[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Oldmics

The blue Bird has an original Ford dual quad manifold as the Edelbrock did not have the correct carb spacing to fit that oval air cleaner on top.

And that will explain why the M 260 kit came through with two air cleaners.

Onwards to Kultulz"s

...uh-oh...

We have gone around on this topic previously

I am only going to stay with factory documented items - such as the M 260 using the Holly carbs and not Carters.

A look at your posted Mercury M 260 parts list confirms the use of the two Hollys (EDB-9510-C)

There a many pictures of the M 260 manifold sporting the Carter carbs and yes I agree the racers probably did try the Carters BUT the Mercury factory documentation specs Hollys.

Merc did use BOTH Carter and Holly carbs for the 1956 - 312 engines. I have factory documentation of this fact in the form of Mercury TSB #37 dated 4/6/56

Merc also used that shitty Load "O" Matic distributor for the 56 model year.

The M 260 manifold is a clone of the Edelbrock unit.

I have a conversation with Ed Iskenderian that I recorded.
He speaks of the cams he was grinding at the time for Edelbrock who was sending the M 260 cams and manifolds parts back east to the race teams.

I find your observation on the manifold numbers interesting.

You certainly have a much broader Ford knowledge base than I do.

However Ford themselves did produce both the 1956 - 9425 manifold as well as the 1957 - 9424 manifolds.

So I"m not sure if that statement would be true generalisation.

So how did the LOM Dist receive vacuum signals from a CARTER?

Bill Stroppe was working with MERC DIV and most of their performance parts were developed by him (or with his input) including the M 335 and MEL 3 X 2. So MERC went on a slightly different path.

I recently sold an original Ford 260 Power Pack kit that was N.O.S.

I acquired it mostly to obtain the knowledge on the camshaft that I cam doctored for the results.

Also discovered the way the distributor advance was preformed and limited for that race kit.

I would assume the distributor info would be pertinate to the Merc M 260 setup also.

Oldmics

What I find on this subject is a spattering of info here and there, most not exact and contradictory. It seems it should pretty well be documented by now.

OK, I am sure you photographed and documented the kit.

What is it going to cost to acquire that information?

BTW- I spent about twenty years in dealership parts rooms and service and did learn a lot most don't take the time to learn. I was also a Saturday morning junk yard aficionado. I am and was always a FORD nut (certified).