Hello to all the HAMBers out there, I'm new to the forum, really my first post, so this will be a intro and question. I have been into cars, mainly truck, and motorcycles as long as I can remember. Started out building baja bugs as a kid then moved to trucks and motor cycles, when I could legally drive. Then at the ripe age of 18, I took a 15 year break from that, to serve our great nation. Still serving but now a little older and better priorities seems to have given me more time for hobbies other than work. Currently I have been working on a 47' Chevy 3100, for about 5 years now, when I have the time. Plans are get it actually moving under its own power with all the original power train, just to have some fun. Then when I know I'll be in one place for an extended amount of time, start rebuilding it (not all original). Just finished the engine and moving on to the tranny, then the torque tube. The body is good enough for now. It took me 2 years to find the engine I want in it, which after a 8.5 hour drive (each way) last month, it's finally in my garage and striped down. Why so long you ask, well to get a good running Chevy 261 at a good price it takes time (which I don't get much of). I usually would find one when I couldn't do anything about it. So, I will be rebuilding that at the same time as having fun with the truck. Which leads me to the topic I have now for all the carb gurus out there. If you were to get an old 2 barrel carb, which would you use a Stromberg 97 or Holley 94 for a dual carb set up and why. Thanks in advance for the help.
I'm no guru, but I am planning on running a 2x2 set-up with an adapter on my existing 4 barrel intake. Dickster on here is gonna build me something. His website is dickshotrodplace.com I believe. Anyway, he, and a lot of guys I've talked to recommend the Rochester 2G 2 barrel. I think it was in service up through about 84. It doesn't look as vintage, but still very cool. Here is a pic dickster did for one of the guys on here.
That does look very good. The reason I picked those two is that they were around when my truck was made, and used to hop up the engines of the time. I'm trying to use what was available in the fifties.
I'm a little biased, but a pair of Strombergs is hard to beat, given their ease of tuning and mechanically actuated power powervalves...
Thats what I think also, damn beautiful carb, but don't know which is easier to work with and is more reliable.
What can you get your hands on? I run both, but it's hard (at least for me) to find a perfectly matched set of 94's. they are both easily rebuilt and tuneable. They are both good carbs.
Its all about the strombergs (for the stromberg guys) Its all about the Holley 94's (for the holley guys) So there both cool pick either one of the two and have a good time. ps i love the 97's....
I see most prefer Strombergs, is that because their easy to work with and Holley is not or just whats more common? Thanks for all the responses.
I use both but I generally prefer Holleys for a couple reasons. First, they are easier around here to find good cores (for some reason I always find a few 94s at the swapmeets here, haven't seen a buildable Strongberg for years), good cores generally cost less and I can get the parts here local for the 94's, no one here sells strongberg parts. Easier when I want to do something like try a jet change, don't have to wait or pay shipping. I've had about equal luck getting them set up and running right.
94's; they're easier to find and a lot cheaper. I had a Weiand 4 carb manifold on the Chrysler hemi i my vintage dirt modified, and 94's wouldn't fit so I scrambled around and got 4 97's. When it ran, it ran good, but they needed constant attention. We ran 4-5 times a summer, which may have been the problem, and they needed to be rebuilt every spring. I tried all different kinds of fuel pressure regulators and fuel pumps, but every once in a while, during a race, the car would start to run sour, and every time it was a stuck float. I finally gave up and changed to 2GC's adapted to a Weiand dual quad manifold and never had another problem. I have had 94's n several different cars, and when properly rebuilt, have had no problems. Price 'em both and decide.
metalman and tubman, Thanks for the info. Have been looking and pricing both, but just don't know much of the old holleys. Even was looking at Speedway's 9Super7, but wanted to stay with old cores. Will keep looking and getting advice while I have time. Will not need them for a while still. Thanks all
The Strombergs are harder to find (matching) and will take a bit of knowledge to tune. Holleys have (except for the teapots) been very easy to tune (jets are the same) Just watch which power valves and gaskets you use on the 94's. Match the model numbers on the side of the bowl. Kits are around $25.00. ALWAYS replace the jets during a rebuild as every "back yard " mechanic use to drill them out. (I did)......LOL
My own preference is for the 94's as they are easier to find, less expensive, and will run at normal fuel pressures. The 97's can be finicky when trying to run any more than 3½ psi fuel pressure.
Those carb are nice, but every time I see ford stamped on them it pushes me further to go with Strombergs. They are harder to find but it took me 2 years to find a good engine, so I think I could come up with the carbs. Seriously now, So they are easier to work with? I new about the leaking and regulate the fuel pressure for Strombergs, but did not think they were hard to tune.
I was going to use 94's originally on my engine, but once I had gotten a good deal on one 97 and compared it to my 94's, I sold 'em all off for more 97's....they are super simple. Maybe not as efficient, but pretty easy to tune. I could probably teach my 4 yo son to rebuild one in @ an hour....haha. There are slight differences and cores may have different jets, so just buy extras..... 97 or 94.....in multiples, sure beats an ugly 4bbl on a hoodless hotrod....
Well the decision has been made, great thanks to Sheep Dip, will be going with 97's. Should be fun getting it all to work together, but will be a while. Thanks to all for the help.
If your useing the six cyl. what manifold are you useing? are you making your own adapter? Alot of people use the stock carb in multiples. My buddy ran both a duel one barel setup and a four barrel on a 235 and a 292 i think. He said the duels were better performace but the four barrel was easier to drive and work on. The 97's would be my choice tho.
Yes, will be going on the 261. I have some old Offy adapters for that bolt pattern, that is why it came down to those two carbs. I know they were used by few in the old days on 216's so I figured I'd try it out. Should be a fun challenge.
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