Question about using Brumfield head

[mcgarrett]

Yesterday I was fortunate to purchase a new Brumfield head from a private collection of Model A parts being liquidated near me. Apparently it was purchased new in 1995 according to a letter found in the box with the head from Brumfield-Finley in Waco, Texas. I see no trace of scoring on the head stud bosses or any other evidence that it has ever been installed. The letters B-F are the only identification marks cast into the head. It looks like the man that bought it was in the process of smoothing up some of the casting roughness in the combustion chamber and never finished. I plan to finish smoothing out the roughness of the last combustion chamber dome.

Questions:

-With a "B" grind cam and this head with a Model B carburetor and stock A ignition what kind of power increase would be expected from the stock 40 HP?

-What head gasket would be best when using this head? Any guesses about what the compression ratio is? I don't have any idea what the compression ratio is until I contact Brumfield.

-Who else is using a Brumfield head and what is your opinion of its performance characteristics?

[Marshall V. Daut]

I have owned standard Brumfield heads and even a Super Brumfield head since the middle 1990's and LOVE them all! You will be very pleased with the performance boost, especially improving the dead spot going from 2nd gear into 3rd. There's enough extra umph that the head will give you to smooth out that awkward place in the engine's power curve. VRROOOOOMMM!!!.
Marshall

[alexiskai]

Here are head installation instructions from the late Larry Brumfield.

https://www.fordgarage.com/pages/bru...structions.htm

[mcgarrett]

Marshall,
Appreciate the words of encouragement. I was hoping to get that kind of response. I don't know very much about Brumfield heads, but was pretty sure I made a good decision to buy it.

alexiskai
Many thanks for this link. It's exactly the information I needed. I would have surely messed things up terribly without it. I will follow his instructions to the letter!

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

I will follow his instructions to the letter!

If you end up also following his instructions on testing the strength of the threads in the block, it may be helpful to review a video of this procedure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibaPf0FQnZM

I made this video in collaboration with Larry before he died.

[Pete]

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Too bad he didn't live to bring out the new design.

[updraught]

Looks similar to the Snyder's 6:1.
A victim of covid?

[Bruce of MN]

[QUOTE=Marshall V. Daut;2283532] the performance boost, especially improving the dead spot going from 2nd gear into 3rd. There's enough extra umph that the head will give you to smooth out that awkward place in the engine's power curve. /QUOTE]

There's a small rise in a road that I use that is located after a stop just right to require a stock A to stay in 2nd. With my 6:1 Snyder head, I can go to 3rd, retard it a little and it pulls to the top easily. It is a small thing, but very satisfying.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Yesterday I was fortunate to purchase a new Brumfield head from a private collection of Model A parts being liquidated near me. Apparently it was purchased new in 1995 according to a letter found in the box with the head from Brumfield-Finley in Waco, Texas. I see no trace of scoring on the head stud bosses or any other evidence that it has ever been installed. The letters B-F are the only identification marks cast into the head. It looks like the man that bought it was in the process of smoothing up some of the casting roughness in the combustion chamber and never finished. I plan to finish smoothing out the roughness of the last combustion chamber dome.

Questions:

-With a "B" grind cam and this head with a Model B carburetor and stock A ignition what kind of power increase would be expected from the stock 40 HP?

-What head gasket would be best when using this head? Any guesses about what the compression ratio is? I don't have any idea what the compression ratio is until I contact Brumfield.

-Who else is using a Brumfield head and what is your opinion of its performance characteristics?

Adding a couple of other things to your questions...

Using a Model-B carburetor on your engine can add some power 'if' either a modified Model-B intake manifold is used, -or is a stock Model-A manifold is bored oversize. The stock Model-A intake up-tube is 1.000" ID whereas the Model-B intake is 1.250 ID. Using a MOdel-B carb on a stock A manifold restricts the flow. I actually bore Model-A intakes to 1.300 and blend the ends.

Purely a speculation however since the 'B' engine (-with its' slightly less compression than your BF and all of the other 'B' components) was rated at around 50hp, I would say your expectations should be around 50hp - 55hp. Where you will see the greatest improvement with your combination will be with a Stipe or Burtz camshaft, followed by larger intake valves and opening the bowl areas.

The biggest downfall I have ever experienced with a BF head was they all seemed to need to go thru about a half-dozen heat cycles, and then be resurfaced. From then on, they would always be within 0.001 - 0.002 when you pulled them off on a rebuild.

