Carburetor 13/32 Box Wrench

Sometimes you have to make your own tools.

I presume the hexes are already rounded over from trying to get it out.
Take a smallish pair of vice grips and grind the jaws down to get the clearance you need to get on the hex. You should then be able to loosen the hex. Vice grips can be adjusted to get a very tight grip as you know.

When you get the new GAV, take a 3/8" (which is 12/32) open end wrench and grind/file it a bit to get on the hex. Do not overtighten.

Most of us have a whole drawer full of home-made tools of this nature. Take an existing tool and do whatever you have to to make it work for your application

13/32 is also 10.319 mm. You can probably coax a 10 mm box wrench on there, especially if you use a 6-point socket and not a 12-point.
A little heat to the carb body would not hurt either
 
and beware, not all the new repro GAV housings have exactly the same size hex (the later ones are slightly larger). As tbirdtbird suggests a selection of specially adapted tools never go amiss.
 
My method of removing a GAV assembly is to grip two wrench flats with a small pair of vice grips. In this manner it can be loosened without damaging the brass wrench flats. Even using the proper size wrench will not ensure removal without damage.

In the case of a frozen GAV assembly, if it cannot be removed easily with the vice grips damage will occur if it is forced. The method then should be to heat the area of the casting around the GAV and dunk it in a pail of cold water. It most cases the GAV can then be easily removed.

To reinstall the GAV I carefully use a very small crescent wrench.

Tom Endy
 
I use a and have owned for many years the 13/32 that vince shows it is absolutely the best wrench for the job. Unless something is rounded off I would not use vice grips as I've always felt they do more damage than good... and use it as a last resort type of tool. Vince, I didn't know you had these.... I should nab an extra in case mine grows legs and walks off. It makes taking them out a breeze...

Larry
 
I bought a good quality 10 mm box wrench, then used a small file to file each of the 6 flats until the wrench fit perfectly. This is the only way I'd remove the GAV.

I've come across two sizes for the GAV, but as I recall the other size is a common size wrench, which can be bought in a 6 point box/open end.
 
i agree with vince on this
open end wrenches ,crescent wrenches ,vice grips all damage the GAV
ive done 75 or so carbs
and most of them are damaged because of them
i have several 13/32 box wrenches,but i like this 6 point the best
it dosnt look like it will fit,but it fits easily
have not damaged one with this jewel
sometimes heat is your friend though
tom
 

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forever4 said:
I have gone through rebuilding maybe 150 unrestored original carburetors, and all were 13/32. There were some repro GAVs I saw years ago that were the next size larger I believe, but I am not aware of two sizes of original GAVs.
Click to expand...

Vince, you could be right about it being an older repro part. I don't know, and this would be another part that needs further research at the BFRC.:)
 
Interesting thread. I went to my garage and got a Zenith 1 out of it's box. An 11mm open end fits quite well. You would have to be careful. You can only turn about 1/4 turn before repositioning the wrench. The box end of the wrench was too thick.
 
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