Weber carburetors

[Kahuna]

I'd like to know the reasons for using a Weber carb on a Model A or B engine?
Pros & cons?
Thanks
Jim

[briphaeton]

performance and fuel economy.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Zeniths are Old & Crude---Webers are Modern & Refined!
Bill Simple-Answer

[31a]

Some GO mostly show

[Corley]

More air/fuel into the engine = more power out of the engine. Plus, modern carb has better mixing and fuel dispersion so better efficiency, so it runs better with better mileage. Mostly though, it's for the bling.

Oh, oh, others already said those things...

(What I can't understand, lot's of guys will install a Weber carb., different intake, headers , different high compression or overhead valve head, special cam, alternators, overdrives, 4-5 speed transmissions, etc. But mention an electronic distributor, and they go bat sh__. "Heresy!" - "You should be shot!" - "Fool!" - "Keep it stock!" - "You are an idiot" - "You should not be allowed to own a model A" - etc. These are all things that I've been told when mentioning the modern Honda distributor upgrade, by some of our good friends on this forum. Luckily, most of us are cool with "whatever", as long as it stays under the hood and still looks like a model A.)

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

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Corely,
NO! It's NOT just for "BLING"---Minerva drove like a different car, with a WEBER & a MALLORY, single point distributor. Some can't AFFORD a WEBER, it & the manifold are PRICEY, but worth the money, if you can possibly afford it. When I buy something PRICEY, I shop STORE BRAND Groceries, for 3 MONTHS!!! BUT Buster T, my DOG, still gets the BEST QUALITY Vittles!
Bill Cheep

[Kahuna]

Thanks
I think they look like crap & can't be any better than an old Stromberg 97

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Kahuna

Thanks
I think they look like crap & can't be any better than an old Stromberg 97

I have used them both -- Weber & Stromberg 97. As long as they are jetted correctly for the Model A engine, they are pretty much equal, but IMHO, much better than the Zenith.

My engine builder recommended the 97, so that is what is on there now.

I can't really say that one looks any better than the other -- they are both "different".

[john in illinois]

The first thing my wife and I noticed when we replaced a Zenith with a 97 was that it was noticably smoother. I just put it on because I was bored one winter,but it works well. The Zenith I had got us over MacDonalds pass in the Montana rockies,so it works good too.

John

[briphaeton]

Most people think of weber's being a new style carburetor but Edorado Weber made a progressive two barrel carburetor in the mid twenty's for Fiat 501. (4 cylinder, family car) Like CarlG I've ran them both. I average 25 mpg with the weber, I think a round air cleaner makes them look more vintage.

[Kurt in NJ]

So if I averaged 23 mpg at 60-65, had a top speed of 70 with zenith and stock engine,drivetrain, what "improvement should I expect using the "Weber "

[Synchro909]

I'm about to go through the motor I intend putting in my latest project and replace the early Zenith with a Zenith 3. There will be a slightly modified cam, larger inlet manifold bore, FS auto advance distributor and 5.5:1 head. What should I expect??

[Jw]

2 81's, runs great!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Kahuna

Thanks
I think they look like crap & can't be any better than an old Stromberg 97

I'm an Old Addicted Hot Rodder & have used OODLES of Stromberg-97s. They had a goodley amount of PROBLEMS!!! After I installed a Weber on Minerva & adjusted it, I NEVER even had to touch it again, in over 12,000 trouble free miles. I never even took a spark plug out, just to "LOOK" at it. Chief, my Dad, always said, "Set everything up properly & if it runs GOOD, don't diddle with it, until it needs its' next TUNE UP"---"SOME" people screw up their cars, by OVER-DIDDLING"!!
Bill Leaveitalone

[Kahuna]

The only problems with 97's or 81's are the people that fool with them that don't have a clue

[1929]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

I'm an Old Addicted Hot Rodder & have used OODLES of Stromberg-97s. They had a goodley amount of PROBLEMS!!! After I installed a Weber on Minerva & adjusted it, I NEVER even had to touch it again, in over 12,000 trouble free miles. I never even took a spark plug out, just to "LOOK" at it. Chief, my Dad, always said, "Set everything up properly & if it runs GOOD, don't diddle with it, until it needs its' next TUNE UP"---"SOME" people screw up their cars, by OVER-DIDDLING"!!
Bill Leaveitalone

Bill, did you ever use a Holley 94?

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

1929,
YES, and they worked VERY WELL & seemed to be more LEAK FREE!
Bill W.

[Corley]

And, EFI, (electronic fuel injection), would doutless work even better, but...who wants all the crap which would be thrown at them when mentioning that?

I remember living in California during the '70s and '80s, and having to fiddle with carburerors like mad, just to get basically stock cars to go through bi-anual smog checks. Them came EFI, and while one couldn't do much to it, it always passed inspections. Today, for most engines, there are self tuning bolt on EFI systems from half a dozen different companies, that just work. Why not a simple self adjusting EFI system for the model A?

I installed a couple EFI systems on non-EFI engines, one the self tuning version on my '81 ElCamino, and one was a diy tbi system on my classic '76 GMC Motorhome. Both, were pretty simple and easy to install and tune. (The wiring harness I made for the GMC was time consuming, but simple.). Both are still working flawlessly, to this day. Why not one for the model A?

I'm thinking a couple throttle bodies off of a larger motorcycle (they use 4), an EBL TBI ECU, and viola, instant model A fuel infection. (Almost). You might wonder how half of the air/fuel capacity off of a motorcycle could feed a model A engine, but think about it in terms of engine RPMs. The bike turns about 12k RPMs, the model A turns about 3k RPMs. Or, think of it in terms of how much HP is generated by how much a/f mixture. It takes a fixed amount of a/f to make a certain amount of hp. Deliver enough a//f to make 60 or 80 hp, and it's all joy. Since the bike engine makes way more than 200hp, and we have half of it's a/f capability, again, we are golden. Those bike throttle bodies are self contained, with the injectors, fuel rail, and tps built right into them. A couple more sensors and an electric fuel pump, and you have all the stuff needed for a model A with EFI. All you need is a couple of stub manifolds to hang the throttle bodies off of, and gazinga, life is sublime in the fast lane.

Whose up for this? I have all the parts, but too many other projects right now to tackle it.

Pile it on nay sayers, I'm almost 80 years old, and by now it just rolls off... Ha!

[denis4x4]

Ok, over the past twenty years I’ve run a single 97, dual 97’s, brand new Strombergs from England and rebuilt Strombergs, single barrel Stromberg and the Mooneyes EFI. The Weber 32/36 is far and away the best carb for a Model A. The ‘31 engine in the photo put out 60 HP at the rear wheels and the B engine in my CCPU 59 HP at the rear wheels. Easy to adjust and very responsive.

Turns out those that knock the Weber have failed to adjust the linkage so that the second barrel is fully open and claim that they’re no better than a Zenith. Look for these people and buy their Weber setups for fifty cents on the dollar!

[Corley]

Dennis, Very cool engine setup! However, your air cleaner seems a bit small and possibly restrictive. I imagine you are running a lower hose water pump? Good on you, that push pump should work much better at the Colorado altitudes than the original suck pump. One question: Where is all the oil and dirt film that model A engines are supposed to have on them?