Im looking to swap a 2bbl intake/carb setup with a 4bbl on a 272 Y-block. 57 F100 I’ve done my share of Stromberg and Holley 94 rebuilds, but not really anything else. Question 1 How do I tell what model this is? I bought the intake on eBay and the carb came with. Supposed to be 57 thunderbird. Question 2 In your opinion, is it worth rebuilding something like this over buying new? I’d love to save the money, but will I have small issues afterward (potentially)? Or just buy a 390 or 465 Holley and be done with it? They’re about $575 new. Question 3 Is there anyone I can send this to “refurbish”? More importantly is this option worth it over the other two? Just to save a little money.
Should be a List # on the front of the choke housing to help identify it. Do you have a way to clean it? Are the throttle shafts loose?
The number is visible in the second picture, but since the picture is at an angle, cannot read it. Jon.
You could go either way depending on what you want the final result to be. Shops like All American Carburetor in FL can refurbish it and make it look and work like new if you want it. Cost.... give them a call. Whoops, or check with carbking!
Seems to be original?? Google search reveals 435 or 450 cfm Should be a good carb for a 272 I’d imagine. ECZ-AD LIST 1273-1
Looks to me like your standard, stock vacuum secondary carb. If it means anything to you, rebuild it. If you really want to learn how they work, rebuild it. Carbs are easy to make run but especially a stocker will be very difficult to make run exceptionally well. That being said, if you don't have a really good grasp of how they work, a new one will put you in about the same boat. I rebuilt all the ones I've used and the last two were Edelbrocks which I learned how to tune. A little one for the flathead and a big one for the 460. Haven't run either but I'm confident they will run as good as I need them to and I know what to do if they act up on me in the future AND I can get parts for them. Ford 94's were the easiest to understand.
That’s a great carb. Id almost bet a paycheck that’s it’s not Chinese. I will be great for your 272. Get a 57 intake so it will directly bolt on and use a 4 hole insulator. Make sure you use a 57 or later distributor if you don’t use one now. The loadmatics do not work well with later carbs. Good luck
Just keep in mind that putting a "kit" in it is not rebuilding it. It is old and may have worn throttle shafts that leak or other problems. I would suggest sending it to a professional rebuilder/remanufacturer if you want to keep it. It would probably be cheaper than a new one.
Before. These had sat on a shelf for years. After. Only took time, someone that really knew what they were doing but very little money.
I'd throw a rebuild kit at it and cross my fingers. Holley's are simple and work pretty good IMHO. What have you got to lose?
Its difficult to understand that especially on this site there are so many ," send it to a rebuilder ", "sell it and buy new" comments . Its a carburetor , its not efi , or a microprocessor , simply a carburetor , $20 kit & clean it up !
It's been a while since you bought a Holley kit I see.... The average price these days for a genuine Holley kit to do one of the popular models is $40, prices go up from there. Maybe the off-brand kits are cheaper, but I learned the hard way not to use them. It looks like whatever was left in it has had plenty of time to dry up, so add another $30 for cleaning supplies. This carb is 63 years old; is the secondary diaphragm still good? More $$. Loose throttle shafts? More $$$, and not something easy to tackle at home. Send it to a quality rebuilder and you'll have most of the cost of a new carb before you know it, and it won't have the improvements that have been added over the years. On a hot rod, it's just a Holley carb. I see it's real value as being to a '57 T-bird restorer who's trying for a 100% correct car; he'd spend whatever it takes to bring it back... and might spend a fair bit of money to acquire it. 'Generic' replacement/aftermarket Holleys aren't hard to find for very reasonable prices, and these will use the cheaper rebuild kits.
Take a look at this gentleman's work. https://www.facebook.com/AirFuelSParkTech/ Drew does excellent work on Holley carbs, everything from rebuilds to total restoration. You don't have to be a member of Facebook to look at all his work. Easy to contact, always willing to discuss options and help solve problems. He prefers to work on Ford carbs so it's right up your alley. He has done work for me and it was top shelf.
go to the holley web site and try to find the specials page or reconditioned page they have some very good deals ( a year ago they sold off all their stock of 660 center squirters for 200 dollars each)
second post use close out in the search box on the holley site lot of smaller 4 bbl s for mid 200 dollars
I needed a small CFM Holley for an o/t slant six project. Was fairly broke and terminally cheap so searched a long time for the used one. Was a little intimidated so sent to local expert. Got it back wouldn't run wound up tuning it myself. Bought a really good book on Holley, can't remember title , but it's on Amazon. Carbs are easy, just a lot of complex parts to keep straight. Take pictures! Sent from my LG-TP450 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Having never been hung up on " name brand" anything and and successfully having used AED , proform , quick fuel, as well as holley kits ,I go by price , always under $50 for an all inclusive kit. (Actually AED is a superior kit compared to holley)Trying to find a buyer for a '57 t-bird carb who is also willing to pony up some serious $$ , Ive got better things to do and I'm not getting any younger !!LOL
I bought one of those and it was positively shit. I was able to return it after a big hassle. Best bet, get a real Holley rebuild kit. But check it over for sloppy throttle shafts. I almost went with a spread-bore Holley I've had in a box and a local carb shop quoted me $150 to make it like new again. I've had other carbs done by the shop and service is excellent.
The difference between your little Holley and a Summit brand is your Holley will always have value, the Summit carb will not. I found with the rebuild kits is like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Non-stick gaskets, viton tip needles, ethanol resistant pump gaskets in the genuine Holley kit. The offshore cheap kits have none of those things.
And thats fine if you have the tools and can re-do it properly. He asked the question "is there anyone I can send this to to refurbish?" so he probably does not have the equipment to do it, hence my statement to send it to a pro if he wants to get it done right.
The last Holley I rebuilt, I was able to get the little 302 to idle @350 R.P.M. It was a #1850-2 carb...
GOSPEL The biggest problem with buying a used Holley is you have no clue what the last fool did to it, this is why they have the bad rap that they have, heard for years "those POS Holleys". You ask where they bought it, "got it from my cousin Billy Bob, he couldn't make it work". Sure, parts is parts but where does the average Joe know where to start figuring out what's been changed, drilled out, etc.
Excellent opportunity to learn a new skill ....make a new friend..... Minimal tools , a gallon of cheap lacquer thinner , couple of cheap solder brushes , cash of aerosol carb cleaner , pretty minimal investment ....blow up schematics are on the web for free as well as multiple tutorials....
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