carburetor switch

[George Coleman]

Weber is way to go!

 

[Mike Armstrong]

Mike, I don't know what Steve means, but the Ford and Holley used to use a spacer about as thick as your two. It had a PCV tube and sometimes a heater hose connection to warm the carb base. I still have one with the PCV pipe on the shelf in my garage. As for atomization, all carbs squirt unless they have the annular boosters, maybe the Weber does. There is a add on deflector also that is interesting and a simple bolt on.

https://www.thompsonperformance.com/home.html

https://www.thompsonperformance.com/info.html

Thanks Jim. Interesting about that add on deflector. From the look of that pic of the stock spacer it would appear to actually be slightly thinner than two of the later stacked spacers as in what I have configured. Don’t know if the Motorcraft 2150(A) can be compared to the Holley or Weber but I used that same spacer configuration for a couple years without ever having an experience like Steve described. Here’s a pic of the height difference between the stacked spacers vs stock tower.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JngzWiAE97Re795KA

 

[Mike Armstrong]

The Holley, when bolted directly to the manifold, dumps too much raw gas into the intake. What we experienced
was quite large flames shooting out of the top of the carb, almost up to the ceiling. Because of this, when we put the stock
riser back on, it acted better but space ( to the hood) was compromised. We did some research and found the Weber.
Didn't know about annular boosters.

It sits down on the manifold and doesn't dump gas into the intake. It's a much more sophisticated carb but easy
to understand and tune. The Holley isn't anywhere as tuneable.

We kind of just gave up on the Holley once we found and installed the Weber. The car went from a flamethrower
to a controlled running engine with this application.

Just our experience.

Cheers!
Steve

Thanks Steve. Glad that it worked out well for you and good news for the community knowing there are several options should someone want to swap out they’re stock 2 barrel carb.

I think Jim’s comment comes from many complaints (that I’ve also read about) about earlier Holley carb’s pouring fuel into the manifold many of which turned out to be ruptured/old torn power valve diaphragm’s. Later Holley instituted built in power valve protection because of it.

 

[wile coyote]

Called Redline again and they don't sell direct to the public. They did point out their kit K457 which is a Weber 38 with an adapter plate for the V6. Got one on order now from JC Enterprises. I'll report back if it fits.

 

[sunalp]

Called Redline again and they don't sell direct to the public. They did point out their kit K457 which is a Weber 38 with an adapter plate for the V6. Got one on order now from JC Enterprises. I'll report back if it fits.

That's funny, they must have changed the way they do business as we called there directly and was able to have them set up the carb
specifically for the application to the 2.8. We got ours last September.

Not sure if the Holley is older or not, but the flames were pretty exciting!!

Cheers!
Steve

 

[sunalp]

Called Redline again and they don't sell direct to the public. They did point out their kit K457 which is a Weber 38 with an adapter plate for the V6. Got one on order now from JC Enterprises. I'll report back if it fits.

Yep, that's the kit we used. I'll be over by the car later this afternoon and will take a few pictures of how
it fits. I'll take them with the air cleaner removed.

Steve

 

[260Alpine]

Steve, That is great that there are alternatives. Do you know the recommended fuel pressure for the Weber. The Holly and Ford carbs like 4-6psi where a lot of the 4 cylinder carbs usually like 3-4psi. Do you have the round air cleaner adapter too, or did you fabricate something?

 

[260Alpine]

Mike, the stock spacer is 1"thick.

 

[sunalp]

Here are a few shots of the carb on the engine with the air cleaner removed.
You can see how low on the manifold it sits.

Steve

 

[Mike Armstrong]

Here are a few shots of the carb on the engine with the air cleaner removed.
You can see how low on the manifold it sits.

Steve

View attachment 11015 View attachment 11015

Looks great Steve.

In that second shot of three, is that the stock spacer, then a steel plate(?), the adapter and then the carb? Thanks

 

[sunalp]

Mike,

That, believe it or not ,is just the base gasket. Then the adapter from Redline, then the carb.

