Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I’m wondering if the reason for the Mercury flatheads having a higher horsepower rating is due to cam or head differences or perhaps the 885 carb. The venturi’s are quite a bit larger in diameter than a 94, a 1/4” larger. Yes I know the merc had a 4” crankshaft. Is there a reason no one seems to use the 885 except for original restorations? I kinda like the strange design...


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Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I agree they're kinda cool looking but I suspect not as easy to find as 94's. Ya gotta find one and rebuild. Nobody makes a clone and nobody has rebuild to buy. Thinking the 4" stroke gave most of the added HP and torque. Cam and heads too. Minimal on the carb.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

One of the main reasons I suspect is that an intake manifold with the same 4 bolt pattern or an adapter has to be used for whatever Ford flathead engine you are putting it on.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

The Merc carb has the same bolt pattern as a "small base" Rochester 2GC (the throttle bores are smaller on the Merc carb). It was a popular bolt pattern back in the day; I have an Offenhauser three carb manifold for a '54-'56 Olds, and it has the same bolt pattern as these carbs. When I got it, it had one Carter two barrel bolted to it, so that was a pretty common pattern.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I can’t believe these carbs wouldn’t flow a bunch better than a 94 or a 97. I just can’t believe no one ever checked to see if these could help produce more power.


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Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

AVater on the HAMB runs one on his flatty.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I don''t see why anyone would run one on anything but a stock Mercury. If you want to run a bigger two barrel on a Ford using a Merc manifold, you are much better off using a small base 2GC, they flow more, are easier to find, kits and parts are much easier to find and pay for, and they're just an all around better carb. I have them on a couple of engines now and really like them. You should bore the manifold out to 1 7/16" if you want to use one, which is not difficult if you have the proper jig. It's amazing how well everything lines up if you mount them on the manifold backwards, The fuel line and linkage are located properly. The only problem is that the manual choke works backwards. However, if you don't mind using an automatic choke, that lines up properly with the Merc manifold as well.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

The shroud is one problem. You can't put them front to back and use any type of air filtration so that was one problem. The 4-bolt vs 3-bolt pattern, as mentioned, is a work around problem. No manifolds were made for them in a dual capacity that would work well.

They make the old Mercs run well enough but they can be more difficult to find good cores for replacement parts. Many have been warped & bent due to to mishandling and shade tree over torque of fasteners. Folks don't understand them, so they don't generally try to use them. If you have a poor fitting float bowl, they like to leak. If the shroud doesn't fit the base very well, the power valve won't work right due to vacuum leaks. There was a time when parts were very hard to find too. I like them but then I understand their ups & downs pretty well.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I like the 885 also. I run one on my '51merc. it is original to the car. the car is a survivor, with 87k. I rebuilt mine when I first bought the car back in '94. I have never done anything to it since, and it has not given me any problems, and works well.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

My understanding is that the 1949 Mercury body redesign left no room for the air cleaner to sit on top of the carb, so they used the "sidedraft" carb to put the air cleaner on the side. Some other makes (Studebaker?) did the same thing.

If they just wanted a bigger carb, they could have resurrected the Stromberg 48.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

The Stromberg 48 doesn't flow near as much air as the Mercury Holley 885. Also the 885 has a sideways air inlet, but is a downdraft carburetor. Not a side draft.


Sal

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

Guys,
Edmunds made an 8ba 2x2 intake for these carbs and could supply beautiful cast
air cleaners that just fit on 2x2's. Edmunds also made an intake and air cleaners for
early Olds (2x2)....very beautiful. These babies are loud but funky.
The pita is wear between the throttle shaft and base....3 out 5 need oversize
shafts to tighten things up.....making these is no big deal but it takes some time.
Charlie ny

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

The Holley 1901 carbs would be easier to adapt to dual carb applications. Are you sure that manifold is for the 885 or maybe the 1901 series?

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

The cast alum air cleaner attached to the rear facing air horn opening via a neck, shall I say. The actual air cleaner 'element' connected to the neck and ended up sort of over the cylinder head. The intakes are out there but the cast air cleaners are unobtainium.
Things were tight even on the Olds 2x2.
Charlie ny

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

Wonders never cease. I'll have to pay more attention when looking at old aftermarket flathead manifolds. I think if I found one, I'd just put a couple of 2GC Rochesters on there and make life easier.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

Not 100% sure, but pretty positive the 885 and 1901 Holley carbs used on '49 thru '51 Mercury's/Lincoln's, and '52 thru '53 Mercury's share the same bolt pattern. Also '52 Lincoln 317 OHV V8's.


