found a 4x2 weiand for my hemi,is the new stromberg 97 carb worth a ****,are you money ahead buying new or use old and rebuilding,seams all the old one look like hell,dont know much about strombergs so your input is greatly needed
from what i have heard, the new ones are very nice but way to expensive for me. You can get 97's rebuilt and plated to look very good. I have seen used 97's that need rebuilding in the $150 dollar range. But you also can use holly/ford 94's, which are a little cheaper. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248305&highlight=stromberg
I have the same intake. I am not sure how much you know about it but take a look at this thread I started on it. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=243372 Good Luck! they look *****in!
There are probably many posts already on this subject..... but here's what I have learned from experience. The new 97's are still not exactly the same as the originals as far as performance and working is concerned. I know the guy who helped with R&D of the new ones, and he explained the flaws to me on a recent visit. He's a Bonneville racer and has been rebuilding 97's for years. He lives here, not in England where the new ones are made. Anyways, you can still find good used cores for $100-150 and then a good rebuild kit for $45. I would go that route before looking at new 97's or those wanna be UGLY as hell Demons. So you can get a nice original re-done or bought on evilBay for under $300 or spend over $400 on the new ****.... my .02
I may have made some dumb mistakes. I bought a couple of complete rebuilt units from a recommended vendor ( not an Alliance Vendor). I have yet to fire them up but that should be happening by the end of this next week. For the amount of money that I spent on each ( closing in on $350 )I am a little shocked that they leaked badly as soon as I put pressure to them. I just took this picture earlier this week. I can't wait to get this finished. I'll let you know later this next week what I think of the expensive ones.
If it's the famous bowl plugs that are leaking, I'll send you some no-weep-leak-seep gaskets. FREE, plus a stamp.
If you bought them on evilBay, I know a lot of claimed to be rebuilders on there do not take the time to mate-match the bowl to the top (this means filing, bending, etc)....also, they are not using the better rebuild sets which have the thicker gaskets. Ask a lot of questions before you buy....it will save you the headache....
Hot Rod Man...Where are they leaking..How much fuel pressure are you using.. Who rebuilt them.. coopsdaddy..The choice is yours..I do know that original 97s can be rebuilt to operate correctlly, and not leak.. Duane.
Duane, they are leaking from the bolt heads on the bottom of the fuel bowls. I have tightened them a couple of times but still have not put a lot of pressure on during the tightening. My new regulator is set at 2 1/2 lbs. I really don't want to bad mouth the guy who built them. I got his website name from a post here back in the fall. He is supposed to be the king of 97's. The carbs are beautiful to look at. I need to finish my linkage this week and put some miles on the car next week to see what to do next. A post above offered some no leak / no weep seals so I am going to take advantage of that... thanks John
The gaskets that uncle max is talking about are great..I've found that if your 97s have the flat face surface where the gasket meets the body,they are the answer..If they have the recessed faces, you have to cut down the gasket..The check valve plug usually has a flat surface the jet faces can be different, recessed or flat.. Duane
I looked at the new 97s at Detroit yesterday and they are a sight to behold. Unfortunately I can't afford to behold them. Therefore I'll rebuild the pile I have to come up with 4 good ones for my Weiand Chevy manifold. The info in this thread and others here on the H.A.M.B. have been a big help.
what are the options on restoring the outside look,so they perform as well as look nice,and who does the best work,are they plating,powder coating, chroming,buffing and clearing,stainless parts?
I don't believe in plating, power coating, chroming..I think a light media blast give a very natural look, without coloring anything..What stainless parts,,screws and washers???? Duane
Panic: An NOS throttleplate measures 1.199" (front to back) and 1.840" (across). They are eliptical rather than a perfect circle. Care must be taken to make sure the 7 degree bevel - on the front and rear edges - faces the right way. They're usually maked with a crescent or a slash. I like to hand-lap them to fit.
Time and money is what you are working against. If you have the time you can pick up 97's for around $ 50 each. I've never paid more than this for a core. The price of 97's have gone up because the popularity, and the carb rebuilding/selling businesses. It's not rocket science. It takes me a few hrs a carb to rebuild. From pulling them down , blasting, coating , checking , re***embly. Again time. If you don't absolutly need 97's , go with 94's if they will fit. They are MUCH CHEAPER. I've found that they can be had as little as $ 20.00 each and in GREAT SHAPE. Just my two cents.
I'm far from being a 97 expert; but I recently came up with some things that helped me. First, I use a very, very light application of Permatex, non-Teflon, non-hardening, thread sealer on the gaskets. They don't leak; but, you have to be extremely carefull not to get any in the carb itself. Also, I found one source of leakage of the float needle valve (causing the float to overflow). When we tow, trailer or by tow bar; without the lubrication of the fuel flow, the needles and seats are subject to extreme wear, from vibration. I've gone to ball check valves, to see if that solves it, in the long run.
I've seen the new 97's, too. They are nice and are not SUPPOSE to leak. But, I heard that nobody has them in stock to sell. Anybody know any different?
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