The Ford Barn - View Single Post - My 56 T-Bird is coming along nicely

55blacktie · 08-20-2020, 11:45 AM

You might consider replacing Holley 4000 Teapot carburetor with a newer carburetor and swap the 1956 dual-diaphragm vacuum canister distributor for 1957-up distributor. At the very least, make sure your carburetor and distributor are compatible. The Teapot carburetor is not compatible with 57-up distributors.

I inherited my dad's 1955 Tbird and discovered, when replacing the distributor cap, I had a 57 distributor. The 57-up distributors have both vacuum and centrifugal advance. An expert recommended that I keep the 57 distributor but replace the Teapot with a modern carburetor. The small-base 55-56 intake manifolds will require a large-base carburetor adapter, or you can look for a large-base "B" manifold. I bought mine on ebay. If you want to keep the Teapot, go to Ted Eaton's website (Eaton Balancing). you'll find an article on modifying the Teapot to use with 57-up distributors.

08-20-2020, 11:45 AM	#10
55blacktie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2020 Posts: 443	Re: My 56 T-Bird is coming along nicely You might consider replacing Holley 4000 Teapot carburetor with a newer carburetor and swap the 1956 dual-diaphragm vacuum canister distributor for 1957-up distributor. At the very least, make sure your carburetor and distributor are compatible. The Teapot carburetor is not compatible with 57-up distributors. I inherited my dad's 1955 Tbird and discovered, when replacing the distributor cap, I had a 57 distributor. The 57-up distributors have both vacuum and centrifugal advance. An expert recommended that I keep the 57 distributor but replace the Teapot with a modern carburetor. The small-base 55-56 intake manifolds will require a large-base carburetor adapter, or you can look for a large-base "B" manifold. I bought mine on ebay. If you want to keep the Teapot, go to Ted Eaton's website (Eaton Balancing). you'll find an article on modifying the Teapot to use with 57-up distributors.