The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 carburation

i have a 235 and i'm planning on putting an offenhauser triple carb intake manifold with adaptors to fit three stromberg 97s, would this set up work for my 235? i was planing on getting the clifford 6=8 set up but i like this one much better, with fenton headers.

It would certainly be an attention getter, but you would need steps on the trailer in order for interested parties to be able to look.

More concisely, I cut the word "never" out of my dictionary; but the USA did not mint sufficient money last year to talk me into trying to actually make it work well.

Jon.

jesus...I'm not quite sure what Jon is trying to say except it is his way of telling you it isn't worth the trouble and it is purely an attention getter. Anyway there is not sufficient room for the throttle linkage to clear the firewall on a 3 carb log without some reinvention. Even the two carb setup (and I have one) is really a PITA when it comes to setting it up and making it rum properly. ONE proper carb will make these engines run as intended or better if you do the rest of the work required. If you want ot do something really neat then attempt an engine upgrade to a newer series engine with OHC and FI. That is where we are eventually headed for inline performance engines.
Good Luck Jesus.

Totally understand, but its In an apache there might be enough clearance, setting all clearance factors aside, a triple carb system provides even fuel distribution, if I set up a performance ignition system, maybe a Mallory distributor for a realy hot spark ect... wouldnt it work out nicely. Im not trying to be hard headed, I WANT an attention getter but I also want driveability

Maybe you can set three carbs on there with blockout plates in two of them and plugs in the fuel lines. It will look great, run great, and people will be amazed. Folks will ask you how you managed to get all those linkages right, and how can they set their 3 carb/engines up to run so good.

Just smile.

LOL
Kurt

That is a great idea, but I have seen many triple carb set ups before, it has to work!
Why else would they make triple carb manifolds!

P.T. Barnum said it best- - - -"There's a sucker born every minute"! 3-carb manifolds are made to make sure "A fool and his money are soon parted!" Just because some dummy can bolt it on is no guarantee it will ever get out of its own way. One of my friends set up the exact same thing you're describing on a 51 Chevy 216 when we were in high school in the early 1960's. It was easy to find his car after that- - - -just look for the three burned spots in the hood from the carburetor fires!
Jerry

Makes cense, so what is recommended, maybe the clifford performance kit?

So are you trying to get more horsepower or just make it look cool and/or both?


Kurt

If it's done absolutely correctly, a 2-carb setup works pretty well- - - -if, and only if carbs with about 2/3 of the volumetric capacity of the original single carb are used, and perfectly matched. Carter carbs for a 216 fitted to a 235 dual-carb manifold will run just about as good as the original single carb, and there's a possibility the top-end performance might be a little better. Everywhere else, the original single carb will outperform the duals. If you do enough internal modifications including a bigger bore, longer stroke, bigger valves, very radical camshaft grind, and lots of porting and polishing, plus a low-restriction TUNED dual exhaust, you'll get a very good-running engine at full throttle that will fall flat on its face everywhere else.

Bottom line- - - -there's no free lunch. If you're willing to lose practically all of the engine's low speed and midrange torque to get a horsepower gain at high RPM, go for the multi-carb setup and live with the bottom end losses. You'll spend several thousand dollars putting a high-speed-only engine together that will run like crap at any legal highway speed. Otherwise, put a single Carter carb on it properly calibrated for a 235, and be happy with what you've got.
Jerry

You can make a three carb setup work. BUT you have to start with carbs that flow correctly for the engine. Read Jerry's comment about two carbs each being two thirds the size of the original. To make 3 carbs work, each needs to be approximately one half the size of the original.

Jerry is right about the single carb. With a two or three carb setup on a basically stock engine, IF YOU DO EVERYTHING PERFECT, you may gain 8~12 percent. If you DON'T do everything perfect, you can easily LOSE 25 percent!

I will disagree slightly with Jerry about low speed and midrange torque. It can improve SLIGHTLY because of better volumetric efficiency across the entire RPM range, but only after spending lots of time (and money) chasing perfection.

