Euro TC Stromberg Intake Manifolds

[surfguitar58]

It looks like one could approximate the euro-spec manifold with some careful bandsaw surgery on the fed-spec manifold. The outlet ports could be machined to accept a balance pipe and the returns could be plugged. (or maybe I have that backwards.) Anybody want to sell or donate their unused old manifold for an experiment?
Tom

[Roger]

Here's mine a few years ago.
http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=464.0;attach=1924 uhh

[Pfreen]

My car came with the Hitachi SU carbs bolted directly to the cylinder head when I bought it in 1986.   There was no balance manifold.   Since I thought it should have a balance tube, I did the following when I rebuilt the head in 1989. 

I took a long 1/2" drill bit and drilled through the rear cylinder head manifold vacuum boss and went through both sides of the rear carb manifold and 1/2 through the front carb manifold.

I then took a 1/2" od tube and devcon epoxied the tube between the front and rear carb manifold.  I then blended the tube ends to the Id of the front and rear manifolds.  Finally I threaded the rear vacuum port to 3/8 pt.

It has been in since 1989 and the devcon never cracked and leaked.  I learned at Chrysler that Devcon worked really well for customizing cylinder heads.

I attached some photos.  What this design does is reduce weight by removing the
balance tube manifold and it allow more room for a larger airbox and velocity stacks.

[BDA]

For some reason, the first picture won't display and gives an error when you click on file name! 

[Pfreen]

I will try to repost

[BDA]

That fixed it!

[surfguitar58]

My car came with the Hitachi SU carbs bolted directly to the cylinder head when I bought it in 1986.   There was no balance manifold.   Since I thought it should have a balance tube, I did the following when I rebuilt the head in 1989. 

I took a long 1/2" drill bit and drilled through the rear cylinder head manifold vacuum boss and went through both sides of the rear carb manifold and 1/2 through the front carb manifold.

I then took a 1/2" od tube and devcon epoxied the tube between the front and rear carb manifold.  I then blended the tube ends to the Id of the front and rear manifolds.  Finally I threaded the rear vacuum port to 3/8 pt.

It has been in since 1989 and the devcon never cracked and leaked.  I learned at Chrysler that Devcon worked really well for customizing cylinder heads.

I attached some photos.  What this design does is reduce weight by removing the
balance tube manifold and it allow more room for a larger airbox and velocity stacks.

Nice shiny porting on your intake! Are your SU carbs soft mounted with Thackery washers and o-rings, or has the frothy float chamber thing not been an issue?
t

[Pfreen]

No frothing.  Hitachi SU's and early british SU's have the float bowels mounted in rubber.
I was thinking though.  Why don't American carbs have the frothing? 

[jbcollier]

Fuel frothing is an engine balance/design/tuning issue.  V8s are inherently better balanced than a 4 cylinder.  4 cylinder engines have balance issues that can only be solved by the addition of balance shafts.  As auto engines are rubber mounted, balance shafts are seldom fitted unlike in modern motorcycles.

Tuning is a factor as well as fuel frothing is an issue with high rpms.  The most well known example of this is the MGA twin cam.  The push-rod engine didn't rev as high and had no problem with frothing.  Unfortunately MG didn't figure out what the issue was until after the engine production was cancelled.  Had they, the MGB, and MG itself, might have had a completely different history.  Now MGA twin cams have flexibly mounted carbs and no issues.