run" fore the moment, mostly att the gooldish look.
 
 

[Tobbemek]

Tor you have to ask me privately for prices on my Facebook for example  "Torbjorn Tobbe Kristiansson" and not here on Jays Forum. I think its ok to talk about cost and prices on others Forums for parts and work in general ,but not "how much i take for this and that".