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Modern carburetor for R2

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  • Modern carburetor for R2

    My non-supercharged cars now have modern day Edelbrock carburetors. While the goal is always to restore to original, the AFB and WCFB's were too much to keep up with; thus the conversion. The question now is whether or not there is a good replacement for R2 carburetor. Some have said Edelbrock Marine carb can be used, has anyone made this conversion and, if so, was it satisfactory; what else might be available? Ken, Deltaville, Va

  • #2
    I like Edelbrock carbs...they're easy to use and hold their adjustments. Using an Edelbrock would be preferable since they're not much more than a bolt-on installation, but Holley makes a supercharger specific carburetor. I don't know how much more difficult the conversion might be. It may require re-routing of the fuel line and other bits and pieces. I'm not a big Holley fan anyway...I think they've rested on their past reputation for years and that may have led to their receivership and reorganization a few years ago.

    The current carburetor opening is now 5 1/8" instead of the 4 1/4" of your AFB, so you would need a new bonnet for an Edelbrock (or Holley). If you can work with an Edelbrock I think that's the way to go.
    Poet...Mystic...Soldier of Fortune. As always...self-absorbed, adversarial, cocky and in general a malcontent.

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    • #3
      FWIW, I was peripherally involved in two similar R2 situations:

      Avanti R2 owner number one bought a new Edelbrock marine carburetor, changed the jetting, swapped the top for an early AFB top so the bonnet would fit, had to do some fiddling with the linkage, ended up with many hours and about $450 in the whole shebang.

      Avanti R2 owner number two sent his original AFB to Daytona Parts for a remanufacture. It came back looking and performing like new and was about $450 and only the labor of packing and unpacking.

      jack vines
      PackardV8

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      • #4
        Originally posted by PackardV8 View Post
        FWIW,

        Avanti R2 owner number two sent his original AFB to Daytona Parts for a remanufacture. It came back looking and performing like new and was about $450 and only the labor of packing and unpacking.

        jack vines
        I agree with Mr. Vines. If you can get a good rebuild on your original R2 AFB you won't find a carb better suited for the engine and the car.

        I always rebuild my own carbs and always with success. I brush the dirt off with kerosene, disassemble and thoroughly clean the carb bodies and parts. I then immerse the parts in a five gallon container of professional Gunk HydroSeal and go from there. All circuits are thoroughly blown out with high pressure air. Matng surfaces are checked and all components carefully examined. I use new rebuild kits.

        I carefully reassemble and set the carbs up, paying very special attention to seating the throttle plates in the throat bores. The problems are nearly always just dirt, corrosion and mal-adjustment. Only rarely you will find a throttle shaft bore in the carb body worn out, and that does require the throttle shaft bore to be bushed.

        When re-assembling the carb I squirt WD-40 through all the circuits. That promotes fuel and air flow on start up and helps keep the gaskets from drying.

        I did rebuild my R2 carb and it works just fine. It needed nothing more than what I just described. I have done a lot of one and two barrel carbs, WCFBs, AFBs, Weber side drafts, mechanical fuel injection systems and others.

        I have custom built AFB carbs; a throttle body chosen for air flow here and a top cover chosen for fuel inlet location and air cleaner size there. There is nothing magic about carbs. I use the factory shop manual. Building a good carb requires a lot of attention to detail.

        Carburetors by the 1960s were the product of much development and fiddling by the carburetor and engine manufacturers. More than just jetting was involved. The size and location of air and fuel passages were all very carefully adjusted and massaged.

        Your R2 carb is the result of such an intensive program of development. A new Edelbrock carb, while a dependable replacement, will be jetted and calibrated in a generic manner to produce a smooth running engine, but it won't be tailored to your R2 engine. It's the difference between an off-the-rack suit and a custom made suit.

        If your fine custom made suit gets dirty you would likely take it to a good tailor for cleaning and adjustment; not set it aside and order a good off-the-rack mail order suit.

        The phrase "modern day carburetor" is really an oxymoron. They are basically old day carbs manufactured recently. They are good carbs, they are new carbs and I'm thankful they are available.

        If you can get your original AFB R2 carb remanufactured to new standards, you couldn't make a better choice. It will be a bolt-in, it's a valuable collectible on its own and it will likely get better fuel mileage than a generic replacement.
        Last edited by Don Jeffers; 05-10-2014, 12:06 PM. Reason: Addition

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        • #5
          Thanks for input. I have about $900 in the R2 rebuild, used it last summer;it was loading up and hard to start and cut out, would not idle at factory spec (700 RPM); sent it back to re-builder but do not have it back. Certainly I agree, in this case, a real R2 would be preferred, but not a the cost of additional problems. So far the carburetor cars have been modified to look almost original and have performed perfectly. It looks like modification can be made to still use the original bonnet. Will not know if I do that until the R2 is returned and continues to be a problem. Would like to hear from anyone who might have tried or done this. I have an extra Edelbrock and will see, more precisely, how to fit it on the bonnet and still shut the hood. The other Edelbrocks sit on a half inch riser with an adopter on top of the carb.

          Jack, I wish I had known this about Daytona Parts I have bought parts from them, but never had them rebuild, no rebuilder near me will touch an R2. We winter a short distance form them and $450 is quite reasonable. Talked with Elelbrock but did not get a yes or no from them re boat carb. Ken

          Bruce, I too would like to go Edelbrock, it is not frequent that one can buy something that works the way the seller says it will. Ken

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          • #6
            Here's what your carburetors look like when they come back from Daytona Parts Company:



            The 4bbl on the right is for my 1973 Mustang convertible, engine code Q.

            The Stromberg 2bbl on the left is for my 1964 Daytona Wagonaire. It has since been installed and the car runs beautifully. BP
            We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

            G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

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            • #7
              Just last weekend at the South Bend swap, Phil Harris of Fairborn Studebaker showed me the supercharger bonnets for Edelbrock carbs he's now making.

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              • #8
                When sending/giving a carburetor to someone else to "rebuild", you need to do some homework. You need to know the calibure of the shop its going to, you NEED to be able to trust that ALL of "your original" parts will go back onto "your" carburtor. This is NOT a common occurance.

                I've heard countless stories about people getting their carb's. back and having the engine run badly.
                My Grandmother was one of those victims many years back. Long story, but I got things figured out, and she got her money back.

                Mike

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                • #9
                  I have used Pony Carbs. in NM. Many times. Mostly on Ford products but also on Studes. Really good work and they test ALL of them on Running engines...Can't beat that. Rich
                  64 GT R1 4sp Hawk
                  Mohawk Trails Chapter SDC

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