[alt63bird]

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(Edited/corrected 6/18/22) Your center carb should be C2SE 9510-A, List # 2497. The one you have is the Galaxie version, as evidenced by the part number C1AE (full-size Ford), but I'm confused about 9510-AA as C1AE 9510-AA is listed in parts books to be a Ford-Autolite 2-barrel carb for a '61 Y-block 292-2v. For the '61 Galaxie 390-6v package offered mid-production 1961, it should be C1AE 9510-AV, so you may want to recheck and post photos of your carb, air horns and metering block numbers. Numbers on the T-bird-issued carbs were unchanged during the tri-power offering on M-Series 340hp T-bird 390s from mid-1962 production Jan-Feb '62 through January 1963.

Difference between front C2SE 9510-E / List 2499 and rear C2SE 9510-B / List 2498 secondary carbs is the front one had a bracket for the anti-stall dashpot required for use with an automatic transmission. Galaxies were not available with a slushbox, hence front and rear were same. That's called out in the parts book listings - pictured is the carb listing from Ford's Master Parts Catalog (MPC) circa 1967-1968, Section 95, page 17 of the text portion.

Only the center carb should have the automatic choke assembly. Throttle arms are different between the Galaxie and T-bird primary carbs - the Galaxie version has an arm with a straight side and a narrow L-shaped plate riveted to it, while the T-bird arm forms a 'C' - see the picture below of the T-bird-style arm on the center carb and compare against the pictures of the C1AE 9510-AV / List 2436 carb.

Metering blocks also differ between the center and outboard carbs. The T-bird primary carb's metering block number is 3559, while the secondary carb's metering block number for both front and rear carbs is 3563.

Some info can be found on the T-bird tri-power setup by searching in the 1961-1963 T-bird section of the VTCI Forum at www. vintagethunderbirdclub.net and in VTCI's 1961-1963 Original Factory Specifications Manual.

BTW my 63 T-bird HT has the M-Series induction system - I finally found the correct carbs for it after having Joe Bunetic go through an incorrectly stamped set that I had him install the correct throttle arms on 17 years ago. I need to get the correct set restored and replace the ones I currently have on my hardtop.