Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

[Mike2140]

Hello,

I am trying to remove the carb from my 1980 Mercruiser 228 in order to get it into the shop for a rebuild. It's a rochester Quadrajet Carb. I have the throttle cable and mounting bolts taken off. I can't figure out how to get the choke linkage or the fuel line off.

Here's a picture of the choke linkage:



How do I take this off of the engine block? Do I unscrew the screw that's holding it onto the engine block at the bottom? Or do I take out one of the pins in the linkage?



I know that I need to unscrew the fuel line, but I can't seem to get a wrench back there. Is there a special tool I need that can wrap around the fuel line and ratchet, or do I really need to remove the entire thermostat assembly + hoses to get it off?

Thanks!
-Mike

 

[84EdH]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Mike, look at the arm coming up from the little house on the manifold, it goes through a slot and there is a small hat keeper there. it has a slot with a smaller hole that keeps the arm, and a larger hole to let it slide off. use a small screw driver and pop it off. for the fuel line, the easiest thing to do is take the small fuel line off. a line wrench is the best way. you dont want to mangle that nut or you'll be buying fuel line. you might need to hold the big nut still to take the little one off. sometimes taking the water hose or a vacuum line off gives you more room.

 

[Mike2140]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Mike, look at the arm coming up from the little house on the manifold, it goes through a slot and there is a small hat keeper there. it has a slot with a smaller hole that keeps the arm, and a larger hole to let it slide off. use a small screw driver and pop it off. for the fuel line, the easiest thing to do is take the small fuel line off. a line wrench is the best way. you dont want to mangle that nut or you'll be buying fuel line. you might need to hold the big nut still to take the little one off. sometimes taking the water hose or a vacuum line off gives you more room.

Hi 84EdH,

I managed to get the choke lever off without any issue, but I'm still having trouble with the fuel line. I'm holding the big nut with an adjustable wrench and turning the small brass nut with a line wrench. When I turn the small brass nut, it wants to twist the entire fuel line with it. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Use a little PB Blaster in there and just work it back and forth real easy (let it soak for a bit). It most likely has a good fuel resistant PST thread sealant in there that is baked pretty good. Keep using the backup wrench to keep the filter nut from turning. perserverance prevails(I guess I cant spell that right).

 

[Mike2140]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Use a little PB Blaster in there and just work it back and forth real easy (let it soak for a bit). It most likely has a good fuel resistant PST thread sealant in there that is baked pretty good. Keep using the backup wrench to keep the filter nut from turning. perserverance prevails(I guess I cant spell that right).

Ok, after soaking in PB for a few minutes it's still wanting to turn the fuel line with it. Is the brass nut supposed to rotate on top of the fuel line? It looks like it's pretty solidly attached to there. I don't see how it will turn without it.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

sometimes the brass will corrode to the steel and make removal difficult. might try holding the large nut ,use a line wrench on the brass fitting and tap the line wrench.
Worst case is you twist it off and use steel brake line and a double flare kit to make a new fuel line.

 

[Mike2140]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

sometimes the brass will corrode to the steel and make removal difficult. might try holding the large nut ,use a line wrench on the brass fitting and tap the line wrench.
Worst case is you twist it off and use steel brake line and a double flare kit to make a new fuel line.

OK, I'll give it a try. Could I replace with Sierra braided steel line instead? Looks a bit easier to work with in the future.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Stuck tight! dang it! The nut is independent of the fuel line. It just needs to break free. The risk is that you might start rounding off the brass nut if not careful. How hard would it be to try and break the fitting at the other end (at the fuel pump), to give a little more flex room for the fuel line at the carb. Then you could turn the nut and the line ever so slightly and it may break its bond to the filter nut.

 

[Mike2140]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Stuck tight! dang it! The nut is independent of the fuel line. It just needs to break free. The risk is that you might start rounding off the brass nut if not careful. How hard would it be to try and break the fitting at the other end (at the fuel pump), to give a little more flex room for the fuel line at the carb. Then you could turn the nut and the line ever so slightly and it may break its bond to the filter nut.

Well good news is that the carb is out and on my work bench. Bad news - I broke the fuel line in the process. Oh well - It'll give me an excuse to inspect the entire fuel system. Hopefully upgrade to a braided stainless steel line too.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Good job...sometimes some sacrifices must be made. I'll let the grey-beards comment of the choice of a braided fuel line in this case. I know the preformed replacement fuel lines typically set you back 40 bucks or so. or, you could make a new one yourself.... That's always fun.
Oh...did you ever get the fuel line broke free of the filter nut (I assume so), and did it (the nut) finally separate from the fuel line? What did it look like?

 

[Mike2140]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Good job...sometimes some sacrifices must be made. I'll let the grey-beards comment of the choice of a braided fuel line in this case. I know the preformed replacement fuel lines typically set you back 40 bucks or so. or, you could make a new one yourself.... That's always fun.
Oh...did you ever get the fuel line broke free of the filter nut (I assume so), and did it (the nut) finally separate from the fuel line? What did it look like?

Nope, the nut is still stuck onto the fuel line! The entire line broke at a spot where I was able to remove the entire chunk from the larger nut.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305) Carb Removal

Part number 32-96081A1...$48.51 on-line price... Just in case you're curious at all...