A Modern or New Model T Carburetor

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: A Modern or New Model T Carburetor
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 06:59 am:

Is the Walbro carb in MACs catalog the same carb that was being sold a few years ago as a Kohler carb?

Has anyone had great success using that carb and would anyone recommend that carb for a Model T?

Is the Holley NH frost freeze up problem also a problem on the Walbro carb without using a hot air pipe that is not included or recommended?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 07:20 am:

There's not a problem with NH carburetors frosting up. That's ridiculous.

The lawn mower carbs are a real nuisance. A member of the Dallas T club has one on his car. It won't work without a fuel pump, which in my opinion means it won't work.

If you find the NH too complicated to rebuild yourself then you can buy a brand new one from any of the T part sellers. Or have any of the carb rebuilders rebuild one for you. You can't buy a better or more reliable carb than an NH.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 07:49 am:

Don't let the NH scare you. Yeah, you can get some frost under certain circumstances, but certainly not problematic enough shy away from.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Dimock, Newfields NH, USA on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 08:01 am:

Since I live in NH the NH carb is the only way to go :-).

Seriously. I have a NH on my T and a Kingston in the box
Rebuilding the NH is easy, fun and satisfying.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 12:02 pm:

The simplest single barrel modern carb is so much more complicated than the NH that if you've ever done one of those the NH should be a cake walk. The only real sweat is making sure the passages are clear and some aerosol carb cleaner with a nozzle on it usually does the trick there anyway. Modern lawnmower carbs do operate some what like a T in that there's usually not much throttle movement. Set it & go if you will. If, as Royce states, it needs a fuel pump there may be some internal mods to it because their usually gravity fed. Some mower engines I admit do have pumps. OT: a lot of mower carbs have a sponge gasket/seal on the throttle shaft. I've used this gasket on NH's where the throttle shaft is a bit wonky. Goes on the shaft between the linkage bit and the carb body. Tightens it up & seals nicely. Don't bother with the moderns. The NH is too plentiful and dependable to experiment.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 02:25 pm:

NH carburetors used in the Artic routinely freeze up while those at the equator boil over.

Seriously, as others have said unless you want to install an electric fuel pump, you should go with a Model T carburetor. Both the Holley NH and the Kingston L-4 are excellent carburetors and are quite simple. You will use a little less gas with the modern unit, but a dead battery will leave you stranded beside the road.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Thursday, July 18, 2013 - 04:39 pm:

Evidently no one is using the Walbro or Kohler carb on a Model T.

I am not using one either, but my T does run much better since I discovered that the hot air pipe cured the frost problem that some people evidently don't have or believe ever exists.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Thursday, July 18, 2013 - 09:10 pm:

I've seen several folks using the Kohler carb that is sold by the T vendors. It's troublesome and they typically get an NH pretty soon afterwards.

That's why I say what I say - the original Ford designed stuff almost always works better. Not just a little better - a lot better.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Friday, July 19, 2013 - 08:21 am:

Royce, my 1927 second T that I bought in 1980 came with a vaporizer and it was always hard to start.

I soon changed the throttle linkage and added a Holley NH carb and related intake manifold. That is all I have ever used since then.

I did inherit a Kohler carb with some stuff I bought about 1995 and gave it away.

I am not interested in buying or using one of those carbs, I would just like some statistical data from some one that is using one.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Mikeska, Denver CO on Friday, July 19, 2013 - 09:56 am:

I have 2 of the Walbro carbs. Both of them are hanging on the peg board above my work bench and seem to be working very well there.
I bought 1 of them 20 some odd years ago and did not find that it gave any more performance than a NH, and it just does not look right on a T. That was on a 27 Touring and I did not have to use a fuel pump. Lawn mower carbs tend to be only used at idle or full throttle and I always thought that mid range with the Walbro was never quite right. The second one came on a T that I bought. I hated the sound of the electric pump. I tried by-passed the pump but that did not work. I replaced it with a NH and will be using the Walbro's as wall art.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 - 09:10 am:

What I would like to do is borrow or buy one of those carbs to use for about 6 months for some professional testing of a model T engine on a dynamometer to determine the actual characteristics that could be compared to other carburetors.

If anyone has one in good working order that they are not using and would sell or loan, please Click my name above and send me an e-mail.

The Classified Ads are so hacked up now that I do not wish to use them.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Walt Berdan, Bellevue, WA on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 - 11:45 am:

James,

I don't have one of the modern carburetors but would be very interested in the results of a good comparison test between it, the trusty NH (sway & straight) and some of the other preferred carbs like the Stromberg OF.

I know several folks who swear by the modern carbs using them on Model T's that run very well. What I don't know is how much of that is the carb or other things they may have done to pep up the motor.

I do have an OF I'd loan you if you need one when the testing begins.

Walt


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 - 02:21 pm:

The modern carburetor usually requires an electric fuel pump, so now you are dependent on a battery and charging system to operate your car. If you are running a distributor, its no big deal. If you are running coils on the magneto, you lose your independence.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Walt Berdan, Bellevue, WA on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 - 04:49 pm:

Ted,

I'm not trying to be contentious but if you value a brake light or turn signals, you have also lost your independence. While I prefer to drive only in daylight hours, I feel my car and possibly my life depend on having a functional brake light regardless of what powers my ignition. Head and tail lights as well as turn signals also improve the odds that my T and I will make it home unscathed.

If I never drove my cars or lived where neighbors were miles away and speeds rarely exceeded 25 mph, that might not be true but most of us don't live in that world and I wouldn't keep my cars if I couldn't drive them.

Walt


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 - 08:18 am:

Walt, I have an OF, but one has already been loaned.

The same loaner person also had a Kohler, but didn't know that carb was being considered for testing.

Someone else important to the testing and study wanted to include it.

The Kohler engine company is still in business in Kohler, Wisconsin and the grandson of the founder is running the company today.

The exact Kohler and Walbro carb numbers and the similarity between the two carbs has not been established yet.

Unless more information is found, there is no way to determine if the Kohler carb being offered is correctly configured for a Model T Ford.


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