I have an aesthetic or a mechanical problem. Which is easier to fix?

I have an issue. I've been swapping triple Rochesters onto my Edsel's 361. Everything went fairly smooth until I put the dizzy in. Now I have an issue with the front carb hitting the distributor. I see two ways around this and I'm not sure which is better.

Option one: use 2" risers, which will be a much simpler mechanical solution, but will require cutting a hole in the hood for the air cleaners.

Option two: turn the carbs around backwards. Fits under the hood, but even using cables I'm not sure how to hook up the throttle and kickdown. It's also going to be tricky to route the PCV without fouling the linkage on either side. Finally, I have a really beautiful set of bent steel fuel lines that will put the fuel block 1/2" above the manifold without the risers. Maybe a heat transfer issue? But the hood will close.

I'm a little over my head here. I want it to work right, but I don't want the finished result to look ridiculous either. This is an old pic of the car for reference, but it's just a '59 Edsel.



Any ideas for a power bulge of some sort that won't look too tacked on? Or an air cleaner that will look ok out in the open?

Thanks guys!

 

Turn the carbs around if you can manage it. A much classier solution.

 

Didn't Ford run backwards carbs on it's tripowers? I'm pretty sure they did in the pictures I've seen of the triple Holleys. Form follows function, (sometimes)

 

Why is the distributor hitting? IE is there another distributor that you can change it out to simplify things? I know that on a (gasp) SBC 3x2 set up that you can get it to work with a HEI if ya hack things up and clearance the distributor as well as the carbs OR you can just put the points type ignition on and not have to modify squat....

Personally if it were me I'd figure out if there was another distributor that you could use (I'd offer a suggestion but not sure what mill your running....) In other words I'd keep it as simple as possible....and IMHO I dont think a bubbled hood will look all that good....but thats just me.

 

How about a pic of the parts in question.

 

Would be a shame to cut into the hood for sure. Turn the carbs around and put on yer thinking cap to make the linkage work.

 

Here's the trouble spot. The manifold is an Edelbrock F380, and the distributor is stock. I'd hate to pitch it. GMC Bubba just worked his magic on it. I've seen a pic of the same setup with a Mallory and it *just* fits.




This manifold is pretty tall for the Edsel to begin with. If I lay a piece of wood across the top of the fenders and measure from the fenderline to the carb top I have 3". Subtract an inch for the hood and bracing and that doesn't leave a ton of space anyway. There's a good chance I'll have to trim the underside of the hood no matter which way the carbs go.

fwiw, as long as I can figure out what to make as far as a taller hood, I have a junky hood I can sawzall up and toss on so I can put something on there. My stock hood is bent anyway, happened a month after that pic was taken. Ironically enough this only affects the one body piece already in need of major work.

 

so its the distributor housing itself that hits (not the cap)? Thats how it looks to me in the pic.

If that is the case, I would figure out what the diameter of your distributor is and then find a mallory to double-check that it is smaller. Maybe other aftermarket brand distributors are slightly smaller too. At any rate, I would change the distributor if that would solve it. Easiest way out, rather than rotating the carbs and changing linkage, fuel lines, kickdown, and whatever else.

You can save this distributor for the next project, bubba wont be offended.

To me, the choice between cutting a hole in the hood or doing anything BUT cutting a hole in the hood, isnt even a choice at all

 

I agree with these guys, see if you can locate a small dia. distributor. Much much easier and less frustration than a 180 on the carbs. I don't think you should cut that hood, damaged or not, engine pieces sticking through on that car would look.........different.

 

Well I was going to say why don't you check out a Mallory unit. I run one on a (gasp as well) sbc and it works fine. Not a points type, it's a Unilight.

 

2 inches doesn't sound like much clearance for the air cleaner....assuming you get the distributor clearance worked out, could you mill an inch or so off of the height of the manifold????

 

So Mallory Unilite is what I'm looking for? My stocker looks to be right about 4.5" in dia. I'd need a good quarter inch more clearance dizzy to carb, so call it a 4" dizzy? I'm sure Bubba won't mind if I shelf that distributor, but my accountant will not be pleased

Incidently, I only seem to have 2" and change for air cleaner before I have to start losing metal. I've seen what looks like a venturi fitted with a screen filter. It would look neat, but are those even remotely adequate filtration for street use?

edit *maybe* could mill the manifold, but honestly I'd sooner cut the junky hood than the nice manifold. I could at least enjoy the car for a little while before I blow it up again.

