The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop dual carbs for a 261

I'm swapping my 216 for a 261. Looking for a recommendation for what to use/where to find the carbs and linkage. Thanks!

Dual carbs are mainly good for attractiveness, don't necessarily perform better.

Ed

Welcome to the world of dual carbs, a place where you will always get nasty opinions and hear anything but the answers you are looking for.

Im running a dual setup from Tom L. They are 2 progressive carbs from a 80's ford escort. After I sorted out a few issues I had with them things work great. I have yet to run a single original carb on my engine setup so I cant comment on how it changes things. I have been told that installing a dual setup will possibly take away from the bottom end a bit but add to the high end. I have gone for a few rides in other stock inline trucks and mine still feels like it pulls harder.

You can also use dual stock carbs. Using 2 216 carbs I hear is the best but go no larger than 2 stock 235 units. Other better options over stock duals are the Carter YF's

I like the way mine looks and thats what makes me happy.

wolffcub,

Is your dual carb set-up on a 235?

I have used those C-W carbs from Tom Langdon on a 261 (bored to about 270 ci) and they seemed to be limiting at high RPM.

I think they would be nicely matched with a 235.

Yes they are on a 235. After a modification last week that was done not for performance reasons but for acoustics im amazed how it runs now due to the side affects.

Tom L told me the cw carbs would be fine for a 261. But i see lots use the 32/36 setup unlike our 32/32 setup.

If you're looking to gain performance with multiple carbs, and not just going for the eye candy, you do have to consider the entire package. That includes selecting an appropriate camshaft as well as improving the exhaust system to allow the engine to take advantage of the intake setup. You'll also want to consider improvements to the ignition system.

When I had a 261 in my Task Force truck, I used the Tom Langdon carbs. Very simple and seemed to work great.
don

What units did you have from tom? 32/32 or the 32/36?

Sorry, I don't remember, that was three engines ago. I did have dual exhaust, a mild cam, HEI and an 848 head. As was mentioned, dual carbs by themselves may not be the answer.
don

The two Carter-Weber carbs (32 DFT or 32/32, I guess) were the ones I used.

They were great for starting, and very nice for cruising; but, they lacked high-end "power".
I also think they looked quite nice.

A single carb was used on 1600cc Ford Pinto engines - 97 cubic inches

I switched to a single two-barrel Holley AA-1 carburetor (from a GMC 302) with adjustable main jets (my 261 is bored 0.060 resulting in around 270 ci).

It performs much better. It can be tuned to provide high-end "pull-power" that does not taper-off during "acceleration tests".

This is with Fenton dual headers and original 1960 261 "modified lift" cam.

This is very good advise and those who ignore it wind up with the dreaded bog, bad mileage, and manifolds on ebay. Engine building is much like baking a cake...too much or too little of any one ingredient can ruin the outcome.

Personally I think a hokey linkage adjusted by bending is a big culprit for poor results as the carbs are simply not actuated simultaneously.

Good advice. The C-W carbs linkage set sold by Langdon's is excellent.

His photo of the installed linkage is odd, but it is not hard to figure out how to use/install his linkage set (if you use it, ask here about an adjustable up-rod from the bell-crank on the block to the linkage).

Thanks for all your comments. What is the 32/32 and 32/36 setup referring to?

its the sizes of the primary and secondary venturi. Primary 32 / secondary 32. Tom did say a 32/32 would be ok with a 261 maybe he never understood what mods i would be doing to mine thus not suggesting to move to the 32/36. But with it being bored over min .040, new cam, intake, headers and hei i might just opt for the 32/36 carbs. I read that they are way more user friendly to adjust and replace jets if required. I love the box style air cleaners the most. It add a little touch of modern to the inline sitting under the hood.

Tom sold me on using the dual C-W on my 261 and headers. I also ordered headers and intake manifold but he could not supply them (he did not tell me that when I ordered them - after a few months waiting, I cancelled those from him and bought them elsewhere).

After I got everything working smoothly, I thought that the performance/acceleration was flat at high RPMs. I called Tom and he asked why I had bought the C-W for a 261. I was dismayed (to say the least).

Maybe he is now putting larger jets in the C-Ws, when they are intended to be used with a 261?

You mention using 32/36 carbS (two of them).
Does Tom Langdon recommend using two of them on a 261?

What size engine was the 32/36 carburetor used on?
It looks to me like one carb on a 2.0L to 2.8L engine?

I know nothing about the 32/36 - wait to see if someone who has used it/them posts their experience.

I have zero experience with dual carbs of any kind on a stovebolt engine, but the concept of a bigger secondary venturi makes sense. It's what GM did to an extreme level with the Quadrajet. That carb uses two very small primary barrels with 3-stack venturis for excellent low speed performance, and two huge rear barrels with a spring loaded air valve to provide virtually unlimited airflow with the right fuel mixture at full throttle.

Bigger jets have very little to do with high speed performance. It takes a bigger venturi and/or throttle plate to flow more air, then the jets are selected to mix the correct amount of fuel with the extra air.
Jerry

I have a 235 in my 60chevy(car) that uses Tom's cw 32/36 carbs. Dual carbs,3/4cam,headers,headwork.HEI from him.Runs real nice and sounds sweet. Call and speak with Tom Langdon.
Langdonsstovebolt.com