Offy 4BBL intake

Walt Dupont--Me.

Walt Dupont--Me.

Well-known member
i've got an Offy 4bbl intake I had for along time and never used it. i think I'll use on the lateist project I'm working on. Guestion, it's the square bolt patten. Accually the bolt patted is 3-3/4 + 3-7/8 What carbs fit that? Whats that old Carter w--- something or other, what did that come off. Did the old Holleys off early Y-blocks 292--312 ect. fit? Thanks Walt
 
walt theres a adapter to fit modern 4 barrel carbs i have edelbrock intake with edelbrock carb works a charm richard in florida has the same set up on his 276 engine gets great resultes with milage merry christmas from downunder
 
I think that is the early Carter WCFB pattern. They came on early 50s GMs---like the Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile. Also, the early Chryslers (53-54) used them as did a few early Studebakers. In 1955, Carter changed to a larger bolt pattern although the inners were the same as the earlier carb.

Good carbs. Good fuel metering for normal driving, the accerator pumps are OK for a flathead but weren't good enough for a late 60's V8. I think the early WCFBs flow about 350CFM.
 
Yes, the Y-block teapot carb will fit. Yes, the early Carter and Rochester carbs will fit. I prefer the Rochester. Or use an adapter for a modern 4-barrel.
 
Walt this months Hot Rod magazine has a great article comparing flathead after market performance manifolds. It covers the Offy. They ran a Street Holley with a spacer on the Offy.
 
Walt, The 57 Ford Holleys require a special adapter plate. The 55/56 Ford "teapots" will fit but not a very good carb.
Those manifolds were designed to directly bolt-on the early Carter WCFBs. Later WCFBs had a slightly wider bolt base (same basic butterfly layout) but they made plate adapters to bolt them to the early small manifolds.
Some of the better and more common WCFBs with the small bolt pattern (off the top of my head):
1954, 55, 56 Buicks, have a weighted sec valve to restrict flow until needed (good thing for the smaller flathead)
1955, 56, some 57 Mopars
1954, 55, 56 Cads, Kind of big for a flathead and no sec control.
1955, 56 Fords, have a somewhat funky vacuum operated sec.

To me the Buicks are a good choice.
 
Walt,
I'm running a '52 Olds Rochester 4 brl on my 8ba stroker. Very simple,
easy to setup (with an AF meter). My particular Roch has the fuel inlet at the
rear of the carb which really simplifies plumbing.
To me the 50's look of the Roch and Carter on a Flathead are very im-
portant.
If you are interested I'll pass on the jet sizes etc I settled on.
Charlie ny
cas5845@yahoo.com
 
I run the 54 Buick on my 276 and my 241 Dodge. Great carbs. The Cad carb was way too big.
 
Thanks guys. I've rebuilt all those carbs. Back in the 60's I was shop forman for 10yr's in an auto machine shop but we also did tuneups and carbs and electrical. We had 2 men steady on starters and gens. And I was the carb man. They used to bring them to me by the bushel baskets. This is my own engine and I'm not byeing a new car. But i'll find one of those WCFB or a Rodchester. Alot of people don't like those early holleys but I've don't so many of them I could do them in my sleep. I remember back around 55 a friend had a chopped 40 Merc Opera coupe with a 276 and had a Stromburg 4BBL I think it came off a Buick. I loved to drive that car, it had a Lincoln trans and 354 rear gears. You could drive for week in 2nd. You could be driveing along about 50mph in 2nd and slowly push down gas and when that secondary 4 bbl open the front end would lift right up. It was so much fun. Thanks Walt
 
Walt,when you talk 4 barrell holley early ford y block, are you looking for the measurements between the 4 mounting holes on the tea pot carb,if so I can measure one tomorrow.Hope I can help EPW
 
As I recall, one of the problems with those early four barrels was that they had a "double" float. There was one for primaries and one for secondaries, each worked one needle valve, but the floats were way off to the sides. When cornering, the gas would move to one side lifting the float and shutting off the gas flow.

My base engine Chebby has a a WCFB and it runs good enough for me. I don't do too much high speed hard cornering now a days though.
 

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Walt Dupont--Me. said:
Thanks Richard, I'll keep you in mind if I cain't find around here to rebuild. Walt
Click to expand...
Here are those two carburetors.

The 4GC (the pretty one) was restored by Sparky Kalkoff of Sparky's Carburetor Service, and the WCFB was rebuilt by me.
 

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The Rochester is a basically simple carb compared to the Carter. Always had better luck with them back in the Olds was king days.
 
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