old story about carbs.

[jayharold]

Did any of you here of a carb. that would get 40 to 60 miles a gallon. It was built back in the 60s or 70s. I think the oil companys or goverment bought the patton. Thanks Jay

[dougbfresh]

Plenty of carbs that can do this, most are on motorcycles or tiny japanese cars.

[jayharold]

Did any of you here of a carb. that would get 40 to 60 miles a gallon. It was built back in the 60s or 70s. I think the oil companys or goverment bought the patton. Thanks Jay
This was for a American car.

[Troadster]

I remember hearing about one on a Corvette back in the 80's. Something about 75 mpg and then a big hush about it. Heard the same thing oil company got him to shut up about it. Back then and now I think it is a urban legend or something for Myth buster's!! :D

[dougbfresh]

No way on a V8, or many V6's. Even the most precise direct injection engines can't do it.

[Troadster]

I know doug that's why then and now I just can not belive it.

[danny]

a carb by itself cannot get that kind of mileage. it really depends on the engine, if the engine is a small displacement and requires small amounts of fuel then some may want to credit the carb for the efficiency but is it the engine itself. the carb can make it get worse mileage but the engine will use what it needs to work.

[dougbfresh]

14.7/1 air to fuel ratio is the "ideal"-the physics don't change. Direct computer injection is the ideal today (that is directly into the cylinder, not in the intake). This is the most precise way to get fuel in. Any carb that claimed this mileage on a V8 would run too lean, it would run horrible and probably quickly melt some pistons. Chrysler played with something like this in the 70's-remember "Lean Burn" and it's funky carb?

[Saltmine]

Like Doug said...Engine/drivetrain efficency. Simple physics dictate what fuel economy you're going to get. If you have a three ton tuna boat with a slipping transmission, and a gas guzzling engine, there's very little you can do to improve the situation.

It the late '70's, Chrysler introduced the "Lean burn" system. In a nutshell, it was a squeaky lean carburator (Carter BBD) and a severely retarded timing curve.
They did this to meet Federal Emission Standards for those particular years....Unfortunately, the cars ran terrible, got lousy gas mileage, and barely passed emission tests. During that time, a Chrysler owner could take their car to the dealer and request a "drivability kit"....For a nominal fee, a Chrysler tech would replace the carburator jets and reset the ignition timing....Many "lean Burn" modules ended up in the junkyard...

Miracle carburators were always being advertised. The "Fish Carburator" was one of them...It's secret was a very precise fuel metering system..worlds better than what was available at the time. Unfortunately, not many people understood the workings of the carb and, in frustration, soon replaced it with simpler, less efficient carburators.

Direct injection is the next step in fuel efficiency. GM already has this system on several cars, and it's proving to be quite efficient in both fuel economy and horsepower.

[Troadster]

What was the one Ford was trying in the late 70's? Worked something like a motorcycle carb.Had a slide instead of plates.

[dougbfresh]

What was the one Ford was trying in the late 70's? Worked something like a motorcycle carb.Had a slide instead of plates.

Variable Venturi-another nightmare.

[Saltmine]

I believe Toadster was referring to the Autolite model 7200 vatiable venturi carburator.
In function, it was a very simple carb, but required a few very expensive and hard-to-get tools to set it up properly. When I went to work for the County back in the early '90's, they had a fleet of Sheriff's cars with 5.8L Ford Windsor V-8's and Variable Venturi carburators. Every one of them had been monkeyed with, and all of them were hopelessly out of adjustment. I bought the required tools, and got the technical manuals needed to set them up properly. Once I figured them out, they were soon starting easily, idling perfectly, and returning decent fuel economy and performance.
The next batch of fleet cars were Chevy Caprices...I didn't have to do much of anything to them...but I still have the VV tools...

Yes, Toadster, they had slides, and movable needles...just like a motorcycle. But there were a pair of throttle plates at the base of the carburator...The slides were pulled open by vacuum...much like the carbs on old MG's...

[Troadster]

Cool guys. I have only seen one in my life. And it was not working right. They pulled it off and a 600cfm holly on it. I guess I am old school, I can work on a carter,eddelebrock and a holly good enough to git by on. And don't ask me to work on a qudarjet and me a Chevy person. When one of those are right they are a good carb.

[Saltmine]

I think we need to clarify something....The Edelbrock Company didn't design or produce any carburators.

What they did was buy up the production rights and tooling for existing carburators which were going out of production.

Presently, Edelbrock is manufacturing several different carbs, each one very different from the rest...unfortunately, a lot of people have been referring to them as "Edelbrock carbs".... The Carter AFB, the Rodchester Quadrajet, and many off road and motorcycle carburators..
Edelbrock's main "carb of choice" is the Carter AFB four barrel. Designed and manufactured back in the '50's for GM and Chrysler large displacement engines by Carter. Only recently has Edelbrock begun manufacturing the Quadrajet, and usually as a replacement carb for many GM cars and trucks, since GM no longer produces it.

Holley is the only manufacturer still producing their own namesake carburator. While not designed for "daily driver" street use, the Holley carb usually finds a home on engines where a replacement isn't available, or in most cases, not well understood.

By virtue of it's simplicity, the Holley carb has outlived most of it's compeditors....Make no mistake, though, it's not the best carburator...just the one that appears to work, in a situation.

[jayharold]

Does Edelbrock try to improve the carbs?

[danny]

they claim that they improve the flow and performance of them

[Saltmine]

How do you improve something that has been virtually unchanged for over 100 years?

The most advanced, sophisticated carburator ever made is still functioning with 100-year-old technology....

[dougbfresh]

Computers and fuel injectors are the best your going to get. Nothing else can adapt as quickly and use the closed loop mode that modern systems use. For economy, power and drivability-FI is the HOT ticket!!