I see a great number of multiple carb set ups on 8BAs either in person or online. Most will still have the stock distributor. Now it is possible to run 94s with work done like splitting vacuum and fooling with the springs in the distributor. Most folks don’t that because they don’t understand the system and frankly don’t want to know the system. You try to explain it and you get this ....that’s how daddy/grandpa did it or seems to work OK for me.... It’s like you kicked a favorite puppy for simply stating fact. Ignorance is bliss I guess. Sure it revs but there’s still no functioning advance.
I don't know. A guy I used to work with had a '52 Ford that was stock except for dual exhausts. One day, he came to work complaining about it having no acceleration and getting horrible mileage. I told him to check out the vacuum advance pod and, sure enough, it was ruptured. He replaced it and couldn't believe how much better it was. The situation you're describing has got to be the same.
Well if you advance the initial timing enough it will rev well and make good power. They just ignore the fact that it spark knocks under initial acceleration, it sometimes diesels when you turn it off hot, and it has a very slow crank on a hot engine start. Other than that, it runs fine.
I believe there are springs to help control the vacuum. There is no mechanical advance; perhaps this is what you mean by "no springs".
Certainly is springs. As a note the Vacuum "can" was used alot on various Fomoco products , at least my '65 Comet 200 6L used the same one.
There certainly are springs. They are not centrifugal springs but small coils. It’s these small coil springs in conjunction with the linkage from the vacuum canister that advances and retards the timing. In the 1957 book Fix Your Ford, the Loadomatic system talked about briefly. There used to be different color coil springs to adjust how the distributor responded to the vacuum signal.
Also commonly seen on yblocks. Loadomatic’s just aren’t understood well. And some people don’t want to understand. I think later ford 6’s used them too.
20 yrs now running dual 94’s with a loadamatic. 8ba runs perfectly. Split the vacuum, ran identical carbs and eliminated one of the springs. It can be done. I even tried one of Bubbas gm adaptations and the loadamatic provided better power and mileage than the gm conversion. Averaging 15-17 mpg highway in my 37 coupe. And it’ll kick the ass of my hot 59L flathead in the lightweight 34 pickup
If anyone remembers 286 Merc, he claimed it was possible to split vacuum and use the stock distributor. He seemed to know a thing a two about flatheads.
Back in the dark ages, we tossed the loadamatic and went Mallory. Nowadays we toss the loadamatic and do a slight modification on Chevy point type distributors.
Who cares what someone runs. We don't need a lecture. It's none of our business what someone uses if it's not going to hurt them..
I thought we were all here to help each other; I have gotten a lot of good ideas an assistance from this forum. I think this thread falls under that dictum. Your attitude surprises me.
here’s the link to the article you posted some years back, if anyone is interested, - see post 5. I kept it for my future reference. Just looked - posted almost 20 years ago ! https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/dual-94-carbs-on-a-flatty-setup-questions.36751/ .
Ha! I've got 97's on that car now, and that's a 59a not an 8ba, but still good info in there. FWIW the car runs better with the Strombergs now than no matter how I set up the dual 94's.
Sometimes a lecture is good to hear if it educates. This is not how to polish rust or what color your wheels are. This is basic mechanics. We are talking about timing advance. Let’s go back to a Model T with the manual spark and throttle on the steering column. If the spark is wrong, the car is difficult to crank. It could even kick back and break bones. If the spark was wrong while driving, say like pulling hill, it’s very common to break a crankshaft. I know the late flathead is much different than the T Banger but still, no working spark advance can’t be good for it. Many assume that since the 8BA has a modern looking distributor that any carburetor combo is good to go. That’s not the case. If you change carburation on an 8BA you have to do something to the advance mechanism. Two 94s, you can split the vacuum and play with the springs. 3 94s?.....Fix Your Ford 1957 says this just about impossible to run LOM with triples. (Personally it may be possible to run a primary 94 with secondaries and progressive linkage) that would take a lot of trail and error. As said 2x2 is about the limit with Loadomatic. Another option is an early tea pot or Carter Loadomatic 4bbl. Strombergs on an 8BA? The distributor needs to be changed to one with mechanical advance. Someone mentioned above that you can set the timing for the best overall and run it with no advance. That may work OK I guess, but I think it’s like a broken clock. It will be correct twice a day. With no advance the engine can.... Run Hot Run Rich Have low power.... What are flatheads known for? Running hot Running rich Low power It does have to be this way. Maybe this lecture will save people money. Especially when they see a that stock engine runs much better overall than one with 2k worth of carbs and linkage and 1k with of heads. Why? They did not address the advance issue.
I hoping you would chime in Pete. You get it. You mentioned 286 Merc. He was really before my time. Another good one is Bruce Lancaster. Petejoe, 286 Merc, Bruce Lancaster and Tubman are all worth a search if you fooling with a flathead. I’m sure there are many more but these guys are solid.
OOPS! Yes, of course you are right, and the others as well. I was indeed thinking of mechanical advance springs not being there. Thanks. Dave
Can one of you explain what "split vacuum" is, or is it just connecting the vacuum advance port from both carbs through a "T" fitting, and then to the LOM distributor?
Yes Connecting both of the carburetors Venturi ports with a T fitting and the other line to the distributor advance. One point that hasn’t been brought up is the importance of having a good working vacuum advance. Over the years many develope leaks and don’t respond properly.
The Jalopy Journal