[kenparker0703]

I, too, have been running B-F heads since the mid 90's. Currently running two of them.
Brent is right about the heat cycles and resurfacing. Be sure and check for straightness before you install.


Most of the B-F heads are 5.9 compression ratio. There are a few 6.1. And some of the 5.9's have been resurfaced enought to give 6.0 or better.


Mr Brumfeld always recommended the FelPro 7013. I have had better luck with the Best 509. Less likely to create a gasket leak between number 3 and 4 cylinder.

[Gary WA]

Originally Posted by updraught

Looks similar to the Snyder's 6:1.
A victim of covid?

It was never noted in his obituary.He was against shots. I have two of his heads good for a little more pickup especially hills. RIP Larry this month he passed away.

[mcgarrett]

Ken & Brent,
Your specific technical input is MUCH appreciated. I'm surprised to learn about the protracted thermal cycle "break-in" period of this head, and a little disappointed about the prospects of having to remove it AFTER all the re-torqueing to have it re-surfaced, but I'll move forward with it as you guys have advised and see how it responds. The block I'm using was a fresh re-build done a few years ago (not by me) and was found in a man's garage after his death. The deck surface looks to have had a clean-up pass with a mill, so I'll check for flatness before proceeding. Also appreciate the tip on using the BEST 509 head gasket. The information on Vince Falter's website about Brumfield heads stressed using the FelPro 7013 copper gasket, so I didn't know about that option. I've sure learned a lot about the installation nuances of this head - things I thought I already knew, so I'm glad I asked!

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Ken & Brent,
Your specific technical input is MUCH appreciated. I'm surprised to learn about the protracted thermal cycle "break-in" period of this head, and a little disappointed about the prospects of having to remove it AFTER all the re-torqueing to have it re-surfaced, but I'll move forward with it as you guys have advised and see how it responds. The block I'm using was a fresh re-build done a few years ago (not by me) and was found in a man's garage after his death. The deck surface looks to have had a clean-up pass with a mill, so I'll check for flatness before proceeding. Also appreciate the tip on using the BEST 509 head gasket. The information on Vince Falter's website about Brumfield heads stressed using the FelPro 7013 copper gasket, so I didn't know about that option. I've sure learned a lot about the installation nuances of this head - things I thought I already knew, so I'm glad I asked!

To be brutally honest, ...it is my opinion that Larry had his way of doing things that might not have always been the best way, -however it was the right way because it was just his way.

And with the above said, credit is due Larry because he started the trend of manufacturing modern-day reproduction cylinder heads. Yes, they were definitely better than anything we had available to us during the 70s and 80s however I honestly do not look at them as being the best of what is available today. Heads like Dan Iandolo's and Don Snyder's that came afterwards and had dyno R&D allowed the combustion chambers and slight spark plug hole location changes/tweaking done likely makes those heads equal to, -or possibly a minute bit better than the F-F. Early on, Bill Stipe used his dyno to flog the Snyder head, ...and to my knowledge, Larry never really flogged the B-F head.

As for re-surfacing, just wait until it starts leaking and then change the gasket while resurfacing it then.

[Benson]

I was told that Larry's head is based the original (5.2 to 1) "Police head" (the one with the Large B on the top of the casting) which Ford came out with in 1930.

The "heart shaped" chambers on the Brumfield head look very much like the original Ford Police head that I have been using since 1962 on the coupe.

The Police head really wakes up the engine compared to the the 4.2 stock head.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

and to my knowledge, Larry never really flogged the B-F head.

He did the new one.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

To be brutally honest, ...it is my opinion that Larry had his way of doing things that might not have always been the best way, -however it was the right way because it was just his way.

Can confirm, he had strongly held opinions and they were not always well-supported. For example I don’t think he ever acknowledged the warping problem. Attributed it to user error.

[mcgarrett]

Thanks, guys. I'm anxious to put it on and go out and burn some gas!

