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Technical New Guy. '54 Skyliner with a 272

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Mark Suain, Jul 9, 2026.

  1. Mark Suain
    Joined: Jul 9, 2026
    Posts: 1

    Mark Suain

    I've got a 54 Skyliner with a 272 (ECG casting number). It's got a Holley 4000 Teakettle carb (ECZ9510B) with a EBY-9425-D intake. I got the car with this setup. I can't get a choke to work to save my life. I've seen a few online with a remote mounted choke on the intake, which I ***ume is what this intake had originally but the carb is set up differently. I've attached a photo of all my stuff as well as one of a remotely mounted choke. I tried to put a manual choke on it, as the car has the choke cable being a '54 but it seems to get stuck when it's closed. I don't know if the linkage internal of the carb is the problem or the ****erfly shaft or what. Hoping to get some insight. Was about to say screw it and put a new Holley on it, but it seems like that might be an issue also with this intake.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. guthriesmith
    Joined: Aug 17, 2006
    Posts: 13,237

    guthriesmith
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Welcome and neat car! I have no information on trying to make a working choke on one of those, but know I got tired of fighting the teapot on my car and swapped to a 57 intake to put a later model square bore carburetor on. That does also require changing out the distributor if you end up giving up on the teapot. My biggest issue with mine is that it would randomly flood itself out and I got tired of jacking with it. I do still have the original teapot, intake, etc., but don't ever plan to run it again.
     
  3. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,533

    wicarnut
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Someone on here will answer your question, Welcome from Great Northwoods of Wisconsin.
     
  4. miker98038
    Joined: Jan 24, 2011
    Posts: 1,766

    miker98038
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    That is a great find. Congratulations.

    The manifold won’t mount a newer carb, smaller bores and bolt pattern. Common solution is an adapter. But if it’s original the distributor is a load o matic. And with a 272 (which it might be) swapped in there’s a cam/drive gear/oil drive change from the original 239. So you’ll need to do a bit of research on what combination you have.

    The loado’s only work with the carb they were designed for. You can’t swap a 55 carb onto a 56, or 2 to 4 barrel without the distributor change. Or vice versa. Lots of swaps were done ignoring those difference and poor performance is the result.

    I’m not an expert on all these combinations, I’ve alway had the 57 up manifolds and distributors no matter what the year or displacement of the engine.

    More picture (I’d love to see the whole car too) of the carb and distributor. If there’s a tag on the carb, that too. Someone with specific knowledge will chime in. Or the Ford Barn or yblocksforever.

    Your general location in the signature line helps, some other old yblock guy might be close.

    Welcome aboard. Great place and read the rules.

    Edit I see guthrie types faster than me.
     
    warbird1, 302GMC, Sharpone and 2 others like this.
  5. Welcome to the HAMB from the PNW. Love the car.
     
  6. Sharpone
    Joined: Jul 25, 2022
    Posts: 4,776

    Sharpone
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Welcome aboard from SW Wisconsin
    Dan
     
    lothiandon1940 and wicarnut like this.
  7. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 18,046

    jimmy six
    Member

    Nice car. If it were mine I would find a Carter WCFB small base carb from an early MOPAR or GM (non Chev/Pontiac) which will bolt on. I’d use a 3/8” phenolic spacer to keep it cool and the 2 locating holes that the carb needs. There will be some fabrication for the single rod for the foot feed. My first conversion used a 53’ Cadillac which had the exact rear fuel line feed.

    The aftermarket electric choke kits work on them. If you consider this you will also need a 57-up centrifugal/vacuum distributor.
     
  8. pprather
    Joined: Jan 10, 2007
    Posts: 9,738

    pprather
    Member

    Welcome to the HAMB from Illinois.
     
    Sharpone likes this.
  9. Welcome to the site Mark.Enjoy and soak up the knowledge,a lot of smart members here.
     
    lothiandon1940 and Sharpone like this.
  10. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 18,046

    jimmy six
    Member

    If needed a 52-59 Ford info page is located in “Off-Topic Rods and Customs. Lots of info with those years and Y-Blocks.

    Also YBlocksforever.com can find everything you need. For some extra knowledge Join the Crown Victoria Owner ***ociation for a bi-Monthly magazine. 54-56 all Fords and Mercury’s.
     
    Sharpone likes this.
  11. glendale
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 2,359

    glendale
    Member

    very nice car. as others have said. 57 up distributor and a later intake manifold and carb. I have a later intake and a 400 Holley 2 barrel for now. maybe add your location I have a spare later intake I would give you if you were close.
     
    Sharpone, jimmy six and guthriesmith like this.
  12. AldeanFan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2014
    Posts: 1,342

    AldeanFan

    Awesome car.
    My ‘54 ford has a 292 and a ‘57 up intake with a Holley 600 and I couldn’t be happier.

    the later intake and distributor are not impossible to find and will give you a lot more carburetor options
     
    Sharpone likes this.
  13. Rocket Scientist Chris
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 664

    Rocket Scientist Chris
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    From your part numbers, you have a ‘54 Mercury 4bbl intake with a ‘56 Mercury (which had a Mercury-O-Matic) Holley 4000 4bbl. Your intake would have the choke housing on the intake with a rod going up to the choke plates. The carb you have should have the choke housing on the side of the carb, connected directly to the choke plates.

    It sounds like you are missing some parts. Post pictures of your carb and intake, particularly of the choke area. The good news is the ‘56 carb can be made to operate on your ‘54 manifold. Though, the distributor swap is still highly recommended! :)
     
    Sharpone and carbking like this.
  14. carbking
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,076

    carbking
    Member

    WELCOME !!!

    Your ECZ-9510-B Haystack Holley (a.k.a. teapot) was designed to be used on a 1956 312 police special; so not the optimal carburetor for a basically stock 272.

    The choke mechanism is a conventional hot air integral choke with an integral choke pull-off and an external tube to a heat stove to the exhaust.

    Major issues that can cause any conventional hot air choke, regardless of make, not to function properly:

    (1) The internal vacuum p***age in the carburetor to the choke housing is plugged.
    (2) The external exhaust tube from the choke housing to the exhaust is plugged.
    (3) The internal choke pull-off is stuck. The heat stove with the exhaust commonly burns out about every 40 years, allowing raw exhaust to be directed to the choke housing, and cause the internal CPO to stick.
    (4) The exhaust choke stove is burned through (see 3 above).

    The inside of the choke housing is somewhat MM if the rebuilder has not seen one before.

    If the above 4 issues are not in play, and the choke is properly adjusted, it will work. The first carburetor I ever rebuilt as a 13-year old in 1959 was a haystack Holley from 1956 (similar to yours). It worked flawlessly for 200,000 miles (remember, rebuilt by a 13-year old) until the rings wore so badly the engine used almost as much oil as gasoline.

    I would suggest fixing what you have. If you wish to call during normal telephone hours, I will be happy to walk you through the testing procedure..

    If you wish to change:

    Carter WCFB 2361s will fit the intake, and the choke no longer has MM as a tenant, and the original distributor will still work. However, it is also for a 312, so re-calibration, like on your existing carb would be require.

    Other changes are going to require either a different intake or a different distributor or both.

    And in the realm of totally worthless trivia: the sophisticated city slickers grew up with tea parties, hence the "teapot" moniker, while us country bumpkins grew up pitching hay for haystacks, hence the "haystack" moniker. :p Of course, one can always climb and slide down the haystack if the boss doesn't catch you ! Great sport for a teenager.

    Jon
     

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