Technical Nightmare carburetor tuning...

Just because the carb has a ported vacuum orifice does not mean it is the correct vacuum source for a Load-a-Matic distributor. The correct carb for your distributor uses venturi vacuum when under load. I doubt that Ebrock went to the trouble of engineering that into
their product as no one has ever used that distributor on a performance engine.

 

See below...

 

Ok, I'm going to eat my words now. I finally got to get out and drive the car hard, and I don't think I'm either not getting the right signal to the distributor, or there's something wrong with my distributor.

The car starts, idles, accelerates, and doesn't run hot, or anything like that, it's just not very quick, and I'm thinking the Load-o-matic is my issue. Question; do all Holley 94 carburetors for Load-o-matic applications have a spark control valve (looks like a power valve) on the outside of the carburetor base. I ask, because the Edelbrock 94 on my flathead (I know...) seems to be a dead ringer copy of a Holley 94 "8BA", and all the 8BA's I've ever had DID NOT have a spark control valve. The Venturi vacuum source is present, and that "T's" into a manifold vacuum port down below the throttle blades, just no spark control valve. Will this type of setup provide the correct signal for a '53 Load-o-matic?

I ask because I'm only seeing about 10° total advance with my timing light, holding the engine at about 4,000 rpm, no load. I'm not sure what it's doing with load, but I'd imagine I might have less advance, right? Aren't you supposed to have about 24° total with a Load-I-magic!?! Before I start trouble shooting the vacuum canister, I need to know that it's getting the right signal.

 

If you have a Load-O-Matic distributor, you can best tune it by unbolting it, and tossing it into the nearest waste receptacle.

They were a Rube Goldberg contraption that worked poorly when factory fresh.

They have no place on a hotrod, in any condition.

And no, the Edelbrock carburetors do not have a spark control valve. Only certain Holleys do.

 

I get that part. My question was, did all Ford Load-o-matic equipped cars come with a carburetor that DID have a spark control valve??? Or were some like my Edelbrock 8BA copy?

FWIW, I am leaning towards tossing the Load-o-matic, just don't like being defeated by things.

 

If you have a Load-O-Matic, you should have a SCV equipped carburetor. It wil not work properly without one, at-least as properly as they ever did.

 

Ok. Thank you. I think it's time for a new distributor.

 

I've probably had...30 Holley 94's, and a whole bunch of the 8BA carbs, and I've never seen one of those with a SCV base. So, and not to get too far off topic, but why do they have the Venturi vacuum port but no SCV? What type of distributor are they meant to be hooked too? I mean, it's not possible that THAT many of them have come through my hands that had the wrong base installed, right? Did Ford change the base, but not the main body or something???

 

Anybody ever run a load-o-matic locked out at 24°'s with an ignition interrupt switch? I'm thinking with most mechanical curves all in by 2,000 rpm or so, and a super light Model A, it might just work fairly well. But, I'm attempting to apply Chevy logic...is that a recipe for disaster on a flathead?

 

I think the spark valve was a Y-Block era band aid. Best thing is dump that distributor as they only put out about 11 degrees advance when operating properly, with the proper carb.

 

And that's if you are lucky enough to have one that works properly.

A distributor with real centrifugal advance is the way to go, regardless of any other issues.

 

Crazy
Call me
I PMed my number

 

That's what I though. But, are you talking distributor degrees or crankshaft degrees? If you're talking crankshaft degrees, then I guess I am getting the right signal then. I'm set at the mark (2°) at idle with no vacuum hooked up, and 12° on the crankshaft at RPM. I too am thinking I should toss the distributor, but want this thing to run right in the meantime. Should I dial in some more initial? I mean, it seems to like more initial, and something like say 12° initial plus 10° from the load-o-matic would be what a lot of the mechanical advance distributors end up with. I thought there was supposed to be more advance in a load-o-magic though...like 22°...?

 

I just took an EAB carb apart to show what is needed to work with the pukeamatic.
Take the throttle plate base off and see if the carb has this hole in the first pic.. That is for manifold vac. It needs the corresponding hole in the base in the second pic. and a gasket that doesn't block it and it needs a very small hole inside the base plate like an idle orifice. The third pic shows where the vac. adv. line hooks to. The hole from the bottom should intersect that and it should continue into the drivers side venturi bore and is very small at that point. If your new carb has all of this then just hook your vac. advance to that port and make sure they all connect and that the base gasket has a hole for the port as seen in the first two pics. If all this is true and if your dist. is ok. you should get better than just being plugged into ported vac. But it still won't be as good a decent dist. When you get a good dist. then you can hook your vac. line to manifold or ported and plug the vac. port that I pointed to and cover the hole between the base of the carb and throttle plate.

Mike.