Hello All,

I am building a Frontenac motor for a 27 Roadster. I have two carbs to choose from. A Zenith HP5A came with the head (from the original owner) and a Stromberg LB-2 (which a got at Hershey). Can someone with experience with Frontys suggest which carb would be best to use?

Thanks

Check Fronty ads of the era. I think they sold the Zenith for their heads.

I ran a Stromberg MB-2, (2" no accel pump) for a time on the ol' brass picup, and found it could breathe better than the R head. Cruisin' at 50 took only 4 or 5 notches on the hand throttle.

I also ran an MB-1 (1"), and it seemed too small. After I rebuilt the Winfield 5H (1 1/4"), I put it back on, and it feels just right.



I never could figure out how to rig the Strombergs for a choke, except with a Bowden cable.

Thanks Ricks,

I'll most likely stay with the Zenith, as it is original to the head...

Interesting story on the head. I was walking the old "Green" field at the Hershey flea market(before it was paved and the Giant center went in) on a rainy day. I saw this older gentlemen sitting on the tailgate of a 70's F-100. He had some antique parts so I stopped and looked. There was a box with a bunch of greasy stuff and I asked what it was. He said it was an OHV unit for a Model T. I didn't have the kind of money he wanted so I got his address and walked on.
A couple of years later I called him and he still had it so I drove to Baltimore to buy it (I didn't even know the brand). He lived in a older subdivision in a brick rambled from the early 1960's. He opened the garage door and there is a couple of brass era cars (one a teens Packard) and a T depot hack. He said he bought the head new in the 20's new and had it on a speedster. Sold the car to a friend who never paid him for the car and wrecked it. He went and pulled the head and parts and left the car.
It's a "S" model head and came with all the parts (head, carb, push rods, valves, rockers and stanctions, vacume tank, etc.). I have installed new valves and guides. Had new push rods made. So, I guess I am the second owner!

Super find Howard.

I run the Zenith HP5A one a Fronty T head and am very pleased with it. When I first put it on the car it ran way too rich but as long as I could keep plugs in it it ran fine. I later found an HP4A parts carb and stole the jets from it. Now the motor runs clean and gives me right at 20 MPG. The T head is somewhat lower compression than yours but I've got an A crank for increased stroke and the domed top high compression pistons to boost things a bit. It seems to be a real happy combination in my speedster.

Walt

Here is an HP4S, which is very little different that an HP4A. These are also like gold, not many were original equipment, it was used on the 1920 Crow-Elkhart, for example. I've rebuilt a couple of these that are on speedsters, they probably run a little better on a T than the HP5A's do, that's a lot of carb unless you have an all out racing head. I scored this one off ebay, it was pretty nasty, I'm gradually getting it ready for a new home.

BTW, the jets in most Zeniths are interchangeable from model to model. There is no adjustment on the main jet, so you have to change jets to change the mixture. It is pretty simple to modify the cap on the main jet to put an adjustment needle in the caps. I've done a couple of those, just machine a new cap, drill and thread it and put a threaded needle in it, put an O ring seal in and then drill the jet (or a spare jet) out to where it is flowing too much gas, use the needle adjustment to set it. Lots easier than fooling with changing jets. I probably have some pictures somewhere but I'm too tired to look for them tonight.

Here's a matching pair of HP5A's from a speedster in Florida. One was pretty nice when they came in, the other was a mess.

A 1 1/32" throat will run one rather well. I have traded some Frontenac information and stuff with Mark Herdman from Australia and he has used a 1 1/32 throat on an S R Frontenac with success. He used a 3858 adaptor to get from dual throat to a single throat to use on a log manifold. He now uses two single 90 degree intake manifolds and two carburetors. The Stromberg he used is not period correct but was previously owned and run by Dock Pruden at Shell Hill in the Unlimited Class. It is now in my possession along with two brass 90 degree elbows for twin carburetion on a twin intake S R Frontenac cylinder head.

Here's what I have to say about that carb setup, Frank:

"The modifications on MY car make it safer, more reliable and improve it’s appearance. The modifications on YOUR car are unnecessary, troublesome, gaudy and ruin the whole character of the Model T!"

btw, did you endure the whole Henry Ford video at T meeting last night? I saw it back in Jan, and still have the whole two hours in the DVR. Didn't need to see it again, and cringe at the errors, so left.

Yes, I stayed for the final stroke. The set-up I have has won many trophies for Doc Pruden at the Shell Hill events, it's historic and works very well on a racing SR Frontenac equipment but I don't know about its use on street machines.