Hey all I’m leaning hard towards the Burtz head and camshaft I have located a few Holley 94 carbs rebuilt in the 50s (obviously will need gone through) what are your opinions on down draft carbs? Holley 94? stromberg 97? Compounds or single? just looking for options as I’m sure this has been done and the guys that have done it are here! thanks in advance Dave
Not sure about the Burtz head. It seems to be missing a waterway between cylinder 2 & 3 that's common in all other heads.
It does look different than others but it is designed to cool evenly the block is Burtz Also my assumption ia that they were engineered to work together thank you for the reply Dave
It comes down to all the rest of the build as well. What are you doing for cam, valves, compression ratio, headers, etc? You might be better off with two Stromberg 81's versus two 97's or 94's. I'd want to hear more from other folks running similar combinations as to what you'll have . . . see if any are running 81's or have switched between 94's, 97's and 81's.
The Burtz head is 6.5 I’m assuming the cam is made to match the compression of the head I was thinking the Egge pistons and a Snyder’s modern valve kit. I have not purchased them yet this is the thought so far Dave
I looked into the Burtz stuff - it is all modern style, 5 mains, bigger journals, insert bearings, pressurized oiling, etc.. If you have a strong crankshaft and lower end, then I'd be aiming for higher compression. With that said - the head chamber design will be the biggest factor in determining the final CR ratio. Hell, I'd run an aluminum head and weld/rework the chambers to be similar to the best V8 chambers - pushing compression a couple points higher. I'd also spend a lot of time on the ports, valves, etc.. But hey . . . I like to push the limits . . . is my nature! LOL
I am installing this same setup right now in my project - traditional Model A block with Burtz 6.5:1 head and Burtz touring cam combined with lightened flywheel, FSI ignition, modern valves w spring spacers and headers and am planning on running a single Stromberg 81 downdraft - I may bump it up to dual 81s depending on performance. Some folks have said a single 94 or 97 would work fine as well - dual 94s or 97s seems like too much from my research.
Which transmission are you using? I am using a t-170 with the Goldilocks ratio Our builds seem very similar Dave
What is the CFM rating of the Stromberg 81? would a single 97 perform comparable to dual 81s? im going to look and see what I have for cores I have several stromberg “97” cores which could have an 81 or two mixed in thanks again Dave
Can't find the reference now, but somewhere Terry Burtz wrote something like a 97 was too much carb, and an 81 is a better choice.
That would make sense it is a smaller engine Does anyone have a rebuildable 81 or should I consider the new ones? Dave
There used to be a chart floating around that listed the flow rates of various models of V8 carbs. The 81 is the smallest carb at about 100 cfm, and supported 60hp. The 97 is the largest carb at about 150 cfm and supported 85hp
The Stromberg 81 is about 135 or so cfm, the 97 about 160 or so, the 48 about 170 or so. For performance street banger, the 81 will probably work about the best - though plenty of guys run the 97's. For a very high performance engine, I'd try two 81's.
I’m running a Burtz block in my T roadster with the Burtz cam and head. Runs lovely on a single 97. Standard size modern valves with mild porting. I’m tempted to try a Big 97 as it starts getting a bit breathless in the high 80’s…
So basically we have the SAME engine build combo what pistons did you use? As for the cam it’s just the Burtz cam correct? curious what trans are you running? I have several 97s o could try k e and if it’s a total slob swap to an 81? by the way I have no intention of going faster than 55-60 in this thing even with brake and steering upgrades Thank you so much for the reply Dave
I used the recommended Egge pistons. I ran it in my T Coupe originally with a stock A box and 3.27. The roadster has a Clings adapter and a ‘36 three speed, 3.25 ratio in the ‘35 back axle. It’ll pull 70 in second. Cruising 55-65 is easy.
I’ve used a number of intake combinations, including EFI on my A. Best all around intake in my experience is the Weber 32/36. It’s a 2 barrel carb with progressive butterflies and it’s easy to adjust. I have the adapter that allows the use of a typical 97 air cleaner.
Always thought this would be the perfect application for a pair of small side draft carburetors. Possibly off a motorcycle. I remember reading Ak Miller's article in Hot Rod, Horsing Around With a Mustang Six. He put 3 or 4 Honda 450 carbs on the engine and said it had the response of fuel injection.
Steve Becker at Bert's has the intake manifolds. He's also a Burtz dealer. Redline has the air cleaner adapter and jet kits.
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