[Bruce of MN]

More gasket input:

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...te#post1145107

[oldspert]

Mike, Looks like he was polishing the combustion chambers to maybe equalize the CC's, much like hot rodders do when prepping heads for performance. I do have a burette to do this measurement if you need.
Ed

[Marshall V. Daut]

Of the many Brumfield heads I have owned and installed for friends/customers over the years, the only head gasket failure was my own darned fault. It was the very first Brumfield head I ever installed. My engine had been rebuilt only a couple years prior, so I didn't think I needed to install new head studs and nuts - as Larry advised to do in his installation instructions. So, I installed the new Brumfield head over my two-year old studs with the recommended head gasket. Sure enough! Even though I followed recommended heating and cooling cycle re-torquing procedures, the gasket blew out climbing a steep hill fairly soon after installation! After talking with Larry - for the first time - I changed studs and nuts and put on a new head gasket. No blowouts ever again, even with the 7:1 Super Brumfield head I later bought from Larry. I learned an expensive lesson: CHANGE THE HEAD STUDS AND NUTS!!!!
I'm sure that not all those new heads I bought were perfectly level without any warpage. The gasket compensated for some warpage and the re-torquing after heating up and cooling down compressed the gasket to conform to the head even more. Larry admitted that he stopped using a certain foundry that produced his heads for a while in Texas because the metal was not cured sufficiently. So, those heads needed to be trued. That defective batch might be where all the negative comments about Brumfield head warpage began. One bad report made public cancels out 100 positive ones. It's always the negative comments that people remember and make their way into urban legend.
Marshall

[mcgarrett]

Originally Posted by oldspert

Mike, Looks like he was polishing the combustion chambers to maybe equalize the CC's, much like hot rodders do when prepping heads for performance. I do have a burette to do this measurement if you need.
Ed

Ed,
I'll need your assistance doing what you suggested. Thanks!

[Chris in WNC]

OFF-TOPIC, sort of.....

Originally Posted by Gary WA

It was never noted in his obituary.

Where & when was the obit published?
Searched for it in Waco TX with no results.

I liked him and his HC heads, but he always had very strong opinions.

[mcgarrett]

Marshall,
I do have new head studs and nuts ready to install for this build. Fortunately, all the studs had been removed from the engine before I bought it, so that will make checking the threads in the stud holes much easier. I'm glad I learned about installing the studs finger tight only. I did not know that previously. I assumed (wrongly) that all studs were mechanically installed to be tight, so that was important and timely information for me. Did you use the Best head gasket or the FelPro? Just curious.

[Bruce of MN]

Use a thread chaser, not a tap, to keep from removing metal and preserve the full thread profile, if it is still there.

FWIW, I have this https://www.toolsid.com/lang-tools/2...-mpn-2581.html

[Marshall V. Daut]

I followed Larry's recommendations for head gasket and always used the 7013 with copper adhesive spray on both sides. I think he was recommending the 7013C gasket towards the end of his manufacturing days, as I recall. If you follow Larry's instructions on your resurfaced block and check the head to be sure it is not too far out of spec, you should be o.k. with the new studs and nuts. Just keep re-torquing the head until you are sick to death of doing it. THEN the head should be seated.
M.

[Ruth]

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Originally Posted by Bruce of MN

Use a thread chaser, not a tap, to keep from removing metal and preserve the full thread profile, if it is still there.

FWIW, I have this https://www.toolsid.com/lang-tools/2...-mpn-2581.html

That's the same set I have.

[mcgarrett]

Originally Posted by Bruce of MN

Use a thread chaser, not a tap, to keep from removing metal and preserve the full thread profile, if it is still there.

FWIW, I have this https://www.toolsid.com/lang-tools/2...-mpn-2581.html

Bruce,
Yes, I have this set of thread chasers and will be using them - no taps.
Thanks.

[mcgarrett]

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

I followed Larry's recommendations for head gasket and always used the 7013 with copper adhesive spray on both sides. I think he was recommending the 7013C gasket towards the end of his manufacturing days, as I recall. If you follow Larry's instructions on your resurfaced block and check the head to be sure it is not too far out of spec, you should be o.k. with the new studs and nuts. Just keep re-torquing the head until you are sick to death of doing it. THEN the head should be seated.
M.

Awesome information! Thanks everyone for your responses.

[Herb Concord Ca]

I have B-F 5.9 heads on both of my 2 Model A's. Good advice, on both motors I used a composite head gasket, not copper. Both have never leaked nor failed. Both were installed using new studs. One head is on it's second motor. This one I took to an automotive machine shop to be checked for flatness, he removed less than .010" to make it flat. Good Head and a good find on your part. Enjoy.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