Sal

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

There all 4-bolt type. The air filtration would be easier to adapt for the 1901 types anyway. I'm going to use a single 885 on my AV8 project at the outset. I'm using one of the cone type filters on it with the pipe removed from an old Merc air filter housing to attach (90 degree pipe). The old motors hauled those heavy Mercury cars pretty well. I want to see how well it will do in a light body car for a change. Even with a single 885 carb it should do OK. If I go dual, I'll have to do something with the ignition so I'm in no hurry to do that.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

The Mercury air cleaner that mounted off to one side of the carb. was not the only option that was available. This one mounts to the rear and slightly over the carb. I had it on mine until I converted to a 4bbl. Edelbrock.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...9&d=1519853317https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...0&d=1519853317

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

funky !
Charlie ny

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I would like to find one of those air cleaners, may not use, but still would like to stumble onto one.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I've seen two styles (1st & 2nd below)but I haven't seen that one. The 1952 chassis part book lists 3 different types.

1st 8CM-9600-A1 description: Air cleaner and silencer assy (oil bath)-without elbow-special equipment- repl by (1) 8CM-9600-A5 and (1) 1CM-9663-B brace

2nd 8CM-9600-A5 description: Carburetor air cleaner assy (oil bath) -with elbow

3rd 8CM-9600-B3 description: Air cleaner & silencer assy (dry type)-replaced by 8CM-9600-A1

The last one is only listed for 1949. I wonder if the one previously pictured in post #18 is the dry type as described in the 3rd item? You don't see that one much.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

Hence why I put "Sidedraft" in quotes. I know it's not a sidedraft, but lots of guys call it that.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

The one pictured in post #18 is an oil bath filter and is, because of the carburetor, '49-'51 specific. These would seem to conform to the 8CM 9600 A1
This is another one I have in the process of opening up the intake port.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...2&d=1519870348

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

Well lots of good discussion. I think I’ll hang on to my 885. It’s all ready rebuilt who knows maybe set up a manifold with a pair of them on it!


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Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I have seen two of those manifolds on eBay. One was a $475 "Buy it Now" and it sat for a couple of months but finally sold. The other was an auction that IIRC, went for a little less than that. I think they would be a bit much for anything but a big inch engine with a bunch of mods.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I considered one for my V8 tractor to use a more "tractorish" air cleaner system, but the 94s are a lot more common and I already had the intake for it so I didn't. Still think it would have blended in better with the look I was going for.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

Charlie , What the cfm on these carbs??? I have one of the Edmunds intakes ...

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I'm not sure they rated them in CFM back on those days. The venturi size was still the most common way to rate them. The Lincoln EL types were made for the 337 engines and had the 1 5/32" venturis. The ones for the big trucks were likely the same size as Lincoln but they had a governor. The Mercury CM types had 1 1/32" venturis so they would've had less flow.

CFM is likely from 170 to 205 on the two sizes.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

Here is my 885fg off of my 337 Flathead. It was a truck motor, so it had a governor. I changed the dizzy to a lincoln car dizzy so I am going to change the 885 base to a non-governed one. Therefore the carb is incomplete, but is rebuilt and powder coated to be “different”!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...79b24b88c6.jpg


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Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I had Charlie NY rebuild my 885 a couple of years ago, and this year it's accelerator pump or something in that area is not right, so I am going into it to see if I can find the problem. I ordered a kit from one "Carb Doctor" a week or so ago, have not seen it yet , but if it is complete, will go into it.

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

Back in l954 I put a Merc intake and the Merc carb on my '49 Ford. It was a side draft carb but I don't remember the model number. But I do remember something about it.
It didn't help the speed and I change back to the stock setup after a few trial runs.


Sorry for the double repay!

Re: Holley 885 carb vs Holley 94
 

I tried this Merc intake and carb in '54 on my '49 Ford car. It didn't increase the speed and I soon removed it and went back to stock setup.