1901 teapot question
 

I know everyone says to throw them away but I haven't had much issue with mine. My question is, is there a way to kind of hop them up alittle bit? I have looked around and haven't seen much of it. I plan on upgrading down the road but was just curious if anyone has modified them to get alittle more out of them for the time being

Thanks

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

If I understand correctly, you want to make a tempest in a teapot?

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

Haha sure.. I think haha? I just want to see if its possible to step them up in performance alittle

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

I'm not an expert on these by any means, but I would think that anything that would increase performance would have an adverse effect on fuel economy and driveability. Even if you could get a small performance increase, it would be almost imperceptible by "the seat of your pants". The one upgrade that may help is boring out the manifold to match a small base 2G and use one of those.

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

Thanks tubman, I was just curious. I was there wouldn't be a big performance upgrade for a teapot but just been thinking about it as of late. I really don't have any issues with mine now so I was debating on changing it if there was anyways. Ill look into the manifold though

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

The Mercury 885 and 1901 carbs were the top of the heap for heavy cars & big trucks back in the day but the performance aspect was seldom considered since most folks wanted 2 or 3 Stromberg 97s with an aftermarket distributor. The carburetor and distributor are a system designed by Holley to work together. They are fine for mild street performance in stock form but not so much for serious competition.

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

This carb and most others are originally calibrated for peak HP at a certain RPM. The only way to increase the power is to increase the air flow and recalibrate the main jet accordingly. It would be a difficult task if you wanted to open up the venturi's to get the extra flow. I would recommend a Rochester 2gc that has the same bolt pattern to increase air flow and performance.

Sal

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

2GCc and a GM dist is the answer.

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

If you want to go EFI, Holly has you covered - 2GC throttle body EFI

https://www.holley.com/products/fuel...parts/550-866K

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

On my way back from the post office today, I stopped at my shop and threw a caliper on a Merc manifold and a 2G, just to see how much difference there was. The throttle bores in the Merc Manifold were 1.300", while the 2G has 1.4375" throttle bores. A little basic math and I came out with a total throttle bore area of 2.654 sq in for the stock Merc setup and 3.418 sq in for the 2G. That means the throttle bore area of a 2g is almost 30% larger than the Merc. Definitely a significant improvement.

Of course, this means that, although the 2G will bolt to the Merc manifold, it won't do a lot of good unless you bore the manifold out to the 2G size. I have done this on both aluminum (Canadian) and cast iron manifolds without a problem. I used a scrap 2G base as a guide and a tool called a "Rota-Broach" in my $89.95 Northern Tool benchtop drill press. The cast iron cut easily, not to mention the aluminum.

Then again, if you want to get the cheapest performance increase from a flathead, have the heads milled for increased compression and optimum quench. This is not just a plain mill job, but requires some measuring before to determine the optimum cut (which may not be the same on each side) and some work with a die grinder after to get uniform clearance over the piston. Valve to head clearance is not a problem with mild cams.

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

That setup looks real interesting. I'd sure like to try one. However, the price is quite discouraging and I don't suppose it comes in a 6 volt positive ground version.:rolleyes:

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

Yes, almost 2 grand for the complete system. I wonder how conr=trolable the ignition is. Like vacuum advance under load.???

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

I've had pretty good luck with mine. Ethanol gas is a not good for these carbs. The varnish gums them up and they leak-alot! I think they get a bad rap. I had Sal Cicala rebuild mine and I runs great.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

I agree. Teapot style carbs get a bad rap and a lot of old tales, mostly by people that don't even touch carburetors.

Sal

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

If your car is stock, I would also suggest getting the "Teapot" redone. Going to anything else leads to linkage, fuel line, and air cleaner incompatibility. We're lucky to have an expert like Sal available. I would take advantage of his services, especially since you have two of these.

Re: 1901 teapot question
 

i would rather have a Coffee Pot...LOL