4 barrel carb for flathead ??

I got a buddy that is looking to put a 4 barrel intake on his merc flattie.

My question is this..which 4 barrel carb should he use? My guess would be something smaller like a 450 cfm or so. What are your suggestions and also what company makes em that small? or were there a 4 barrel vintage carb that everyone used - like off a GM or something??

He has the stock distributor in it.

THanks,

tok

 

from memory they were made to take the early ford 4 barrel like off a 260/289 mustang etc.

I have never run one, and am only repeating what I have been told. but the 450 cfm sounds about right. I am guessing that you could probably get an adaptor for a later model larger cfm carb, but you wouldnt want to go too big.

 

Got a 390 cfm Holly on mine.

 

...

 

Holley 390 huh...

That looks about right. Do you have an adapter plate on it?

Do you know if there is a carb that fits the stock mounts without needing an adapter?

tok

 

A few folks have successfully run a 500cfm Edelbrock (Holley & Edelbrock carbs are NOT flowed the same...)

 

Yeah, adapter plate. Works good for the most part.

 

WCFB. Most flathead 4BBl intakes I've seen have that bolt pattern already, and they're small enough that it's not over carbed. Easy to find too

 

4 Barrel Holley 390 on Offy manifold. (caution, generator mount on Offy manifold is offset 7/8" to right, looking at the front)

 

THanks guys I will let him know what to look for.

Buggie..what/where do I find these WCFB's..what did they fit? Typical size and so forth??what about rebuilding them..I got a swap coming up that might have a few tucked away so I know what to look for.

tok

 

I think Motor Mikey has one they are selling. It was for the earlier flatheads.

 

I was talking about a four barrel intake in case your going....Huh?

 

Carter WCFBs came on just about all GM and Mopar V8 4bbls and 2x4 setups in the mid to late 50's, and a few in the earily 60's. They are quite common, and rebuild kits are still avalible. It's a moderate rebuild, more complex than a holley, easier than a quadrajet, about the same difficulty as an AFB. Generally, they flow around 400 CFM. I've heard there are 300 CFM models as well, but can't confirm that. I was going to run a pair on my Hemi, but they dont flow nearly enough for my needs. Here's a pic, more pics can be found on e-bay(a great source for pics of random stuff ).

 

'53-'56 Buicks, '52-'53 Olds, '52-'56 Cadillac, all used the small pattern WCFB carb that you need. They also used Rochester 4gc carbs that would also work.

 

THANKS!!! that rules.

I will let him know about the intake and the carbs.


tok

 

Edelbrock sells their intake to bolt any standard 4bbl square bore carb. They have them for early (#1105) and late (#1107) engines.

 

Holley 390 is perfect for all but the baddest flathead.
Blown

 

There were three "first generation" four barrels with this flange...Stromberg, Carter WCFB, and Rachester (4G?). My manifold came with a Rochester, which I believe I have ID'd as '52 Oldsmobile. There are fairly modern books available with some coverage of the 4g and Carters. The Stromberg is a fairly mysterious orphan. You can find tech articles on all of these, including at least one flathead install and a lot of interchange/tuning info on these earlies, in Car Craft and HRM from the early fifties.

 

Yeah, the Stromberg Aeroquads are kinda cool. Apparently, they only came on '52-'54 Buicks, and Stromberg never made another 4bbl. after that. On the upside, they use the same main jets as 97s, so fine tuning the mixture is no problem.

 

I'm using a Holley 390 on an Offy intake with a 1" adapter. The carb is mounted backwards in order to line up with the original throttle linkage, but it doesn't seem to mind

 

To each his own but I think a 4 barrel on a flathead looks wrong. Kinda like fake boobs on a nun. Ya just don't do it. But what do I know

 

i recently put together a 276 ci for a freind and used a 53 buick stromberg. havent run it yet but it looks cooler than a ho-hum holly

 

Anyone have a pic of the Stromberg 4bbl? I've never heard of one, much less seen one.

 

Here is mine. Actually reading up a little bit as I am trying to set it up this winter. Sorry for the crappy pic.




Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Malibob-- where were you eleven years ago

 

That's great- I was on my tablet looking at this and didn't see the date was from so long ago.

 

Is that the one they called a 4 jet ?

 

Nope, the Rochester 4G series was also known as a "4 Jet". If anyone is still interested in this, I am in the middle of evaluating different 4BBL setups on an 8BA flathead. I have manifolds from Edmunds, Sharp, and Fenton, along with a freshly rebuilt WCFB and two different rebuilt Rochester 4GC's. (I am trying to find a Stromberg, but they seem to be made out of "unobtanium".) About 20 years ago, I ran a 390 Holley adapted to an Offenhauser manifold on a 276' Merc. It ran fine and was trouble-free, but I never liked the looks or the fact that I had to run an adapter. It'll take a while but I want to see how these different setups stack up. I have heard from several people that the Fenton manifold is the best.

 

Thanks, I would like to know also.

 

I'll share an interesting story about adding a four barrel to a flattie that was told to me by Max, my father in law. This would have been before 1957, Max had a 53 Ford and decided he wanted a little more umph. someone he knew had a four barrel manifold, Olds four barrel carb and the "correct Olds air cleaner" for $25. That Saturday he put it on hoping really get that old Ford flattie moving. He said you would step into it and it just lay down. I don't think he was a carb specialist so he took it off, installed the original two barrel and in a few days got his money back from another guy that thought it would be the hot set up. Later Max but a Paxton/McCollough (sp?) blower on the flat motor and it worked. It worked so well that he took it off when he traded for a brand new 57 Ford Fairlane 500 two door with a 312 and stick and overdrive and bought the right brackets to bolt the blower on his family car. He still has the blower mounts for the flat head and the Hurst shifter and tach that were in the 57. I ask him if he knows what that air cleaner would be worth today and he just laughs.