Technical Ford and the 4 barrel carb

Wasn't 1955 the first year Fords could come from the factory with a 4 barrel carb? And am I right in thinking that no flathead, even Mercury or Lincoln ever came with a 4 barrel? Google is stupid in this area.

 

Sounds right, I know the 1956 312 Thunderbird special had one.






Bones

 

Ford came out with the Y block in 54, some searching shows that a "T Pot" four barrel was available https://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_...holley-ford-teapot-4-barrel-carburetor-1.html
The 54 Ford with the 4 barrel was often called a "police special engine, even though it wasn't in a police car. At lest by the cronies of the stepfather I had at the time.

 

I know a 55 had one but in all my years, I have only seen a 2 barrel on the stock 239 54 V8 engines, never a 4 barrel, but I never saw a 54 police car either.

 

I know, technically not a Ford, But in '53 the Lincoln 317 used the Tea Pot 4 barrel carb.

 

My 54 Mercury had a 4 bbl Holley teapot.

 

Some of the big F-600 and larger trucks had Lincoln engines, but I don't know what carb they had.

 

'53-up Lincoln had 'em

 

I bet you wish you syill had that car.

 

Hollanders says 55 was the first year for ford and merc....but it's not as accurate as the Ford and Merc parts books would be, which I don't have.

And they do mention that you can swap on a 4bbl if you change the intake

 

My 54 Mercury service manual only lists a 4 barrel carb. "The 1954 Mercury Carburetor is a four throat, concentric downdraft type, combining the performance characteristics of the earlier dual concentric models with added features which improve engine breathing and fuel distribution." I'm guessing by "earlier" they are referring to the Lincoln carb as I don't think any previous Mercury flathead had a 4 bbl.

 

jaracer : '53 Merc had the Holley "tea-pot" 2bbl(later marketed as the "bug-spray" for VWs) that was the predecessor to the "tea-pot" 4bbl on the '54-'56 Mercs, '53-'56 Lincolns, '55-'56 fords(& 2 of them on dual quad '56-'57 T-Birds).

 

That's interesting, and makes sense. Thanks for the quote

 

FoMoCo 4-barrel introductions:

Ford - 1954 police special standard transmission - Holley type 2140
Mercury - 1954 several both A/T and S/T - Holley type 2140
Lincoln - 1953 Holley - type 2140

The Holley type 2140 did have the overhead bowl, but was significantly different in other parts of the design from the later model 4000.

The Holley type 4000, which is the model generally referred to as the teapot (I grew up knowing them as "Haystack Holleys", but I guess you city folks never had the joy of sliding down a haystack , where I grew up, tea came out of a pitcher, not a pot) debuted in 1955. The 4000 was around through 1957.

The Holley 2140 had a governor attached in 1955 and became a heavy-duty truck carburetor. Very reliable (darn near bullet-proof), the 2140-SG (with governor) survived as original equipment on heavy-duty trucks and military applications at least through 1974 which is the high end of my carburetor database. They were one of the most, if not the most, expensive non-aircraft carburetors of which I am aware.

EDIT: as mentioned by drtrcrV8, Holley used the overhead bowl design model 1901 two-barrel beginning in 1952, but the type 885 carbs (late 1940's) also had the overhead bowl design, but the bowl was enclosed, rather than open. The overhead bowl design goes back to 1929 with Holley on the type D (single barrel) and type DD (two-barrel) marine carbs. These were used on some fairly large engines, such as the Winton 500 HP from about 1930. Don't bother looking in your Holley guides for the D and DD, but Google can probably find them.

Jon.