ive got three rochester carburators on my hands. some say rochester carbs are terrible while others praise them. which is better: rochester, carter, stormberg, etc? which is a well performing single barrel carburator. i will be running two singles on a 235 stovebolt.
Its nox nix my friend. Everyone has their favorite carb. None of them were exceptional they were just fuel meters.
I would contact Tom Langdon at Stovebolt up in Michigan, he is a wealth of knowledge and can give you honest facts. He is also an original GM engineer who worked on that engine design.
He is going to chose the carb that he likes best because he is just like everyone else. That is why I didn't choose a carb, granted not all 1 bbl carbs are created equal but there is so little difference performance wise that there will nothing that can be felt by the seat of the pants.
actaully i did contact him. as his opinion he does not prefer rochester due to other carb rebuilders disagreeing with them and leakage. he in fact suggested carter carbs. which sounds nice and all but i have three functioning rochesters i would need to get rid of before buying two carters.
I got tired of the poor performance and crappy mileage of the Rochester on my 261 inline. I bought a Langdon adapter for a 4 bolt Holley 2 BBL... specifically because it has a hole drilled that, once tapped, will allow the use of a Stromberg 97 or Holley 94 2 BBL. The carb lines up perfectly with the adapter. I have quite a few 94s. Use em on my flatheads. It's a great carb that is easy to dial in to many different applications...single or multi carb setups, etc. Anyway, I built one for the inline and could not be happier. A LOT more power and the mileage went from 10 to 17-20 mpg. I'm not sure what your Rochesters are worth. Some guys love 'em and will pay $ for 'em. I have a box full of them and about all I think they are worth is target practice... The good news is that if you get your 3 carb intake and find out they are crappy carbs, you can convert to a better carb with the adapters sold by Langdon...
Surround yourself with folks having knowledge. Listen. They made mistakes just like you and I will do. Use gathered information wisely. Make your own mistakes or good decisions. Own all you have done about it. Grin or grit.
If you have 3 good carbs now , then why chance them ? Like the old saying goes , If it ain't broke , then don't fix it ! Now if you are going to change the cam , I would go with an aftermarket 2x2 intake . That's me and my opinion . I have used all 3 carbs at one time or another and they all worked . Some better than other but they all worked . If you are looking for better carb and mileage , then a Rodchester 2G carb would be my choice . I would use a 2x2 intake with the 2G carbs . You will get a 100 different answer but it comes down to your choice ! Good Luck with your choice . Just keep this in mind , No matter what you go with , just be happy with your decision and drive the hell out of that engine ! Retro Jim
I rebuild a LOT of Rochester Model B's. There were over 100 variants, so you will be lucky to have a perfect match unless they are still tagged. About 30% have mismatched parts and about 90% have a warped air horn. The latter causes gasoline and vacuum leaks. But I still love them and have finally learned enough to be pretty successful restoring them. Bottom line, they were an economy carburetor that embodied planned obsolescence. Like Langdon, I prefer Carter's for inline multiples. Carter YF's are available in large and small SAE base flange. I prefer the 216 small flange versions. WA-1's and W-1's are the best choice. Kits are more expensive for the Carter's, but a non expert will stand a better chance of having a successful and lasting rebuild. Stromberg and Holley 94 2 barrels are another option, but intake selection is a lot more limited. Tom
One reason Rochester Bs are not the best choice for multiple applications is their vacuum operated power valve that is not easily modified in the field. Carter W-1s and Stromberg BXOV-2s both use a mechanical power enrichment system that is better suited to dual and triple setups. Frank McGurk always used the BXOV-2s for his intakes, and I've had good luck with them. Another bonus to the Strombergs is that they use the same main jet as the 97s and are easy to get in many different sizes.
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