Of the many Brumfield heads I have owned and installed for friends/customers over the years, the only head gasket failure was my own darned fault. It was the very first Brumfield head I ever installed. My engine had been rebuilt only a couple years prior, so I didn't think I needed to install new head studs and nuts - as Larry advised to do in his installation instructions. So, I installed the new Brumfield head over my two-year old studs with the recommended head gasket. Sure enough! Even though I followed recommended heating and cooling cycle re-torquing procedures, the gasket blew out climbing a steep hill fairly soon after installation! After talking with Larry - for the first time - I changed studs and nuts and put on a new head gasket. No blowouts ever again, even with the 7:1 Super Brumfield head I later bought from Larry. I learned an expensive lesson: CHANGE THE HEAD STUDS AND NUTS!!!!
I'm sure that not all those new heads I bought were perfectly level without any warpage. The gasket compensated for some warpage and the re-torquing after heating up and cooling down compressed the gasket to conform to the head even more. Larry admitted that he stopped using a certain foundry that produced his heads for a while in Texas because the metal was not cured sufficiently. So, those heads needed to be trued. That defective batch might be where all the negative comments about Brumfield head warpage began. One bad report made public cancels out 100 positive ones. It's always the negative comments that people remember and make their way into urban legend.
Marshall

Hmmm Marshall, maybe you are taking this personal?? Installing vs. Repairing is two different things from my perspective. The things that engine rebuilders see is likely different than what those who are installers-only might encounter. As for my recollection, I cannot remember a single Brumfield head coming thru my shop that when removed after use was still true from end to end. Based on discussions regarding this, other engine rebuilders will likely share their similar experiences. Quite honestly, it is not a big deal IMHO as it is repairable when discovered, -and whether it is perceived as negative or not, shouldn't a consumer need to be made aware there is a potential to have an issue with that head??

And for what its worth, I/we have no record or method to know exactly which heads were cast at which foundry and at what timeframe. Also, it would take a metallurgist smarter than me to know the details about and the validity about the curing process, but I suspect the warpage issue had more to do with the quality of metal the foundry was using rather than lack of sufficient cure time. My reasoning for this thought comes from the castings that Ford originally used, and the lack of a lengthy timeline from casting to machining on original Model-A parts.



I will leave everyone with a thing or two to think about. Larry subscribed to the mindset that a block & head needed to have a high RA finish (-like over 100+ ) as the gasket surface needed to grip onto small serrations in the head and block. Technology back then, -and what we know now generally counters that mindset. What those serrations did aid in, is when the cylinder case (block), the cylinder head, and the head gasket are all expanding at a different rates due to being different compositions. Had the cylinder case and his cylinder head have been poured with similar composition materials, likely there would never been a need for any RA finish to have been over 40-50 and get a head gasket to seal.

[emf]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

I cannot remember a single Brumfield head coming thru my shop that when removed after use was still true from end to end.

Well, I might just have the only good Brumfield head on earth, then. My Model B engine was in my roadster when I purchased it about 5 years ago. When the Burtz engine was first advertised, I decided to buy one just to try it out. Fast forward to getting the Burtz running, I tried two different newly cast high compression heads and did not like the fit of either one, so I removed the Brumfield from the B engine to put on the Burtz. I measured the flatness of the Brumfield with a metal straight edge probably 16 different ways and could not slide a .002 feeler gauge under the straight edge anywhere on the head surface. Using a new felpro copper gasket, I bolted that baby down and never looked back. I now have close to 1000 miles on the Burtz with nary a problem. Go figure...


Frank

[mcgarrett]

emf,
I'm hoping I can join your club!!

[katy]

[QUOTE=emf;2283899] I bolted that baby down and never looked back. [QUOTE]

Did you "re-torque" the head?

[emf]

Yes, I re-torqued the head, but only once. I torque the head to 55 ft lbs the first time, then after about a week's worth of driving, I torque to 55 ft lbs again. I usually don't do it a third time. I have been involved with old cars since I was 25 and have rebuilt many engines, both Ford and non-Ford, always doing the same routine. I've never had to replace a head gasket on an engine that I've rebuilt. Maybe I'm lucky.


Frank

[Don S]

Interesting comments about Brumfield heads . I purchased a 5.9 head from Larry in 2006, including a set of bolts and nuts . I have driven over 20000 miles since then with no head issues . Larry’s installation instructions are very clear,about which gasket to use , torquing, re-torquing, etc. He okayed using white grease on both sides of the head gasket. The head has been off a couple of times for unrelated issues, I used a new fel-pro copper gasket each time, white greased them when re-installing .I tourqued to 65 lbs as recommended,I have had no gasket problems at all.Mycoupe is very happy at 55 mph,riding on 600-16 radials, Ken Parker 4speed with od transmission, and Bill Stipe Regrind touring cam. Follow all of Larry’s instructions and get out and enjoy your car as
much as possible .
Don S

[mcgarrett]

Don S,
Thanks for chiming in with your personal experience. Since my head came without installation instructions, Vince Falter has Larry's instructions on his website. I will follow them as written. I wish I knew what compression ratio I have.

