ALKY CARB. W/ NO RADIATOR

[kbartley]

I am wondering if I could run an alky carb w/o a cooling system. I now have a front engine dragster that I am working on & since I have never drove this one before I want to keep the power down a bit. Just dont know if it will stay cool. I normally run injection w/o a cooling system. engine is a 377 chvy w/ 12:1 comp. have any of you gent's ever tried this w/ a carb. before? Kris

[hammertime]

IMO you will need it unless you dont plan on driving it to and from the stagging lanes every round. You could get away with it maybe if there was a lot of down time between time trials and first few rounds but late in the day it'll not stay cool enough.

[desoto30]

IMO you will need it unless you dont plan on driving it to and from the stagging lanes every round. You could get away with it maybe if there was a lot of down time between time trials and first few rounds but late in the day it'll not stay cool enough.

I agree.We have no cooling system(& run alky)but tow it & only run the car whilst racing,& have no real cooling issues.You could test & see because of the varibles you may get away with it but maybe not.Heat soak will probably get you

[maxpower671]

if you run methanol injection and stay cool, why not methanol with a carb?

assuming the mixtures are correct, not too lean..? :?:

personally, after running methanol injection i would never go back to methanol carb. :wink:

[johnracer]

With injection, the barrel valve is set faily rich in order for the throttle response to be acceptable. The extra fuel keeps it cool idling around the pits or on the return road. Not so with a carb since they have accelerator pumps to help throttle response......

[OneBadGMC]

Back before my blower days, we swapped over to an alky dominator on my 462 for fun.

2-core Griffon radiator with a Moroso electric water pump drive and a cheesy plastic 5 bladed fan on it.

We drove the GMC all over town, never turning the water pump on, and the motor never got above 160 in stop/go traffic.

I'd think that you could easily get away with it, especially if you were to just fill the block with water and use maybe a 1/2 gallon expansion tank for when it gets hot. Just throw a radiator cap on top of the water neck and hook it to the expansion tank.

[dparker]

I am wondering if I could run an alky carb w/o a cooling system. I now have a front engine dragster that I am working on & since I have never drove this one before I want to keep the power down a bit. Just dont know if it will stay cool. I normally run injection w/o a cooling system. engine is a 377 chvy w/ 12:1 comp. have any of you gent's ever tried this w/ a carb. before? Kris

My advice would be different than above because I would look at it thru a bracket racing mentality. To run consistant times, you need your engine at the same temp before each round. Running w/o cooling sytems makes it hard to do so. If someone takes a little longer in staging your car is probably going to run off. Johnracer is right, injection will run cooler allowing you to stay close to the same temp. I personally don't think the carb will do the same, usually a carb will build more heat at idle than injection. I would run a small radiator. I think it will help you to be more consistant. Which is what you want, if your wanting to go rounds at the track.

[lsrholder]

:D Kris.... should have kept those old Crower stack injectors you sold to me. Required a little bit'a work, but wow, really woke my 377 up. Unreal topend charge !

[OneBadGMC]

I am wondering if I could run an alky carb w/o a cooling system. I now have a front engine dragster that I am working on & since I have never drove this one before I want to keep the power down a bit. Just dont know if it will stay cool. I normally run injection w/o a cooling system. engine is a 377 chvy w/ 12:1 comp. have any of you gent's ever tried this w/ a carb. before? Kris

My advice would be different than above because I would look at it thru a bracket racing mentality. To run consistant times, you need your engine at the same temp before each round. Running w/o cooling sytems makes it hard to do so. If someone takes a little longer in staging your car is probably going to run off. Johnracer is right, injection will run cooler allowing you to stay close to the same temp. I personally don't think the carb will do the same, usually a carb will build more heat at idle than injection. I would run a small radiator. I think it will help you to be more consistant. Which is what you want, if your wanting to go rounds at the track.

Well yeah, if you suck at setting up proper fuel mixture at idle with a carb or injection making it pig fat, either will run cool.

[kbartley]

decided to stick w/ my hilborn, I'm better w/ it anyhow. carb. & possibly a rad. on a FED, that's not oldschool. just thought I would give it a try until I get used to the car. I'd rather change a pill then 4 messy jets. can't believe prices on (NEW)carbs today. I am still charging old prices for setting them up I guess. the guy that bought my crower injector, remember you told me about the word K.I.S.S. Thats what I'm doing, just got a little sidetracked. Kris

[johnracer]

You have a FED? I'd definately stay with the Hilborn. Looks way cool on a FED. I really miss mine. I had a 68 MW 188" that I sold a few years ago.......

[kbartley]

Yeah I tried altered's for a year, just not for me. Went and picked this FED up in Bristol, Tenn. at the first of December. Total restoration. It's 125"w.b. and has a set of Halibrand wheel's up front. It was built back in 1960 supposedly. Kris