Fuel System: Carb Rebuild Question

[JDC]

I have a 61 Lark, 259, 2 barrel, and a Flight-o-matic. I am taking off the carb to have it rebuilt and have a question. I am wondering what the large hose is coming off the back of the carb. This engine smokes, and kind of has a sweet smell to it. Is the trans hooked to the engine in any way through vacuum. I am going to do a tune up, clean the tank, new battery, then figure why its smoking. Where does everyone hook the vacuum gauge to?

[Lark289]

On my Lark there are two hoses coming off the back of the carb. The smaller hose leads to the vacuum advance on the distributor and the large hose leads to the PCV valve. As far as I know the transmission is not hooked to the engine with any sort of vacuum hose.

You mentioned that the engine smokes and has kind of a sweet smell to it. The sweet smell could be the smell of coolant burning in your combustion chambers. If this is the case you have a leaky head gasket. Does the smoke and smell go away after the engine warms up? Do you have oil in your coolant, or coolant in your oil? If yes to these questions it is likely a leaky head gasket.

[Bud]

The vacuum advance port on the carburetor is ported meaning that it has no vacuum on it at idle. It will have vacuum at part throttle and none at wide open throttle. You will need a 1/4 inch pipe to 1/4 inch vacuum hose fitting which will fit in the vacuum port in the intake manifold at the left rear of the carburetor. If you have a sweet smell in the exhaust gas, you have antifreeze leaking into one or more of the cylinders from a leaky head gasket or a crack in a head or the block. Studebaker automatic transmissions don't have a vacuum modulator valve on them so there is no vacuum hose connected to it. Bud

[jclary]

Just the way you have worded your question leads me to think you do not have the shop manual for your car. Forgive me if I am wrong, but if you do not have the manual you should get one. The thirty-five or forty-five bucks you spend is one of the best investments you'll make while owning one of these cars. Even if you don't do the work yourself, it is a good study so that you can check behind the work others do and an aid for you to share for any mechanic you hire that may be unfamiliar with your particular car.