[Herb Concord Ca]

Most likely you have a 5.9 to 1 head. The vast majority were 5.9 to 1.

[mcgarrett]

Herb,
Thanks for that info. Pretty sure it will be a major improvement over the stocker!

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Adding a couple of other things to your questions...

Using a Model-B carburetor on your engine can add some power 'if' either a modified Model-B intake manifold is used, the Model-B intake is 1.250 ID. Using a MOdel-B carb on a stock A manifold restricts the flow.

Purely a speculation however since the 'B' engine (-with its' slightly less compression than your BF and all of the other 'B' components) was rated at around 50hp.

What modification does a B manifold need when used with a B carb to produce the power benefit of the B carb/manifold combo? Seems like any modification would increase the flow and power produced beyond the factory advertised 50hp.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Hitman

What modification does a B manifold need when used with a B carb to produce the power benefit of the B carb/manifold combo? Seems like any modification would increase the flow and power produced beyond the factory advertised 50hp.

Well, the 'B' manifold does not need any modification when used with a 'B' carburetor on a 1932-34 4 cylinder engine however the issue when using the Model-B intake on a Model-A is the carburetor is aligned differently which prohibits the Model-A Choke Rod from connecting to the GAV. Additionally, the Model-A style of fuel line enters the Model-B carburetor in a different location requiring either a new line to be fabricated or an original line being modified. Therefore, to use a Model-B intake requires the carburetor mounting flange to be modified by either cutting the flange and rotating, -or elongating the carburetor mounting holes (risky).

FWIW, since the external shape of the Model-B intake manifold is different too (-making it noticeably obvious), I prefer to modify the stock Model-A manifold by boring the inside about 5% larger than a Model-B, -which is about 30% larger than a stock Model-A intake manifold.

[mcgarrett]

Brent,
I forgot about the choke rod alignment issue with the B carburetor. I had a similar alignment issue with the choke rod on my Model T Speedster where the rod angle to the carb was different, but I used a flexible brake hone shaft and modified it to fit the choke rod and seemed to work perfectly. I might give that a try here and see if I have the same success.

Regarding stud hole threads, 3 of them need to be drilled and Heli-Coils installed. I want to be sure I drill and tap the holes spot-on. Do you recommend having a machine shop do this or take it on myself? I'm fairly competent using a tap, but I don't want to screw this up. I thought about fabricating a fixture to make sure I drill the initial hole perfectly vertical and square to the block. Thanks for your recommendations.

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Well, the 'B' manifold does not need any modification when used with a 'B' carburetor on a 1932-34 4 cylinder engine however the issue when using the Model-B intake on a Model-A is the carburetor is aligned differently which prohibits the Model-A Choke Rod from connecting to the GAV. Additionally, the Model-A style of fuel line enters the Model-B carburetor in a different location requiring either a new line to be fabricated or an original line being modified. Therefore, to use a Model-B intake requires the carburetor mounting flange to be modified by either cutting the flange and rotating, -or elongating the carburetor mounting holes (risky).

FWIW, since the external shape of the Model-B intake manifold is different too (-making it noticeably obvious), I prefer to modify the stock Model-A manifold by boring the inside about 5% larger than a Model-B, -which is about 30% larger than a stock Model-A intake manifold.

I run a B carb and intake on one of mine without any modification to the carb or manifold. I just turn the carb mounting bolts down a bit to correct the alignment issue. This avoids having to modify the manifold and risk damaging the bolt flange.

Making a new fuel line isn't difficult.

[mcgarrett]

Originally Posted by Hitman

I run a B carb and intake on one of mine without any modification to the carb or manifold. I just turn the carb mounting bolts down a bit to correct the alignmuent issue. This avoids having to modify the manifold and risk damaging the bolt flange.

Making a new fuel line isn't difficult.

Hitman,
Can you please clarify what you mean by "turn down the mounting bolts down a bit" ?

[Keith True]

You can also use a late 31 sidebowl on the B carb,it will put the inlet in a position where you just need to pull on the A fuel line a little to hook it up.Looks like it belongs there too.Wasn't somebody making an offset machined set of bolts to use the B carb on the A?

[mcgarrett]

Keith,
Good idea using the side-bowl connection on the B carb!

