54 Mercury 256 Carburetor question

Bob from Northport

Bob from Northport

Well-known member
Been trying to get the car I recently purchased running better. Tuned up with new plugs, ect.
The carburetor on this engine I have a suspicion is not the right one. There appears tp be Two choke assemblies. Can anyone advise from the photo what is wrong, and if it is the wrong carburetor where I can get the correct one.
One choke appears to be part of the manifold, and the other part of the carburetor.
 
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Bob from Northport said:
Been trying to get the car I recently purchased running better. Tuned up with new plugs, ect.
The carburetor on this engine I have a suspicion is not the right one. There appears tp be Two choke assemblies. Can anyone advise from the photo what is wrong, and if it is the wrong carburetor where I can get the correct one.
One choke appears to be part of the manifold, and the other part of the carburetor.
Click to expand...

That's a '56 Ford or Merc Holley 4000 four barrel that somebody installed. It's slightly more air flow and should work fine the way it's set up in the picture.
The '54 Mercury 256 used a Holley 2140 and has the choke on the side of the manifold (like your's in the pic), with a rod going up to the choke plates on the carb. It's not hurting anything staying there. If you remove it from the manifold, you'lle have a small vacuum leak that would need to be plugged.

Also, if you need any work done on the carburetor, I've been rebuilding and restoring them for many years.

Sal
 
Sal.
I really appreciate your help. I have two problems. Starting-it seems fuel does not get up to the carb for awhile. The is an electric fuel pump on this car, but is installed up near the left front tire on the frame-pulling not pushing fuel. Not pressure gauge-may be overpowering the carb pressure.
The main problem I have is when I step on the gas it stumbles badly-stalling at times. Probably the accelerator pump. Let me know your thoughts. I think a good rebuild would help this carburetor. Thanks for the help!!
In the photo, that aluminum foil wrapped heat riser tube is NOT really connected into the exhaust manifold. Just sitting on a small indention.
 
That's not the best locaton for an electric fuel pump, but if it's working good enough and not excessive pressure with the carb flooding over, then it should work.
The original manifold/choke hase a choke stove in it for heat to open the choke.
probably need more heat that your setup provides to open the choke. You can always adjust the choke on the carb to be maybe halfway opened when cold, then there may be enough heat to open it all the way when warmed up. Just may need to warm it up a little while before driving after a cold start.
If your ignition timing and advance is working correctly, it sounds like the accelerator pump on the carb may be not the best.

Sal
 
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Scicala,
Here are two photos of a carburetor that was in the trunk when i bought the car in early May. The box it was in says it was rebuilt in 2004. No choke assembly on unit. Does it look ok?? What is it?? Will it work???
 
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Duplicate this picture, with your carburetor. Looking for the numbers and letters on your carburetor, to identify it.

It is a "tea pot", Holley carburetor.
 

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Bob from Northport said:
Scicala,
Here are two photos of a carburetor that was in the trunk when i bought the car in early May. The box it was in says it was rebuilt in 2004. No choke assembly on unit. Does it look ok?? What is it?? Will it work???
Click to expand...

That's the original '54 Mercury carb. the carbs were different every year ('54 thru '56).The tube haning off the front is what goes into the choke stove on the manifold. The part number will be stamped on the back mounting flange. LIST 804 was for auto tran crs, and LIST 803 is for manual trans cars, but either carb will work with either trans.
Only ddifference is that the auto trans carb would have a dashpot on it.
The choke lever has been removed for some reason. I have part carbs that have it. Also missing the long rod that goes from the choke on the manifld to the missing carb lever. It might still be on the engine.

Sal
 
Sal,

Sorry I don't have an extra one. That probably stayed on the manifold with the choke, when the carb was taken off the car. You are right, you could make one very easily.

Just a few pictures for reference. Ignore the arrow, that was a different topic.

Roy
 

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Merc Cruzer said:
Sal,

Sorry I don't have an extra one. That probably stayed on the manifold with the choke, when the carb was taken off the car. You are right, you could make one very easily.

Just a few pictures for reference. Ignore the arrow, that was a different topic.

Roy
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pictures Merc Cruzer. The '54 Mercury Bob has uses a different style manifold choke than the '52 and '53 Mercs. The choke rod has different bends and length on the Y Block V8's.

Sal
 
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