Steve

 

[sunalp]

teve, That is great that there are alternatives. Do you know the recommended fuel pressure for the Weber. The Holly and Ford carbs like 4-6psi where a lot of the 4 cylinder carbs usually like 3-4psi. Do you have the round air cleaner adapter too, or did you fabricate something?

We picked up a Mr Gasket fuel regulator, and I think it's on 3-4 psi. I don't have the car here as it's a friends car.
We did get the round air cleaner adapter from Redline as well.

Steve

 

[260Alpine]

Steve, Thanks! Very helpful.

 

[wile coyote]

I got the Weber 38 with the 457 adapter kit. The kit allows the carb to fit the manifold riser that has the EGR valve. It will not fit the manifold directly. My setup is different compared to Steve's.

Here is the original riser. The Weber adapter plate fits here. That means it will still be too high.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hhIXuiP5n9SgSSFQp8dBDL5d4vPOT0Vj/view?usp=sharing

This is a 2.8 from an 85 Ranger. The intake manifold looks like this....I don't know if the early 2.8's looked the same.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LByWI4bzeYmfpR2Tb_26NNwg1vP80JZA/view?usp=sharing

I used the manifold and carburetor gaskets together to make an adapter plate. I planned to place it right down on the manifold with a spacer on top, but it would block valve cover removal.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z7L0G_KXZSov96ZgYNPlB9u1fnrnRTrw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ngg9qLFhrRRDKBpb1HlzEOJQSmJmtXQL/view?usp=sharing

I happened to have some 3/4" aluminum plate around, so I made a spacer from the manifold to my adapter plate. Then the thick fiber gasket from Weber. Then the 457 plate/carb. All fits under the hood. I tapped the spacer to allow me to attach the modified stock throttle cable holder. The adapter plate still needs the mounting screws countersunk and the sides dressed up. Need to find a filter now.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DXdQMEcR3FTOweK1k0PWwMuvA8kCQt1h/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JS0I6Q62HxqOJ0IdJHf_V2G-8z4wnUa7/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-WJ2GatbHNL6RYUbknql2AIjQN9tOlH1/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qm39F1KWZ0JiwIMKkePyTpLqiMYgwozw/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[260Alpine]

Wiley, Very nice adapter!

 

[Mike Armstrong]

Great job Wile. Like my engine, I see yours also sets level in the engine compartment, leaving that bevel on the stock intake manifold slanted forward (I assume in an 85 Bronco II my engine sat slanted down towards the firewall, which would make that bevel level for the carb). I couldn’t bevel the stock spacers but I always thought if I had access to a CNC machine I would make a one piece beveled adapter to level out the carb on a level mounted engine using the manifold. At least for aesthetics, at most because I wonder how it affects carb function to always be tilted forward while driving around town (maybe it affects the float/fuel metering or venturi dynamics?).

I had to jack up the front of the car to set the proper float level. It’s my understanding that it’s the ‘amount’ of fluid in the bowl that matters in how the carb functions, not the relative ‘position’ of that fluid within the bowl.

Anyhoo, one thing I did do was to create an opposite bevel on the bottom of the air filter housing so it sits level on the carb. Looks allot better and the carb tilt is much less noticeable.

 

[wile coyote]

What air filter did you use?

 

[Mike Armstrong]

It’s been so long I don’t remember who I ordered from online, maybe Jegs or Summit. It has a relatively low profile, old school hot rod look and a nice thick aluminum base, great for grinding to an angle.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vpDkUAcYPwqQtLKp8

 

[Mike Armstrong]

This one could be it, eBay purchase history doesn’t go back far enough for me to be sure.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Oval-No...Cleaner-Filter-Mopar-GM-Hot-Rod-/162601263062

 

[260Alpine]

Speedway Motors carries some nice ones too. I plan on their chrome oval. Mike. any progress on the carb swap?