Straight Eight Multi-Carb Intakes?

Ive seen a few pictures, new and old, of rods with Buick straight eights that have six carbs right in a row. Did a company actually make thoes intakes or were they homebuilt jobs?
-Dean

 

A guy in IL custom made the 6 carb setups in the 70's, sold a small number over the years. Edmunds made 3 carb intakes.
Probably several others did custom castings.

 

I've seen one that I concluded was homemade. On a Buick that shows up at local events around here.

 

I have been looking for a multi carb setup for straight 8 pontiac for awhile now, seen some in pics but never anywhere in person. Also as previous stated Edmunds made them and people hand make them.

 

All the ones I have seen are homemade

 

Something like a six carb intake would have been home made. I am 99% sure that the edmunds 2x2 manifold was the only aftermarket inatake for the straight 8. But for a few years ending just before WWII you could get a straight 8 buick with a dual carb intake and split exhaust manifold from the factory.

here is a picture of my stock '41 Buick manifold.

 

Here is one from Australia:

 

41-2 Buicks offered the dual carb setup for the 248 and 320 inch engines. They are not interchangable.

Here is one I found 2 years ago in a 41 Special 4dr. Rotted into the mud and totally surrounded by stacked cars its a wonder it hadnt been scoffed. Hood was off and the aircleaner was on the ground.

 

I helped carry one of these out of a swap meet for a buddy a while back, and damn thes are heavy, but cool. Rodshop

 

I believe Howard Johansen made a 6-carb for Buicks back in the day, but it may have been fabricated rather than cast.

Don't recall ever seeing more than a two-carb for a Packard, Olds, Pontiac or Chrysler str8.

There were 5-carb logs around for GMC's, though.

 

I believe that most were home made jobs. I just saw an East Coast drag car "****** Mary" that runs a straight eight and multi carbs. You may want to do a search of that name for further info. I know that intake was home made..

Spike

 

I saw a 3-carb job for a Hudson 6 last week, that was not only homemade it was so ugly if I'd made it I'd have a padlock on the hood to keep it out of sight.

Speaking of which, there's a couple oddball motors for you - Hudson and Chrysler both had inline 8's back in the day. So did Nash - I bet finding speed parts for those is like finding the fountain of youth (or the fountain of beer if you prefer).

Mentioned before on here, an old R&C a guy had a '38 Century coupe with a homemade deal to sport 3 Jag Weber carbs on it. I have to agree most of your inline intakes for more than 2 carbs were homemade deals.

 

I have a 41 intake on my 50 263 straight eight. The small engines the intake interchanges the 320 is all on its own.
One thing you need to do when installing one on a later year the driver side motor mount is in the way you need to lower the mount.

I cut my mount in half then slipped on side inside of the other and welded it back together and drilled some new mounting holes in the mout its self to drop the mount.


When i get my motor swap done i might put my whole motor and trans with the intake carbs and factory air cleaner on the open market.

 

Question about the pic,....is that one you made or just something you had found and used, or just a pic of the net??

Reason I ask is because I'm in the process of picking in a '52 Buick Special Coupe and I'm planning on running a setup of either 2, 3 or 4 Holley 94s. Edmunds makes a dual carb setup, (I've never seen Edmunds make a triple for an inline eight as previously stated??) If they do and any one knows wher to buy a triple by Edmunds send me the link.

I know buick had stock dual intakes in the 40-41 years but if I'm correct they were mainly for the large 320 buick roadmaster engines, i'm not sure if they'll fit the smaller 263 special engines,...though I'm trying to figure that one out so I can give myself the option of that manifold if I find one cheap enough.

Jason

 

You know you want to sell that to me right??....
Hey I'm right over here in PA dude,..close by too!!.....lol

Jason

 

if you read this post several people state that the 320 intakes do not fit 263/240 engines...

 

Read above.
If you really want a complete one let me know...

 

Do you have the 41 split exhaust as well? I was always worried about the motor mounts interfering with the split exhaust, I didn't realize it would be a problem with the intake as well. Do you have any pics you can post?

 

The forward exhaust down tube is dead center of the motor mount.
I'll be out in the garage tonight. I'll see if i can you some photos of how i had to do it.

 

I've only seen Edmunds aftermarket intakes for the I8 Buicks, and they were in 3 and 4 bolt configuration two bbl carbs. I would say that two Holley 94s are more than enough without extensive engine reworking of a small Buick 8..any more would be "cool factor" (or ignorance factor). I can't even imagine any inline needing six carbs unless your goal is complete undriveablity.

 

Thanks. So the intake doesn't have a clearance problem, just the exhaust, right? I look forward to those pics if you can get them.

 

I think the easiest way for a multiple setup on the 8 is with a plenum manifold. I'm using 6061 T-6 aluminum to make mine. I made a cardboard mockup of what I thought would work and have got the parts all cut out. I have to cut the top and bottom holes and then find someone to weld it up.

 

That is what I did on our GMC. I made the log out of steel tube.

 

I'm confused by this pic. Are all 6 of those tubes connected to the intake manifold? Shouldn't some be exhaust (4 intake and 8 exhaust)?

 

The engine shown in the pic is a 6 cylinder slant six Chrysler. It has six intake ports and six exhaust ports.

 

I'm also doing a homemade log-type intake for my 263. I'm running 2 Harley sidedrafts (Screaming Eagle carbs, made by Holley) and they're 275cfm each. Since my 263 is now a 283, and the head is well-ported w/ oversize valves, etc., this should work out pretty well.

I ordered custom pistons from Ross for the overbored 263 to use stock rods...if anyone wants a set, Ross knows exactly what you're looking for. They're flat tops, and will bump compression from 7:1 or 7.5:1 (factory) up to 9:1.

I'm also planning for fabrication on a pair of headers for it.

The new carbs have got to be easier to keep in fine tune. I'm also adding electronic ignition & some other cool stuff, so this will be a pretty hot 263.

I'm up to my *** in 2 other car projects right now, so this one is on the back burner for a little while.

But, the 601-inch Pontiac is really close to getting lit, and the 545hp 87-octane 383 is doing a fine job of powering my station wagon...so things are moving in the right direction...

Updates to follow as progress is made...

SP~