Zenith vs tilly performance

I run a Zenith and it does fine. I also have two tillies and for me I think they a bit peppier. Consensus seems to run about 50-50 for either one.
 
What performance are you looking for---
Easy cleaning-- zenith
I tried 2 different tilts both got less fuel mileage than original zenith
Others will swear by tilly
With the filly my car would only go 53
With zenith I could go over 60
Lot metal warps with time, threads strip easy
 
In our club, Tillies are mostly gone. If they aren't using the Zenith, the carb of choice is a Marvel.
 
Glad someone mentioned the Marvel carby. What is the general opinion of those.
I have one that appears to need a needle and seat but looks pretty darned good otherwise. I've wondered how it would perform but never got around to ordering the bits and putting it on. The freight from US is ridiculously expensive so it has stayed on the shelf.
 
I have a Marvel and compared to the Zenith it is simpler (only one jet), gets much more power delivered, and may get better mileage. Not sure about the last one as mine started leaking at the seat I think so I went back to the Zenith until I get it fixed. Needle and seats are available from Renners for the larger seat/needle. For the smaller one you have to get it from either a tractor supply house or aviation (shop around I found them from $100 down to $10). But when I have the Zenith on I cruise easily at 52, with the Marvel I can cruise at 55+ easily.

Mike
 
Sarah came with a Tilly, good carb but changed it out for a rebuilt Zenith from Berts, big difference, far better gas mileage, looks better and.....it's what Henry put in his cars.
 
I've always heard: Tilly for the go-car, Zenith for the show-car. I've got a Zenith on mine but I've got both Tillitson and Marvel all rebuilt waiting to try someday.
 
1930artdeco said:
I have a Marvel and compared to the Zenith it is simpler (only one jet), gets much more power delivered, and may get better mileage. Not sure about the last one as mine started leaking at the seat I think so I went back to the Zenith until I get it fixed. Needle and seats are available from Renners for the larger seat/needle. For the smaller one you have to get it from either a tractor supply house or aviation (shop around I found them from $100 down to $10). But when I have the Zenith on I cruise easily at 52, with the Marvel I can cruise at 55+ easily.

Mike
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I didn't know there were tow sizes. How do I tell which one I have?
 
I've never ran my Tilly, but a friend who borrowed it for 2 years, said it ran super. It's loaned out to another friend, "someday" I'll get to try it out!
Bills' Loan-A-Carb
 
I have a number of un-restored Marvels. The seats and needles are all the same. The needle is about 0.65 or 0.66 inches long. I assume that this is the "small" one.

I am trying to smooth the needles in order to find a seat / needle combination that is good. I do the smoothing with the needle in a drill press and Brasso on a rag. So far I have found one near-perfect shut-off combination. I test it with a vacuum suction device similar to what can be used to suck out hydraulic brake fluid.

I have one needle that has a Viton tip on it. My Ford Barn Search system does not work for me. Does anyone have experience with these? I use only 100% gasoline in case that makes a difference.
 
I got one off of Ebay just to try it out as I had heard of them and wanted some fun. So I got all of the parts from Renners and when I went to pull the needle and seat mine was a different size. It is smaller (5/16 vs. 3/8 I think). In my research I found that Marvel was a generic carb maker. A company went to them with specs and they built them a carb. So there lots of different styles. But the needle and seat are still made for the tractor and aviation market. I found a side by side of mine and the one Renners sells. I have not used the Viton tips but I heard Mitch//PA has so you may contact him.

Mike
 

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It appears there where a great deal of different Zenith carbs produced. I am running a Zenith 3 that I rebuilt some time ago, and I use my car as my daily. Granted, I live in south Florida, so I never have to change anything as far as the gav or throttle lever, since the temps down here are pretty warm most of the time. Runs good, idles great, and seems to have plenty of power. Could someone elaborate on the changes and differences in the various Zeniths.
 
So simple:

A. Which performs better, an 85 year old man from the east side of town; or an 85 year old man from the west side of town?

B. Over the 85 years, one visited Doctor A who was great, the other visited Doctor B who hardly had any patients because he was so rough, had no dexterity, all thumbs, and he could never diagnose ailments.

C. One 85 year old smoked (3) packs of cigarettes a day & sat in his rocking chair all day, every day; the other never smoked and walked a half mile every day.

D. One was named Mr. Till, the other Mr. Zen ..... can anyone guess which one can win an endurance performance test after 85 years?

E. Easy. The one with the most "Get Up & Go".
 
Well, I think thanks for answering my question.:confused: Doesn't sound like 1 real winner.

I really thought the answer would have been 75% in favor for Z, and 25% in favor of T.

The reason I brought up the question is that my last 4 tanks with my T I have averaged 14.313 miles per gallon. I guess I was hoping that 20 people would say hands down that the Z or T is faster, better MPH, able to lift tall buildings... oh you get the idea.
 
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old31 said:
Well, I think thanks for answering my question.:confused: Doesn't sound like 1 real winner.

I really thought the answer would have been 75% in favor for Z, and 25% in favor of T.

The reason I brought up the question is that my last 4 tanks with my T I have averaged 14.313 miles per gallon. I guess I was hoping that 20 people would say hands down that the Z or T is faster, better MPH, able to lift tall buildings... oh you get the idea.
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I averaged 17 MPG with my Tilley, I went up to 20 MPG with the Zenith. I can cruise on down the road with the GAV almost closed at 50 MPH and sometimes more and the engine stays between 139 to 169 depending on the outside temp. I'll never go back to a Tilley but Bert's is the only place I'd get a Zenith from and feel totally comfortable knowing the rebuild was spot on and did I say it looks nice too? ;)
 
What's a better performing carb? A Zenith or Tilly?
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Is this a trick question?

My vote goes to the mighty Marvel Schebler !!!

Have owned and operated a half dozen Model A Ford cars over the decades. Those vehicles that came equipped with a Zenith carburetor had that type unit routinely and at once swapped out for a used Tillotson. The ones bought in those days were six-dollar off the flea market table "as-is" derived carburetors. Model A Ford operation and maintenance back in the sixties was quite low budget slam-bam basic. With a few kept on-board spare parts, we drove those cars a lot and oft times long distances then. The Tillotson carburetors were standard equipment as none of our crowd ran Zeniths on their cars.

Acquired a late 1931 Ford sedan a year or so ago that looks to have a totally restored / rebuilt chassis and drive train. Mounted in place was an obviously overhauled new looking Zenith 1 carburetor. As expected, the Zenith was a fuel flooding pig of a thing. Spark plugs on that car were fouled and soaked wet with non-burned gasoline. First thing was to yank off that lousy Zenith and replace it with a "re-manufactured" Marvel Schebler carburetor. Without doubt, that automobile is now the smoothest, best running Model A Ford that I have ever owned. Sometimes go out, back the car out of the garage and start the thing just to hear that Model A Ford sit there for awhile to percolate oh so sweetly.

Get yourself a Marvel Schebler and remove yet another of life's pesky annoyances. You'll be happy again . . .
 
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I'm not interested in appearances so a down draft carby is on the table. I assume even the best of these (Zenith, Tilly or Marvel) still don't match a downdraft.
True or False??
 
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