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Making final adjustments on my carb rebuild (Carter WDO 644s - 1950 2362), I noticed a "vent" or hole in the base. There's a screen inside at the top of the hole which makes it look like it's designed to allow air in. The hole is bored up from the bottom of the base and has another opening from the side. The base gasket only seals about 80% of the bottom hole and the side is not blocked at all. I'm not sure if have the correct base gasket, or if the side hole is missing something or both should be left as is.
-Any thoughts on this is (as always) appreciated!

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Vacuum line connection?

Air passage for the Carter Carstarter switch mechanism. Leave it as is.

Thanks JD!

hi, JD-
My '47 has WDO-531 with the CarStarter switch. My base gasket looks incorrect: it's covering the vacuum passage leading to the starter switch, and the little steel ball in there. The gasket has to allow vacuum through, obviously- right? Does anyone have a photo of a proper base gasket? Thanks much!

Don't know if any help or which one you call the base gasket but here is what the parts book shows for internal gaskets. The external gasket to manifold is just 4 bolt holes and the 2 larger barrel holes.

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Thanks, Howard. I have that page but it doesn't show the base gasket. On my intake manifold is the thick heat insulator; I'm calling the base gasket the one that goes between that and the iron carb base, which has the throttle shaft.

Only some of the WDOs use the CarStarter switch, so I think they sent me the wrong base gasket.

This is the gasket that was on mine between the carb and insulator block on intake manifold. Same carb as yours. Looks to be some kind of heat resistant material and approx 3/32" thick. Daytona rebuilt my carb and sent the exact same type gasket back.

The vacuum is internal but on your carb do you not have a small maybe 3/16" hole located in a raised part of the iron casting below and slightly to the rear of the throttle shaft? It is on the side of bottom flange similar to the one in photo above. Believe that hole provides the air for the vacuum to draw the ball up.

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The gasket between the heat insulator block and the iron base does not have any holes for the Carter CarStarter. I know that looking at bottom of the iron base you might expect a hole but I think the hole in the bottom of the iron base (which is correctly blocked by the gasket) is for access/maintenance should the air passage get blocked with crud. As Howard points out, the vacuum supply is internal to the carburetor and the inlet for the outside air is above this gasket.