New to 60 tbird. Carb Question?

[dh60tbird]

Hello, I have over 18 years experience wrenchin on cars and this tbird has been a new experience all over again. It is the oldest car to date i have worked with in depth.
My question is about the mystery beveled spacer below the carb on this 352 4v. None of the parts houses have a listing for a spacer. They only list the upper and lower gaskets.
I have also checked around online and have come up empty. I have heard online of a "water Jacket" plate under the carb instead, but have not been able to verify if anything of that nature was installed on 60 tbirds. There is a major leak under the carb and the spacer bolt tabs did not survive removal to replace the gaskets. So i need a new one or a alternative.

[dh60tbird]

Sorry for replying to my own thread, I hit the wrong button (hit the submit button when I was previewing). Decided I would add a few pictures. Thanks in advance for any help.

[jopizz]

The tapered spacer is available from most of the T-Bird vendors. Mac's has it listed for $55.95. I'm sure the price is about the same elsewhere. The larger water jacket spacers were used on the later models.

John

[KULTULZ]

...hmmpf....

So all 58/60 FE SQUAREBIRDS used a wedged carb spacer? How about the 430?

I did not know that...

[jopizz]

The 430 used a different spacer from the 352. I'm not sure if it had the same taper or not.

John

[KULTULZ]

I didn't know the engine was not installed level to the chassis. I thought that was only a later phenomenon.

My learned factoid of the day...

[dh60tbird]

The tapered spacer is available from most of the T-Bird vendors. Mac's has it listed for $55.95. I'm sure the price is about the same elsewhere. The larger water jacket spacers were used on the later models.

John

Hi John,
Great thanks for the reply. I had checked macs, but must have missed it. I had also check "vintage tbird" i think thats the name. They had a spacer listed but no picture.
Now on to the laundry list of other items. Thanks again.

[Tbird1044]

Hello, I have over 18 years experience wrenchin on cars and this tbird has been a new experience all over again. It is the oldest car to date i have worked with in depth.
My question is about the mystery beveled spacer below the carb on this 352 4v. None of the parts houses have a listing for a spacer. They only list the upper and lower gaskets.
I have also checked around online and have come up empty. I have heard online of a "water Jacket" plate under the carb instead, but have not been able to verify if anything of that nature was installed on 60 tbirds. There is a major leak under the carb and the spacer bolt tabs did not survive removal to replace the gaskets. So i need a new one or a alternative.

OMG, you got my attention to where I had to go grab the flashlight and look to see if the tapered spacer is there. Yup, it was. Phew. I have problems with letting the car sit a few days and the fuel line seems to go empty. Have to crank it forever to get fuel back to the carb. Had the carb apart 2-3 times and everything looks good. I did a pressure check on the fuel pump thinking maybe the diaphragm was leaking, but it seemed to check okay. I'm about ready to put an electric booster in just to prime it. Anyone else ever come across this?

[Joe Johnston]

problems with letting the car sit a few days and the fuel line seems to go empty. Have to crank it forever to get fuel back to the carb.

I'm about ready to put an electric booster in just to prime it. Anyone else ever come across this?

I have the same issues with both my 57 and 63. The solution to "Easy" starting is indeed the electric pump to fill the carb. I just returned from FL and my 57 started right up after sitting 4 months. Almost as quick as a modern fuel injected car. 57's have a glass fuel bowl, and you can see the gas fill it from the electric pump and when the sound of my pump changes, I know the carb is full. Turn it off, pump the gas pedal twice and it will fire up. I have to do this if it sets several days.

My 63 has no modifications, and I have a squeeze bottle of gas I use to fill the carb through the vent tubes. Remove the lid, fill the carb and 2 pumps of the pedal and it fires right up. A bit of a pain, but I won't make any modifications to this car.

The fuel has changed and evaporates quicker today and we have become so used to "hit the key and go" of our modern cars, but the fundamentals are still the same: air, fuel, spark, boom. Fresh fuel must be in the cylinders to make it start, and the easy way is to push it there with an electric pump.

Works for me!

[Astrowing]

I usually only start my '58 every couple of weeks and it does take some cranking to get the big fuel bowls filled back up. On the same weekend though, it will restart right up by just hitting the starter just like a new car. It has the double-action mechanical fuel pump. My '61 F100 truck with the Holley 1905 1 barrel on the 223 starts much quicker as the fuel bowl is really small and fills quickly. It also has a mechanical fuel pump. The '58 Ford 641 tractor starts right up even after weeks of sitting as the fuel line is gravity fed from the tank, so it's just like an electric fuel pump. So I'm confirming what Joe just said.

[cbnsingram]

I just picked up a 1960 352 with original carb and it is giving me some trouble. Just looked and its space does not appear to be tapered. what is the proper orientation of the taper once I get one? Thinner edge towards the distributor?

The tapered spacer is available from most of the T-Bird vendors. Mac's has it listed for $55.95. I'm sure the price is about the same elsewhere. The larger water jacket spacers were used on the later models.

John

[tbird430]

The thin edge on a 352cid carb spacer goes towads the firewall. This way the fuel sits level in the fuel bowls....

[Anders]

This is how it looks in my car. The thin edge towards the firewall.