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

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Originally Posted by Keith True

You can also use a late 31 sidebowl on the B carb,it will put the inlet in a position where you just need to pull on the A fuel line a little to hook it up.Looks like it belongs there too.Wasn't somebody making an offset machined set of bolts to use the B carb on the A?

Yeah, I think they were first introduced on a TV show called MacGuyver!!


In all seriousness, that might be acceptable protocol for some folks but that is not for me. I know, ...Geez, what could possibly happen if one or both of those modified bolts broke??

[Benson]

Originally Posted by Keith True

You can also use a late 31 sidebowl on the B carb,it will put the inlet in a position where you just need to pull on the A fuel line a little to hook it up.Looks like it belongs there too.Wasn't somebody making an offset machined set of bolts to use the B carb on the A?

Yes several vendors that I have seen are carrying such bolts.

In 1963 we also turned down bolts to solve the problem when fitting B carbureators.

In high school one guy (I will not name names but he also used an electric drill motor clamped to a bench and a file to turn them down)

ALSO he chucked the bolts up in a drill press and used a file to turn them down.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by Keith True

Wasn't somebody making an offset machined set of bolts to use the B carb on the A?

Renner's Corner

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Hitman,
Can you please clarify what you mean by "turn down the mounting bolts down a bit" ?

Y-block posted a picture of what I did. I wasn't aware that someone was making these for sale.

Basically, as you see you turn down the upper half of the bolt shank to allow the carb to rotate in the manifold flange. You do both so you don't pivot off one, and turn both bolts a small amount as you can see. Turning both bolts also keeps the port aligned.

The strength isn't really compromised much, and the carb doesn't take much "torque" to keep it in place.

[mcgarrett]

Hitman,
Understood - thank you for the clarification.

[Keith True]

I just took a little off the sides of the 4 holes with a chainsaw file.When you do all 4 like that the amount taken off is miniscule.I do remember it didn't take very long,it was back in the late 70's.I didn't come up with the idea of using the late 31 sidebowl,I bought a carb all set up that way.Since then I've seen a couple done that way.I just came across a carb I have set up with the sidebowl,but it won't do me any good to take a picture,I can't post them here anymore.

[katy]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Regarding stud hole threads, 3 of them need to be drilled and Heli-Coils installed. I want to be sure I drill and tap the holes spot-on. Do you recommend having a machine shop do this or take it on myself? I'm fairly competent using a tap, but I don't want to screw this up. I thought about fabricating a fixture to make sure I drill the initial hole perfectly vertical and square to the block. Thanks for your recommendations.

If you're talking about the head studs, use a cylinder head for a guide, clamp it down with 2, 3 or more studs, bolts or whatever.

[mcgarrett]

Katy,
That's probably what I'll end up doing. Thanks.

[Benson]

Originally Posted by Keith True

I just took a little off the sides of the 4 holes with a chainsaw file.When you do all 4 like that the amount taken off is miniscule.I do remember it didn't take very long,it was back in the late 70's.I didn't come up with the idea of using the late 31 sidebowl,I bought a carb all set up that way.Since then I've seen a couple done that way.I just came across a carb I have set up with the sidebowl,but it won't do me any good to take a picture,I can't post them here anymore.

Keith,

Is this a photo of B carb setup that you are referring to?

I ran a few this way in the past.

I did not come up with the idea either.

I think Bill Kenz RIP or Paul Garrigan RIP showed it to me in the 60's.

[Keith True]

That's the setup I have around.Also,on the one I ran in the late 70's somebody had drilled the threads out of the ears,so it probably had a little more play to work with.

[katy]

mcg, be careful that you don't overdrill down into the water jacket, a "depth stop" on the drill bit might be in order.

[Marshall V. Daut]

I took a regular fuel line from the sediment bowl to the carb and filled it with sand, plugging the ends with wadding. Then I was able to bend the line at the lower end into a "U" facing towards the rear of the car to match the location of the "B" carb's fuel line inlet without kinking the tubing. The sand keeps the line from pinching and kinking. Go slow and test fit to get the approximate angle needed. The angle of the tubing from the sediment bowl to the carb will be increased from its usual near vertical orientation, but so what? By installing a "B" carb, you're altering an "originality" look anyway. Then drain the sand and blow out the line BOTH WAYS with compressed air to get rid of any sand particle. Just be sure to get all the sand out. Once you are sure the line is squeaky clean inside, screw in the ferrule at the sediment bowl and complete the final bending to fit into the carb's fuel inlet. It will look like the line was made that way!
Marshall