I presume it's like a distributor, where if you can feel any play, it's bad?

It's an Edelbrock 1406 I got off ebay a while ago. I've been having idle/vacuum leak issues, but thought most of it was related to the intake gaskets.

While re-doing the intake gaskets again today, I noticed there was some play on the passenger/primary corner. I sprayed some carb cleaner on the shaft inside near the throttle blade, and could see the light glint as I moved that corner. I'd SWAG it's .001-.003" free play there. The other three corners are all solid.

Is this something I can find a bushing for, drill it out with a drill press, and install? Or am I better off with a brand new $250 carb Or, drill it out, screw it up, then get a new carb

Thanks for any thoughts,
-Dave

Not sure on Edelbrock's but holley's have replacable nylon bushings, gotta be a bushing of some kind you can replace.

looking around online, I don't think any edelbrocks came with a replaceable bushing.

It also looks fairly easy to drill out the shaft and put a bushing in. I'll probably go that route with it.

Does anyone think that small of play would be able to cause a vacuum leak?

99% of time the amount of leakage will not cause any problems.

Unless it is really really bad, if you have running issues look for the answer to your problems somewhere else

Check a brand new carb out of the box and you'll find play in the butterfly shafts.

There are DIY kits to install bushings in the base plate.

As a general rule, if you can wiggle the end of the shaft and feel the butterfly closest to that end,
or even see the butterfly move, the end play of the shaft is too much.

This will cause a vacuum leak that cannot be overcome with jetting. Also the butterfly(s)will not consistently return to the same place at an idle
and as a result, you will get an erratic idle speed.

I fab my own bushings on my lathe and have a special ream with a pilot to bore out the shaft bore. This is after I grind off the staked end of the butterfly screws so the screw does not break off on removal.

I hand fit my bushings to be able do drive in the new bushing and then steak the outer end. Then the bushing is reamed for best fit to the shaft.

It is rather technical in process and I have re-bushed 5 carb bases just this week.

If you have the passenger side primary shaft bore bushed, you will have a nice working carb.

Pm me if you would like more info, David.

ps, pic of how to test the end play:

I can see the shaft barely move. I'll send you a pm with some more specific questions about the process.

Incidentally, I may have found a major cause of my roaming idle here (https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5346508&page=0&vc=1#Post5346508). I'll try new springs, and if my idle still doesn't clear up I'll likely send the carb your way.

Thanks for the replies,
-Dave