Speedway Stromberg 97 Quality?

[glfshnt]

Has anyone used the Speedway Motors "Primary 9 Super 7" Stromberg 97 reproduction? The price looks good... anyone have experience with these?
Thanks!

[1952henry]

no experience myself, but THEY say pay extra for the real thing. Some opinions you can find from searching past threads are based on actual experience.

[Krylon32]

This has been hashed and rehashed over on the HAMB, henry is right, spend the money on the real thing, you will not regret it.

[drolston]

I bought one primary 97 and two secondaries in chrome from Speedway. Of the three, one has the ribbed top, two do not. Annoying but no big deal. One primary fuel path was blocked by a casting flaw. Took me a while to figure it out, but they replaced it with no argument. One float was set 1/8" high, one same amount low, one dead on. Messed up one accelerator pump seal cup taking the top off and on umpteen times; replaced all with the new blue type. The primary started to pour fuel out of the top because the float sprung a leak and sank; - Because I did not follow instructions to not stress the nitrile (plastic) float when bending the float tab to adjust float level. My fault but very bad design, bordering on dangerous. One of the secondaries would not fill, due to stuck float needle valve. Replaced all with Grosse ball-type float valves.

The blocked primary and failure prone float represents poor quality. The other issues are pretty much normal carburetor stuff. It has been two years since all of that and no problems since. The chrome carbs look great and run just fine. Idle adjustments work well and I am getting 17 mpg on the highway with .045 main jets. In spite of all of the problems, I would buy them again.

[scicala]

Originally Posted by drolston

I bought one primary 97 and two secondaries in chrome from Speedway. Of the three, one has the ribbed top, two do not. Annoying but no big deal. One primary fuel path was blocked by a casting flaw. Took me a while to figure it out, but they replaced it with no argument. One float was set 1/8" high, one same amount low, one dead on. Messed up one accelerator pump seal cup taking the top off and on umpteen times; replaced all with the new blue type. The primary started to pour fuel out of the top because the float sprung a leak and sank; - Because I did not follow instructions to not stress the nitrile (plastic) float when bending the float tab to adjust float level. My fault but very bad design, bordering on dangerous. One of the secondaries would not fill, due to stuck float needle valve. Replaced all with Grosse ball-type float valves.

The blocked primary and failure prone float represents poor quality. The other issues are pretty much normal carburetor stuff. It has been two years since all of that and no problems since. The chrome carbs look great and run just fine. Idle adjustments work well and I am getting 17 mpg on the highway with .045 main jets. In spite of all of the problems, I would buy them again.

Let's hear it for China.


Sal

[tubman]

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"drolston" - Since you had problems with the plastic floats (which I don't like on principle), do you know if the brass replacement floats offered by the major dealers (Summit, Speedway) will interchange? Or if anyone else knows for that matter, feel free to chime in.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by scicala

Let's hear it for China.


Sal

On the contrary... let's hear for the folks that buy this from China and sell it to others.
The guys that buy this stuff know full well what they are getting. If they demanded better, they'd get that. They don't as it cost a bit more.
Ya want to blame someone? Look no further than the guy that sells the crap.

[tubman]

In the same vein, I sometimes have to point out that Harbor Freight is a 100% American-owned company based in Calabasas, California.

[slowforty]

Quality is like Oats
If you want Fresh,Clean,Oats, you pay a higher price.
If you want Oats that have been through the Horse,then the price is cheaper.

[uncle max]

Originally Posted by tubman

"drolston" - Since you had problems with the plastic floats (which I don't like on principle), do you know if the brass replacement floats offered by the major dealers (Summit, Speedway) will interchange? Or if anyone else knows for that matter, feel free to chime in.

The English 97 floats are brass, furnace brazed, tested and are actually made in Ohio using the original unearthed, cosmoline-covered dies from Stromberg/Bendix. They'll interchange just fine, but why defile 'em?

[Kube]

Originally Posted by tubman

In the same vein, I sometimes have to point out that Harbor Freight is a 100% American-owned company based in Calabasas, California.

I shop at Harbor Freight albeit very infrequently. When I do choose to shop there, I do so knowing full well that most likely the tool I purchase will be a "throw away". By that I mean I figure it'll be crap but do the job I need it for that day.
If I want a tool that I believe will last a long time, I will purchase it elsewhere and realize the cost will be respective of the quality.

[corvette8n]

It getting more difficult to find quality new USA tools, as even the name brands are made offshore. I usually scour garage sales and swap meets for good stuff.

[harley]

Kube, look no further than the guy that buys the stuff. My friend Marvin always told me, "It only cost a little bit more to go first class".

[drolston]

For what it is worth, I gave the Speedway 97's an honest (bad) review, and Speedway promised earnestly to step up quality control. I would like to hear from someone who purchased those carbs more recently.

And while we are on the subject of quality, you really don't know what you are getting in rebuilt original 97's unless you buy from Uncle Max. If I wasn't after shiny chrome under the hood, that is what I would have done.

[Ford Freak]

Charlie Schwindler (Charlie NY) will do you right , also .

[drolston]

Originally Posted by Ford Freak

Charlie Schwindler (Charlie NY) will do you right , also .

Yes, of course. Sorry for the omission.

[38bill]

Thumbs up for the new "original" Stromberg 97's and their service. I purchased a pair for my truck when they first came out. Mounted them and they ran great right out of the box. A couple of years later I had a float stick (the early carbs used a nitrile float). I mentioned this to Clive and he immediately sent me the newer brass floats and full gasket sets for both carb at no cost.

PS: For those that like shiny, I polished mine and they are now available in chrome.

[JM 35 Sedan]

The Speedway 9 Super 7 carburetor was, and still is a Chinese knock off of the original 97, and/or English 97. I've read some very negative reports on this carburator when if was first introduced, but have not read or heard much lately, and I have no personal experience to report. I've always rebuilt my own Strombergs, 48's, 81's, and 97's, from original cores, with some great help from Uncle Max, and a couple other rebuilders. If I was in need of any Strombergs today, I would have original cores rebuilt by Uncle Max, or Charlie ny if he is still doing them, or I would go for new Strombergs made in England.

[tubman]

My reason for asking about the floats is that I am a cheap son of a bitch, and if I came across one or two of these real cheap, I'd probably buy them and futz with 'em just to see if I could make 'em work.

If what most people say is true, a few should be turning up on the used market cheap pretty soon.

[keith oh]

Find a rebuildable 97, send it to Uncle Max and he will rebuild it like new with genuine parts & backs his work 100%.