 

fwiw, as long as I can figure out what to make as far as a taller hood, I have a junky hood I can sawzall up and toss on so I can put something on there. My stock hood is bent anyway, happened a month after that pic was taken. Ironically enough this only affects the one body piece already in need of major work.[/QUOTE]

I would play with that"junky" hood. See if you could raise the center back section. toward windshield more like a "cowl" Hood.` Like on BB chevelle's. Give it a shot what do have to lose. Then post some pic's I'm sure you'll get some oppinion's

 

I hear ya...if you're just doing a beater and don't care about the hood cut away. I thought maybe you were trying to conserve the look of the hood!!! Sounds like you are on the way. Good luck and show us how it turns out!!!!

 

PM Homespun91, unclescooby, or Beep here on the hamb. All are very knowlegeable about the the early Mercury, Edsel, and Lincoln overhead V-8 engines, and one of them should have a solution. Have you gone to the MEL engine forum? Lots of info there too. Good luck.

 

I think carefully raising the existing bulge ala the chevelle would be worth looking at. I even wonder if a t-bird scoop would work if that ridge in the center of the hood was removed.

I probably wasn't clear. This car is coming back from the dead. It's cool if it doesn't look 100% spot on right away. I have 2 damaged hoods I could try to work with and toss them if it looks wrong. I just wouldn't know where to begin making it look even half ass ok. I'm used to working on stuff much newer and I'm not real fluent in this style yet.

10 years ago when we needed space for manifolds on newer cars, we'd shim the hood at the hinge in the back so that it angled down. Quick and easy. Surely people ran into this problem in the 60's. What did they do then?

 

For one, I doubt they were using Rochesters on a Ford as a tri-power, or at least not an Edsel. I'd imagine these are taller than a 2100 or whatever the Autolite derivative that was used on 3x2's. I've seen an article where someone took the inexpensive 2100's and modified them to work in a 3x2 setup.

 

As mentioned the Holleys on an original ford tri-power are mounted backwards with a linkage crossover shaft mounted to the front two carb studs. Probably the easiest and cheapest fix.

I read a thread here in the last few days that the owner had used a crab style cap to clear. It may have been in the FE social group or on the main board...can't remember. If you need any info on the stock ford tri-power linkage let me know, I can get some pics from mine.

 

If you decide to do a 180 with the carbs, you might try switching the accelerator to a cable and looping it around the front. Not the most elegant solution, but maybe worth a try. You'd probably need to fab a couple of supports....

 

try this http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductModelDetail.cfm?ProductModelId=5296

 

I'm sure they weren't. In fact, there's only one way I've heard the words "Edsel," "hotrod" and "traditional" in one sentance. Since I've bought this car, a dozen people have told me that when 427s and 428s were plentiful more than a few were tossed into Edsels. You could get them for pocket change at the time. The cars were usually then pummeled into the ground.

Point being, if I take the time now to figure out how to get more clearance in a decent looking way, sometime in the future the effort will not have been in vain.

Routing the cable around the front is a good idea. That solves at least one concern of going backwards.

 

Just a thought, but a Mallory YF-type distributor is smaller in diameter than your stock Ford distributor and will *probably* clear the front carb.

Mart3406
==================================

 

EDIT:
Went back and looked at the pictures.

Looks like you could pull the hood/boot up off the plug wire, and notch the boot. and still connect the plug wire.

 

It might take some trial and error, but there are "crabcaps" that were often used in the marine industry. Usually they were on mallory distributors, but I wouldn't be surprised if something might fit that stock ford distributor.
maybe a boat place would know?

 

wait... is it that tower hitting the float bowl,or down below?

 

and Mallory does make that crab cap for the YF

 

-----------------------
Yep. The Mallory YF was (is) available with both
regular "upright-style" caps and low-profile
"crab-style" caps. YFs with "crab-style"cap are
particularly common in marine applications.

Mart3406
===========================

 

Thanks for the help guys!

Now the issue that is going to be a problem no matter what direction the carbs are pointed is hood clearance. I'm estimating about 2" of room before I have to cut into the webbing. That's only going to buy an inch (or less) if I cut it out. That's without the risers! Am I going to find anything that small?

 

I've seen a pic of the same setup with a Mallory and it *just* fits.

Funny that the solution is in the problem - like the. Damn word problems in math class