Inliners International Forums General Discussion Hi Performance Fenton Dual Carb, 235 - What carbs?

I just picked up a Fenton 235 dual carb manifold. It came witha pair of Rochesters (can't find a number, but have automatic chokes). One carb is pretty well busted up, so I can look at options. What is recommended for carbs?

Dear Faust;

Chokes are seldom used on twin carb set ups.

If your engine is 'stock' the Rochesters will be fine & you have 1 good one already, so your 'half way' there.

Just match it & keep the "busted up" one for parts etc.

Contact Patrick's for linkage, fuel lines and air cleaners.

Good luck & welcome aboard.

boy - you are going to get a lot of recommendations on carbs. Carter, Stromberg, Holley all work well. In my hands I dont like the Rochesters, but others will chime in and give some other opinions.

My suggestion is to buddy up with someone who has had good luck with them and have him over your shoulder as you learn the multiple carb game.

Why no choke? Looking around the web I have seen a couple pictured with heat tubes to the chokes.

go to the tech tips on the left side bar. click on it and then hit multiple rochesters. it will help a bunch.

let me extend an offer to join inliners - you can sign up and be an official card carryin' member by using the left sidebar too - where it says "sign up"

Faust,

Welcome to the Inliners' BB and (we hope) to full Inliners membership.

I really liked the Stromberg BXOV-2 carburetors that came with a McGurk dual-carb manifold that I acquired in 1956. It was very easy for a sixteen year-old kid to install and set up. I ran it with and without chokes. It definitely ran better when cold and started easier with both chokes operating (from a manual push-pull cable). Maybe chokes are not needed in Apple Valley, but they are in Missouri, and probably also in Massachusetts.

I have also run 235s and 261s on the street with a Harper manifold with three Stromberg 97s, and chokes were also a benefit - much easier to start when cold. I currently have five Strombergs (two 97s as primaries and three 48s as secondaries) on a 278 cubic inch 261. There are chokes on the two 97s, and I will soon be adding hot-coolant heat to the bottom of the intake manifold.

Many people seem to like the Carter/Holley Weber carburetors that Tom Langdon and others can provide.

2 smaller 216 carbs respond better and run leaner (better mileage) than 2x 235 carbs on a street 235/261 that stays under 3500 rpm.

I got Carter W-1s on my 235 and the Stromberg/McGurk setup Hoyt mentioned on my 261.
- All 1948 216 carbs.
They never leak like most Rochesters do and are all FUN and no hassles.


Note: Always use exactly matched carbs and carb repair kits and a carb synchronizer tool when going with multi carbs - the closer you get the carbs flowing in sync, the better.
The finest adjustment on the linkage makes a BIG difference. I prefer a small motorcycle carb balancer with scale over the popular but less accurate 'uni-syn' model.

What carbs you pick would generally be a function of your (or your tuner's) "comfort zone" with a specific carburetor.

Choices would include in alphabetic order:

Carter W-1, WA-1, and YF. Stay away from the BB and BBR series.

Holley 1904, 1908, and 1920 series.

Rochester B's and monojets

Stromberg B series

Zenith 28 and 228 series.

(MOO) Ranked in terms of overall quality and performance:

(1) Stromberg and Zenith
(2) Carter
(3) Holley
(4) Rochester

(MOO) Ranked in terms of "user friendliness" (availability, performance/cost, ease of tuning, etc.)

(1) Carter
(2) Stromberg and Zenith
(3) Holley
(4) Rochester

Two Carter W-1's work exceptionally well on a stock to mildly modified 235.

(MOO = my opinion only, others may have differing opinions).

Jon.

Within the various models above, carbs with a mechanical power system are easier to tune than those with a vacuum power system.

If you plan to drive the vehicle in temperatures below 55 degrees F. USE CHOKES ON BOTH! Chokeless carbs are OK for temperatures of 70 degrees or more. Depending on your circumstance, use either choke on both, or choke on neither. This applies to a dual carb set-up. If you are using a triple set-up, with a primary and two secondary carbs, then choke the primary only.

Jon.

Dear Faust;

There just not needed, even in cold weather. With (auto choke) carbs just adjust it 'full open'. Sometimes; the buterfly/shaft are removed completly & discarded.

On the 3 carb set-ups, only the center one has the choke functional.

You will need to 'warm-up' during the winter months where you live. Heating your intake helps too, if your not using 'stock' exhaust.

The Corvette 6 used multi chokes just for starting, because they were 'sidedrafts'.

Good luck.