Who's still using this carburetor?

[PlainBrownR2]

I have a question for those of you out there about a particular carburetor. While coming home tonight, we rounded an intersection that attained a little fame with us. We have another 1955 Studebaker Commander hardtop, which was our show vehicle that restarted us back into Studebakers. It received a 289 from what we believe was a '59 truck, but it's got an interesting quirk with the carburetor. It's not a WCFB, it's a Rochester 4 Jet or 4GC. It was used on and off from '53 onwards, mostly with the GM's, and a sprinkling of the Packards and Studebakers, and it interchanges with the WCFB's intake manifold base. So with that, how many, that have not gone to AFB's or Edelbrocks, are currently using one in their Studes?

The question is probably in league with the same people that have a Ford Galaxy 7 Litre, but have the Autolite carburetor instead. You know, they had them, but everyone went to Holley's ages ago! Anyway, about that corner, this carburetor has a rather design quirk in it when you go around a corner a little too fast. It will send excess fuel into the other float bowl, flood the car out, and causing it to stall.

[clonelark]

I had a few 57 Chevys with that carburetor and remember it flooding out.

[bezhawk]

They also have a rubber boot over the top on the accelerator pump . Packard used them too.

[SN-60]

I think that Rochester 4GC's were good, completely reliable carbs.....Easy to rebuild.... Their problem now is that they are getting old, and old carburetors, like old people, get cranky sometimes!

[StudeRich]

There were NO Rochesters on Studes. except 1965 & 1966 and they were 2 Brl., so there should be very, very few of them so equipped today. Carter WCFB's are Great Carbs. so no need to go to GM.

From 1955 to 1962 Studebaker 4 Barrels were all Carter WCFB's which are also square bore and are interchangeable with GM Rochester 4V's. As I remember the Choke heat Tube will not fit without some mod if it is even possible.

WCFB's have a tendency to flood on turns also until about 1960-'62 when Carter inserted a Brass baffle plate between the Needle & Seat and the Floats.

[PlainBrownR2]

The exception is this isn't a WCFB, it's a Rochester 4CG, or as it's also known, as the Rochester 4 Jet. The footprint between it, and the WCFB is exactly the same, so the Rochester and the WCFB were swappable. The Rochester came with the other '55 Commander hardtop that we have, and it was the one that made a name for itself. We took that corner here a little too fast, and the car stalled. We found out about the carburetor, and it's behavior, immediately after that. The Rochester's float bowls were also shared, which is how it would stall, because the fuel sloshed to the other side of the carburetor when the car was whipped around a corner, and subsequently flooded the engine. The carburetor was installed on a transplanted 289, which was what we believed to be a '59 Studebaker truck engine. It needs some work, as we chipped a 1st gear ages ago, beating a FedEx truck out of the tollbooth though, We did beat the guy though .......

[Flashback]

They run better on a stock class drag car (57 Chev.) if you shorten the front motor mount studs and lower the front of the engine about an inch and a half. Haven't used one for dragging since 1968. The last 57 Chev. I had, with one, was 1984.