Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

[f_inscreenname]

Internal carb works have always been my week point (I have a shelf full of them to prove it). After much research and a lot of manuals the only difference I see is the "J" tubes for the bowl over flow. What gives? Can you modify a auto carb? I see a lot of off road truck carbs have the same "J" tubes or one I saw actually connects the two together. For the money I think I can get a friend of mine that has better luck with them and seems to knows what he is doing to make a tube (When ever he needs a carb he takes one off the shelf and after "F-in" for a day or so he pops it on and presto it works, well... good enough).

 

[hondon]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

The biggest differance you will notice is in the backfire protection.Check balls where they are not used on conventional carbs.

 

[Walt T]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

I am not aware of any check balls that marine carbs have that auto carbs dont. There is also a port on a marine carb for the line from the fuel pump diapraghm.<br /> Nobody here is going to tell you to go ahead and solder on a J tube and make an auto carb a marine carb. The liability is too great. If you have a fire on your boat, whether or not it is carb related will not matter once it is discovered you had a non marine certified carburetor on that engine. Lawyers will have a field day with you, and your insurance company may decline to cover you.<br />It's not worth risking the lives of you, your passengers, and anyone else unfortunate enough to be around you when there is an explosion for a few lousy bucks. Just about any marine repair shop will also decline to work on your boat when they see that carb, as the liability will then transfer to them.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

If you haven't noticed, the automotive carbs have those little vacuum tube connectors, marine don't. The biggest difference is when a marine carb floods, it drops the fuel down the throat of the carb into the engine. Automotive can go anywhere.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

Not that I am doing it blind (using a auto carb) just needed to understand what the differences are for a $200.00 increase price. I am not one that goes off half cocked when it comes to my boat. A 2 year rebuild and $7000.00 (I do all the work myself) in a 19' boat tells you that. Yes I have seen a boat fire (cause was the lobster man was filling his pot huller's gas tank and gas spilled on the hot exhaust,when the fire started he tried to throw the gas can over board but hit the transom instead. Out came the gas and poof). My 76 year old grandmother and my 10 year old self rescued them with a old row boat. We were the only people for miles and we just got there. That's how close it was for them never seeing home again. Neither could swim with all there gear on. Like I said I just wanted to understand what the differences are and being a cold December in Maryland I have plenty of time to figure it out.<br />P.S. Capt Ken-isnt that what the "J"tubes do?

 

[clanton]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

WWW.amarket.com has 4 barrel Rochester for $229.00. Try www.boatered.com also.

 

[Walt T]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

If you just spent $7,000 on your boat, you should have no trouble spending a couple hundred more.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

I don't have a problem spending the money if I know why I am doing it. Like I said I just want to what the differences are. I use a carter (marine) now that came with the original 318ci that was in the boat. Over the summer I upgraded to a 320hp (built myself) 360ci motor and plan on buying a new carb (and other stuff) over the winter. I always planed on a marine carb just wanted to know how they justify a extra $200.00 for what looks like the same carb with a "J" vent tube that would add about 3 cents to the cost of making a carb.<br /> P.S. I am also a John Allmand/Super Nova owner.

 

[kdmiller8251]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

If you are looking for a cheap place to get a marine carb try also<br /><br /> http://www.championparts.net/marinecarbs.htm <br /><br />Just dont get expedited shipping. They will sock it to ya.

 

[coupedeville]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

From what I understand, they are also better sealed around the throttle shafts and at the accelerator pump. Those J shaped tubes are the fuel bowl vents. In case the float should stick open, or fuel just slosh out under rough conditions, it will go into the engine, and not over the engine. <br />Carter no longer makes carbs, but the AFB line was bought by Edelbrock, who have a number of marine carbs in their lineup.<br />Plus, marine units tend to have a coating on them to help prevent corrosion.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

Before anyone gets bent out of shape over someone not using a USCG approved carb, don't. As I already said I plan on using one so I don't need a lecture about what I should and shouldn't do because of the law. Another point; I have been stopped by the Coast Guard/Harbor patrol (it happens a lot when you drive a 19' red boat that does 67mph,loud as hell and you fish in front of USCG station) and been through a couple inspections. They never looked under hood (except for a friendly "man what does it have in it" then I show them). Just because I know I could get away with it doesn't mean I do it. I try to use a little common since on the water, if I didn't my grandmother (first woman in New England to get her pilots license) would haunt me till my dieing days. Just wanted to understand what the differences are and I thank the people that answered the question asked. <br />P.S. I must say this is the best board. I posted the same question on another board and 6 out of 10 people that answered just wanted to quote USCG regs ("because they said so") without giving a answer on what the differences are. Here most tried to answer the question without the lecture. Thanks Mark

 

[skyking_22]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

I beleive a lot deals with the deletion of the EGR ports as well as un-needed vaccuum lines. There is also a spring type needle and seat in a marine carb that helps prevent a loss of fuel due to the rough environment of being on the water. I just went through this while researching a new Edelbrock 4 banger for my boat.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

Do you realize you are responding to a post almost 4 years old?

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

Re: Please tell me about a "marine carburetor" please

Posted in 2002......and anyway, F_in knows what he's doing.. He wanted to know the diff, not the whys.