Is the end worth the means? With duals, maybe. With triples, probably not.

This article may help explain:

http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Dual1barrelcarbs.htm

And also this one:

http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Triple1barrels.htm

Jon.

Thanks for the comments, Jon! My main concern about low speed and midrange is more about the nut behind the wheel than the actual physical setup. When the thing doesn't pull as expected, the natural tendency is to pedal it a little harder, which kills the manifold vacuum and the venturi velocity. Very few drivers ever learn that there are throttle positions other than wide open and idle. Even if that perfect balance between right foot and vacuum gauge can be achieved, few if any drivers ever find it. The resulting flat spot and lean backfire is what puts those scorch marks in the paint on the hood!
Jerry

I'm going to throw my $.02 in here. Both Jon and Jerry are correct, and are giving very good advice on what to keep in mind with carburation and effects on the engine performance when you start messing with it. Now for my part, I looked at some of your other posts, I see you have a '59. You will find that a triple intake will have clearance issues at the rear carb, as the engine does sit back into a recess in the firewall. The rear intake port is almost directly in line with the edge of the recess, right where the third carb will sit. This was something I looked in to, as I had considered 3 carbs on mine. If you are set on multiple carbs, you might consider duals instead, and follow Jon and Jerrys advice on setup.

I recently installed dual matched & jetted Rochesters on a Fenton intake. Boy what a nightmare that turned out too be. After everything was said and done I will never install 2 again let alone 3!

If you could design a progressive linkage where only 1 carburetor operated. 3 would be an attention grabber & it would idle nice and not Guzzle fuel as mine does!

Id put an offenhauser 4 barrel on my next build.

My advice.. Every Man has to make his own decision
& live with his choices. Build what you like & hell with the naysayers!

Got it, I'll just upgrade the manifold and put a weber carb, im a newbie this is actualy my first vehicle, it seemed real simple to learn on, so what can I do to this engine to make it bullet proof, I want it to star up right away, its going to be a daily driver, like 3 miles to work thats it, wold it be just upgrading the ignition system?

Back in the early 1950's when I was growing up around a shop that specialized in carburetor and tune-up work, Carter had a slogan- - - -"The ABC's of carburetion are: Always Buy Carter"! Some things never change! Find yourself a good-condition 1-barrel Carter carb calibrated for a 235, bolt it on, adjust the idle mixture, feed it with a Carter fuel pump, and forget about doing anything else to the fuel system.

If the electrical system is 12 volts, install a late-model GM HEI ignition system like is used on the 230/250/292 engines. It takes a little bit of adapting of the distributor housing to make it fit the stovebolt engine, but it will go 40K miles or more between spark plug changes with virtually no maintenance.
Jerry

Certainly agree with Jerry about the Carter. I replaced the Rochester on my '53 powerglide engine with a Carter YF 2100S carb, and got better power, smoother acceleration and MUCH better starting. And oh, I went from 14-15 mpg on the highway to 19-20 mpg. Now That's an upgrade.

Ignition wise, I have never had any problems with my stock setup.(coming up on 40 years) Change yours if you want to, but it is not necessary. The original engineering and construction was sound, and doing a tune up every now and then will keep you at one with your vehicle.

Since the vehicle is new to you, why not just drive it for a while and see how you (and others) like it? If it is in good repair, it IS pretty much bullet proof.

I get a lot more attention in my slightly ratty looking but mechanically excellent and mostly stock '51 burb at car shows that the guy next to me with the $20,000 paint job. Just sayin'.

Kurt

If your set on a 3 carb set up get a 53-54 Corvette set up. It uses 3 Carter side draft carbs. It will still have its issues to make it work but you might have a chance of having something you can drive.

" so what can I do to this engine to make it bullet proof."

Build as stock and drive it. It has lasted for over 50 years already. Thats pretty much bullet proof.