I’ve got 3 97s with a progressive linkage on a 53 Merc, 4”crank, Isky Max1 cam and a Joe Hunt distributor. I just got this car and it was running ok until I tried to adjust the carbs to improve the idle. My question is, should the mixture screws be adjusted on the front and rear carbs or should the mixture screws be closed(screwed in all the way) on those two carbs. I may have adjusted the carbs to an “out of sync” situation. Also, I’ve heard mixed reviews on the Joe Hunt distributor. It looks cool, but what might be a better distributor to run on this engine. I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks
Progressive linkage can never work as well as straight linkage on a modified engine. It can be made to work somewhat though. Turning the idle screws in all the way and adjusting the butterflies on the end carbs to close completely is NOT recommended. Too much chance of the butterflies jamming in the bores and then you bend something the next time you open the throttle. If you use progressive linkage, set all of the throttle stops the same and adjust ALL of the idle mix screws to get it smooth. A Unisyn helps for this.
Thanks! I was afraid you’d say that. I’ve got it running really well now with the mixture screws all the way in on the front and rear carbs, but I want it correct, so I’ll get a uni-syn and adjust them all correctly. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.