Zenith vs. Tillotson

lance leblanc

lance leblanc

Senior Member
I'm sure that this has been discussed here before but a quick thread search didn't turn up much as to which, if either is the better carburetor or at least the more preferred and why.
Seems to me that Zenith has the advantage for parts and availablity. But is there any performance or reliablity differences?
I just had my Tillotson rebuilt and would like to aquire a backup carburetor' but would like the opinon of fellow Ford Barners before buying.
 
A properly rebuilt with original jets Zenith should last your life time, let you run over 60 MPH and get over 20 MPG in the process.

No pot metal to warp, one bolt drops the bowl to check for dirt- it is designed to run with some dirt. With the factory filters working properly you are not likely to find dirt in the bowl either- at least my very dirty tank in a 30 fordor never had dirt in the carb.

From what I can tell by comments on the boards there is not really any performance boost for the added hassles.

Keep in mind the new fuel mixes are more likely to leave residues behind that will require you to clean the jets once in a while. Do you want to undo a bunch of screws or one bolt?
 
Both carbs have their advantages and disadvantages.
I perfer the Tillotson, I have one on my pickup for over 15 years. Also have a Tillotson on my Slant town sedan since it went on the road in 2010.
To me 2 jets beats 4 jets any day of the week! If you go with a Zenith make sure to have for jets flow tested.
 
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