Re: New Zenith Carb
I think it has more to do whether you need the additional carburetion on your engine that determines whether the carb with perform to your expectations. I think it is on Dennis Piranio's site where he did some dyno testing with a "tour engine" and lost some power with it. Based on most of the engines that come out of my shop, it would be going in the wrong direction.
On the engine pictured below, it is a .125 overbore with inserts in the rods & CW crank, a Stipe 335 camshaft, bored intake manifold, O/S intake valves, modified hi-comp. head, electronic ign, oversized intake manifold, and a new prototype stainless exhaust system built by Borla Exhaust. What we have found is a pro-rebuilt Zenith nor the new 'blueprinted' Zenith carb manufactured by MARK will not flow enough fuel & air to supply this typical engine's needs. It is really lean in the higher RPM range and is giving up horsepower. A rebuilt Model B carb that has larger venturis is the minimum that is needed to compensate, and Bill Stipe's dyno testing has also confirmed basically the same thing with that type of combination.
Most of my customers want an 'A' engine where they can run a freeway speeds (60+ mph) comfortably yet still maintain a reasonably stock appearance. For now, using the Model B carb. meets that need but maybe the larger forklift carb Chris speaks of is a viable option. To me, these newer carbs might be "less offensive" looking if it were detailed with flat-black paint and looked more "era" without all the cad irradating on the body and screws.
.
.
|