Is there any reason why a 2 barrel carb with adapter isn't as good a set up v/s a dual single barrel set-up is? I bought a dual set up and now it turns out to be for the early 235/216 heads and not the other later manifold. My engine is a 54, I'm really getting tired be spending money on stuff that does not fit and then the person I get it from pulls an invisable man trick and I get stuck with an item which will not work!!!
The reason is that the first and last cyl is too far from the carb. Lots of people want it. Why not offer it for sell here first. You may profit and make the buyer s day. You have gained knowledge on duals and if you can sell it and make a profit it will turn into wisdom. Tribulation makes for patience which comes in good with ADs & politics.
The 235 engine as is has a single barrel doing and sitting in the same spot the two ends seem to work just fine. Why would it work okay on a single and not a two ? The Edelbrok with the two carbs was over 3 hundred, it had a hole in the manifold which I had to have welded closed and then it is for a different engine so I'm told. I may just give Langdons a try, His whole set-up is less than what I have tied up in the dual set up with postage.
Charles ; The reason two seperate stock carbys give so much power is the same reason adding a single , dual venturi carby won't give good results : the long intake runner means the fuel charge won't be equal as it reaches the three intake ports in the cylinder head . Ideally , three carbys would be best but they're a real PIA to set up . What is wrong with your current dual pot intake ? there are supposed to be little sheet metal alignment rings that fit 1/2 in the intake and 1/2 in the head's port , if the ring you have fits the head and the intake manifold snugly , it's a 235 intake , there IS NOT a " 216/235 intake " , only the wrong manifold if the ports don't match . I hope this helps . Yes , sorting out the oldies is often frustrating but step back and take a deep breath , in time you'll be styling down the highway and enjoying the fruits of your labors , don't let the nay sayers , jerkoffs and thieves spoil your fun ~ _everything_ you have left over when it's done , can easily be sold , often at a profit .
Seems to me that back in the late 60's pontiac had an overhead cam 6 with a 4 barrel carby that ran just great! The 2 barrel you are looking at shouldn't be too much for your engine. Try a little polishing of that intake manifold and see what happens!
Indeed ! They did as like anytime you use one big carby where two or more would have been better , it was a cost driven boondoggle ~ you've not seen an OHC Pontiac in 30 years as they were wretched pieces of junk and all died in 50,000 miles if not less . You cannot change the laws of physics . I know some folks even run small(ish) 4 barrel carbys on InLine 6 Bangers and claim they're great ~ in fact they all have awful off idle performance and only come on full chat when the engine is wound up tight where you shouldn't be operating a Stovebolt . You pays your moneys and makes your choices .
Today it is a matter of not what is best for the engine but what will give me a little more Horsepower for a little money. The truck will already take me to Arizona and back without any trouble I just wanted a little more horsepower. I've already spent hundreds of dollars on Carbs, heads, manifolds and still I have a single barrel carb on the stock manifold. I'm really tired of spending/giving money away for shit that will not work on my ride. At one time I could have bought a tri-power set-up off a 54 corvette but thought it was a little over priced. By the time I get the 2 or 3 carb set up on the truck now I will have spent over what the guy wanted and he even offered to help put it on my truck. Today it is a matter of what will give me some temp horse power while I save for another set-up, temporarily.
Believe It Or Not , I hear you Charles . At this point , the easiest way to increased power will be in two steps : Have another outlet added to your stock exhaust system , DO NOT split it nor buy Fentons . look in older posts for detailed info on how to do this correctly . Then , get a Carter YF carby for your 235 and you'll be pleased unless you think it's ever going to actually go fast or do burn outs etc. ~ that's for modern trucks , not a 55 year old work designed rig .
I found this site, ordered a pair and they are of high quality and for the first time I have a pair of Rochester Bs that do not leak and I have one smooth running 235. Anyone else tried these folks? Also, they offer an option for carbs with adjustable main jets. I wanted to stick to an era appropriate set-up. http://www.carbsonly.com/frames/carsandtrks.htm
Rochester Bs ? How do they look like and are they standard downdraft carburettors with or without the aut. choke? Wich model input manifoild do you have ? Sins. Martinius
I have them mounted on an Offy manifold and I stuck with the Rochesters (B model). If you check out the link and go to the Dual Carb Setup area, he shows it as well as a dual Zenith set-up. There is also a link to a mag article (Rebelrod magazine) that discusses a simular installation using the Zenith with adjustable mainjets. I am happy with what I have now. Manual choke and all. GLTA,
Rochester 'B' Series Carbys Yes Martinus ; They are the standard 235 carbys from the mid 1950's onwards and usually fitted as replacements on 216 engines , they originally came with an O.K. Carter Rochester 'B' series carbys are simple and easy to maintain but they usually seep between the float bowl and air horn , then leak worse as frustrated DIY'ers over tighten the screws . Adjustable main jets are unecessary , just find two metching Rochesters and overhaul carefully with matching jets & float adjustments and you'll have a roaring Stovebolt on your hands , better fuel economy too thanx to better fuel metering .
Many years ago I spent hours helping a fellow with his inline six that was in an old digger style dragster. It was a 240 Ford so it had individual intake ports but some of the findings apply to any inliner. We did head work, exhaust work, went through several cams playing with lift, lobe profiles, duration, overlap, etc. Also messed with piston dome profiles, rod length, and pin offset----you get the idea. By FAR the biggest horsepower gain happened when we got even fuel/air distribution. We made an intake that held six carbs from 650cc single cylinder motorcycles and had them angled directly towards the intake valves, (6x650 =3900cc's divided by 16.387 = 238 cubic inches) which was perfect. Also something that would be a nightmare for street use. By having zoomie headers we treated the tuning as that of six one cylinder engines since either the carb to intake spacer/stack or the exhaust tube length could be adjusted to get the exact same power from each cylinder. This car went on to become one of the first inliners to break 150 and then 200 in the 1/4 mile. Some of the best advice was on the exhaust since many go about it backward. It does absolutely no good to try and shove more air into an engine if you haven't made provision to get more out.
THANK YOU Evan ! I've been preaching this for 40 years now..... Think of your engine as a BIG air pump ~ if you make it flow better , more air can be pumped through it easily . that's power in a nutshell .
