V8 Side Draft Induction in the 50's

Any good examples of successful and interesting side-draft arrangements on V8's in the mid to late 50's? Maybe something done with Zenith carbs, SU's, or any other 1 bbl type setups? Stuff that actually worked and performed well? Or was mechanical fuel injection just killing all these ideas about this time?

 

I use to have this Nicson Intake for a 235 straight 6 that had 3 Zenith side draft carbs. This particular intake predated the side draft that Corvette would develop for their Inlines in 53-54.

 

I have seen pictures of a Rover V8 that appeared to have two side drafts, each feeding the oposite side.

 

This what you're talking about with the SU carbs?



That was early 70's stuff.

 

Maybe the real question should be phrased...

What side-draft carburetors were available in the 50's and did anyone successfully use them on a V8 performance application?

It does seem the SU was one of the carburetors that was available in the 50's, mostly seen on European stuff (especially British), but what US designated side-draft carbs would people have been freaking out about in the 50's? Stromberg? Aircraft stuff?

 

49 olds & merc had side draft carbs, also six cylinder vettes and corvairs

 

The Olds and Mercury V8 carbs weren't side draft design; they were merely conventional downdraft carbs with a 90 degree bend on the air horn that faced the opening backwards. Why? I've never known. It's not like there wasn't sufficient clearance for a normal carb. V8 Studebakers did the same thing with a Stromberg WW, but they had such low hoodlines (for their time) that the backdraft carb and a remote air cleaner were necessary.

 

Some marine v8 engines in the late 50's early 60's ran 2 side draft carbs, it wasn't done for performance though, it was done to reduce the overall hight of the engine.
Ford Y block


Graymarine, marinized Rambler v8

 

When did the Weber DCOE cross-ram setups show up? Late '50s? Know they were around by '60 or so...

 

The earlyer sandcast DCO Webers were used in the '50s.

 

Corvairs didnt have a side draft they had 2 or 4 down draft single barrels, except the turbo cars, and those carbs dont work to great...

 

How do you know all this stuff City Boy?

I think late 50's Daimler had SU side drafts on baby hemi v-8's. Something like an SP 250???

 

US produced sidedraft carbs during this time period would be the aforementioned Carter YH, and the Zenith 11ADX12 series. The YH was a (H)orizonal adaptation of the YF design. Some parts were common. These were used by a number of different marine manufacturers on V-8 engines. Latham used four of the YH carbs on their aftermarket superchargers.

There were also a number of 6 cylinder YH applications.

The Zenith 11ADX12 series was used on a number of large 6 cylinders.

If the discussion is extended into the 1960's, Rochester offered the model R and RC sidedraft carbs which were used on the 1962~1963 Oldmobile Jetfire.

Stromberg offered a few sidedraft units during WWII on some LARGE military engines.

Jon.

 

Y-Block friend in Austrailia sent me this one.

 

Here's a Rolls Royce much like the Rover posted earlier.

 

I read that the '49 Merc redesigned hood lines prevented the air cleaner from being installed on top of the carburetor, so they moved the aircleaner to the side.

 

The rover was a '61-63 Buick aluminum V8 after they bought the tooling. Not '50s. Rolls held out for a long time before building a V8. But I don't know when.

 

Rich you're right about the Rover, I had a couple of Olds V8s of that type. one was a 267 (215 with a 300 Buick crank) it used an up-draft Marvel carb as it was inverted for use in a Wittman Tailwind airplane. I believe the Rolls V8 didn't appear till the '60s, they liked six's in there cars before that.

 

Rolls switched to v8's late 50's , 58 /59 at a guess , they came in with the cloud 2/bentley s 2

Used twin Su carbs right up till spirit/ turbo r

 

hey there cutlassboy maybe u had better check the carbs on the .turbo corvair

 

Man, that looks cool. I bet it would be nice in a hot rod. Gary

 

6 carter Yh sidedrafts

 

Hey there dorf, you didnt read my whole post... Those carbs arent very reliable though. I use to swap them for webers.

 

I've got my two 49/50 Olds backdraft carbs apart for rebuiling. It looks like they did the sideways intake, to cool the fuel bowl, which hangs from the top cover.

All I can hope is that a suspended fuel bowl will be less likely to percolate after shut-down?

Kits are stupid money, so i am trying to rebuild the power valves, and accel diaphrams myself.

 

The YH carbs, when rebuilt with correct parts, tended to function very well, and were reliable except for the choke linkage.

Unfortunately, the only aftermarket kit available for years had incorrect parts. This is not the fault of the carburetor.

Jon.

 

Now THIS is what I'm talking about!!! Bad ass!!

I think that was more the type of stuff I was looking for. I've always wondered if anyone adapted something like that for use in a hop-up/performance application.

Keep it going!

That Y-block intake with the SU's is pretty crazy as well. Wonder how well ANY of these setups ran?

 

Bap Geon imported Webers in the late fourties and early fiftys. I got to thinking when I started my build on my 34 three window why not do something different and put a pair of 40 dcoes on my blown flathead. They work super. The old flattie just loves them.

 

There was a picture posted within the last year or so of a "built" flathead sporting 8 Amal motorcycle carburetors.

 

my apology cutlassboy 68 i guess i leaped before i looked. i owned a 54 corvette i believe had the same carbs, can u verify that,