Aloooo-Ha!

I'm putting together a PERIOD multi-carb intake for my '59 261, .080 over, 272 C.I., going in my '50 Chevy wagon, 3 speed, 4:11's, fenton headers, daily driver that will occasionally pull our '51 camper trailer weighing in at 2800lbs. I'm trying to research the best or most preferred carburators to use and well, hitting mostly road blocks or incomplete info. So I thought I'd ask what youse guys with a similar set-up are running for carbs. Anybody with Zenith, Carters and finally Rochesters with model numbers and do's and don't's please.

Many mahalo's in advance

Alooo-Ha
I have a 58 261 .060 over, 848 Head with a T-5 trans. and 3:43's. This is in a 53 BelAir which is a daily driver. I went with Clifford manifold and a Holley 390 CFM carburator. I am not a big Holley fan but it is working well for me. I get about 18 MPG on the Highway running 70 MPH.

Luke

Thats killer, sounds da kine! but I really want to do up a traditional 50's period multi carb set-up. Stock head until I find an 848. Thanks

Either of those carbs you mentioned are fine, but you'll need to find a matched pair. Also I'd have them professionally rebuilt and throttle shafts re-bushed or they'll suck air and never run right.

NOS would be best or while they are not 'period correct' Langdon's has a great NEW Holley/Webber or Carter/Webbers that will adapt to your old intake, not expensive. You can check them out at Langdon's Stovebolt website.

I wouldn't worry not having the 848 head, for a driver what ever you have will be just fine.

"hi-torque" is correct.

The Carter W-1 or the Rochester with manual choke would be best and match the period.

I have a classic McGurk 3 pot if your interested.

Good luck.

John, can I but in here and say I'm interested in the McGurk??? I'd like one for my coupe, which I've posted pictures in the section of the board.

I run stromberg BXOV-2 duel carbs. They run great, but I think I could get more power with different carbs. I also had a hard time finding the carbs as well as the rebuild parts. I have a 235 bored .080 over, Rumpy patricks cam, stock 848 head, and tube split headers.

BXOV carbs are pretty common down under. There is a variable main jet kit you can get for these that may help.

For "PERIOD multi-carb" from the 50's Zenith was number 1 but hard to find these days. Stromberg BXOV's were the second choice. There was no third choice, my opinion. Strombergs are out there they pop up on e-bay quite often. But they are also selling for more money that they used to just a few years ago. There are other intake systems that would put out more HP but they are not "period perfect".
Nothing says 50's performance more than Stromberg or Zenith.
http://community.webshots.com/user/oldfarted

I got a period correct Fish Carb setup on the 261 and it is not only saying "performance" it is screaming performance (and mileage)

Frank

There is a BXOV-2 on ebay now.

Back in the mid-late fifties I ran a dual-carb McGurk manifold with two Stromberg BXOV-2 carburetors on a 235 and a 261. I also ran a Harper "Stubby" with three Stombergs, experimenting with 48s, 97s, and 81s. The BXOV-2s were easy to tune, and was as driveable as a stock one-barrel. The Harper was a little more challenging, but I did leave it on during a couple of winters.

For over 20 years, I ran a set of 3 Zenith 8810-B side draft carburetors/homemade intake on a moderately built '57 235. They were tunable and very dependable. With progressive linkage, they provided excellent response and reasonable mileage. When I sold the '57 in the '70s, I kept the carburetors.

In 2002, when I attempted to buy rebuild kits for the Zeniths, they were impossible to find, so I gave them away. I would have loved to put two of them on my 181 Mercruiser-powered Model A, but settled for a pair of Tom Langdon's Carter/Webber progressive two-barrel carbs.....which has proven to be an excellent choice.

I'm running a '61 235 .060 over blueprinted by Clifford. Shaved and port martched head. An Offy intake and twin Rochesters, Fenton headers and HEI from Langdon's, a T-5 and '56 bel air rear end in my '53 chevy 210 sedan and I drive it 3-5 days a week on a 50 mi. commute (round trip)to work. Got more than plenty of power and believe it or not 26 mpg on the hi-way!

Hoyt, speaking of harper manifolds - check this out:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/216-Chevy...tem140150972639

You'll need to inlarge the port openings too.

I bet it goes for over $500. :rolleyes:

What do have to have the biggest - the ports or the wallet??!!

The seller of the Harper on ebay(see Mark's link above) says that the intake ports are "just a hair over 1 1/2 inches." Is that 216 or 235 size? I will measure my 850 head (off of a 261) when I get home tonight. Does anyone have the port diameters, inside the alignment rings, for the 235 and 216 heads? Were the early (pre 1950) 235s the same size as the later 235s?

235-261 heads have 1-1/2 inch ports.

Tony's right + the thickness of the alignment ring.

It will fit yours Mark.

It's at $415 now, plan on $500 or more.

Good luck.

John - its too rich for me, that'd leave no money for what I want to buy already

M;

I understand; It's really not worth the money. To win that you would need to bid $600+ etc.

Put it on your "watch list", the biding isn't over on that. I'm full here or I would get it for later as an investment etc.

I just measured the port diameters on a Harper manifold and a 261 850 head. The ID of the ports in the Harper manifold is about 1.560 +/- 0.010", with no counterbore for the alignment rings. The OD of the alignment rings, installed in the counterbores in the head, is 1.500", with an ID of 1.39" +/- 0.01". The ID of the stock 261 manifold mirrors that of the head,

Thus, it seems that the Harper on ebay would fit right up to a late 235 or 261.

I used two Rochester B's from mid 50's Chevy 235's on a warmed up 261.With a heated intake they actually carbureted quite nicely with the stock jetting.Of couse they did leak a little fuel as usual.
Some guys I know prefer Zenith carbs,or Strombergs,or Carter Yf's.With some fiddling around on jetting,they all seem to work pretty well.
I saw a twin SU sidedraft set up that appeared to run well,bigger SU's from a jaguar I believe.Looked old school I thought.

I see that the Harper manifold on ebay that Mark linked to above went for a lot more than Mr. Meredith predicted. With the three Ford 94 carburetors, it ended up at $1,025.00! What are three 94s worth?

It would be nice to see what arty$ does with it.

All I can say is WOW!!!!!

I sold some 94's for $25 each a couple of years ago. Gee I got out of them too soon!

Hoyt, you can now revalue your retirement fund upwards