edelbrock carb and spacer question.

[blackdawg]

On my build time to install the carburator.edelbrock 1406 with electric choke.the manifold i have is the edelbrock preformer and the guy that sold it to me gave me the 1 " spacer and the four studs two shorter ones and two longer ones. extra torque i understand by installing the spacer..the problem is i have 1 carb gasket that would go between the spacer and carb.would i use gasket cement on both sides.the other question is there a spacer gasket that needs to be installed.and whats with the four extra holes in manifold beside the carb studs.

[Rich 5150 69]

First thing is you should`nt use sealer on carbs, second we need to know your build up on your engine as to the use of the spacer, most applications would`nt warrant one, it will affect your low end for street use.

[awbrown]

pictures of the carb base and manifold mounting pad would help us give you better advise..........spacer too...

[blackdawg]

here is the picture of the manifold and spacer.a little unsure on this application.do i use the spacer is it a benefit.or do i go without it and get hardware to bolt the 1406 edelbrock down.the carb gasket kit came with two gaskets.do i use gasket sealer on the base.advise appreciated.

[blackdawg]

Originally Posted by awbrown

pictures of the carb base and manifold mounting pad would help us give you better advise..........spacer too...

check out my pictures when you get a chance thanks blackdawg

[Slow Build]

It looks like it's a spread bore to square bore adapter plate but judging by the mark left by the old gasket it looks like that barely covers the secondary bores. Then I thought it was one of these carb insulator but it look like aluminum.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/...0002/-1?CT=999

[bama63]

that intake will mount a q-jet or holley carb use a gasket on both sides of the spacer with no sealer and you will be fine

[blackdawg]

using a edelbrock carb,is it a benefit to use the spacer.

[bama63]

a 4hole increases low end torque and the open spacer increases top end power i personally like the 4hole spacers and run one on most all of my engines

[gimmy 64]

i have heard that the edelbrock carbs are often not flat on the bottom causing a vacume leak so this is why alot of people use the spacer. also it helps with atomizing the gas.

[awbrown]

My mounting pad on mine is the same , I didnt try to see if a gasket would cover the intake and the carb and work.. mine came with the spacer/adapter that adapts a holley/afb to a quadajet/spreadbore intake or vice versa and I just installed my afb inplace of the q jet ,which if I had the parts to fix the qjet I would be running it ,instead I had both holley and afb to use so it runs and I am not messing with it ...

[markeb01]

The following link shows the Edelbrock installation instructions. Item #4 indicates the use of one of two styles of adapters.

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_.../1000/1405.pdf

[blackdawg]

with eight holes in the manifold,spacer, and carb do i need to use four allen bolts on the inside.then use the four studs and nuts on the outside hole.

[HEI451]

To correctly seal that intake manifold to either the carb, or to the adapter, you will need an Edelbrock p/n 2732 seal plate/gasket kit. It consists of two different base gaskets for the carb, one a square flange gasket, the other for Q-Jet, and a steel plate that seals the Q-Jet base off. Sealer alone, or with a gasket, WILL NOT SEAL THAT CARB OR ADAPTER TO THAT MANIFOLD.

I have seen the Edelbrock 2732 kits just today, O'Reilly's has them, usually in stock.

[blackdawg]

great thanks for the help.when i bought the intake used the guy i bought it from gave me the spacer and four long studs.So now i see i"m missing pieces.For now i will just get the hardware to bolt the carb to the manifold and worry down the road about installing the spacer.

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by blackdawg

with eight holes in the manifold,spacer, and carb do i need to use four allen bolts on the inside.then use the four studs and nuts on the outside hole.

For follow up clarity - you only use 4 studs to attach the carburetor to the manifold, not all 8. The extra set of holes allow for a different brand of carburetor to be used that has a different bolt pattern. When installing an Edelbrock carb only the outboard holes are typical used.

You don’t “need” the adapter unless you want to modify engine performance, but as pointed out by HEI451 you do need the 2732 plate kit. I wasn’t clear enough in my earlier post, but this is what the Edelbrock instructions indicate. I saw that adapters started at installation procedure step 4 but didn’t pay close enough attention to realize the item you need is actually listed separately as step number 5. I’ve been using Edelbrock Performer or Performer RPM manifolds since the 1980’s and have always used the 2732 plate between the carb base and the manifold.

[HEI451]

No matter if you use that thick spacer or not, YOU WILL STILL NEED THE EDELBROCK 2732 SPACER/ADAPTER KIT. Just making sure you realize that.

Just more FYI for everyone else,

On some square flange manifolds, all makes, the 2732 plate and gaskets for square flange may well be needed, even though both the carb and carb pad on the manifold are square bore. This is a selective situation, as some, not all square flange manifolds can come up with too small a side pad on the carb mounting area, allowing some of the vacuum passages on come carbs to not seal against thin air. What the 2732 will then do is supply a surface large enough for the entire carb base to hold the gasket, all of it, against the full bottom of the carb.

Easiest way to tell if you need the 2732 is to run the engine and flow UNLIT propane form a hand held torch around the carb base. If leaking, exhaust will change smell, engine will pick up idle speed and smooth out. If leaks are suspected, remove carb and carefully compare the indentions in the carb to carb pad gasket, both sides, made by both the carb and manifold pad. I have seen a bunch of small leaks gang up, and make for one large to giant one.

As I said, just further info for everyone to consider.

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

EdelbrockTV- Carb tech:
Installation of Your New Edelbrock Carburetor Part 1 and 2
Everything you need to know to install you new Edelbrock Carburetor from proper gaskets, to fuel line connections to adapter plates.
The instructor explains this in a video at the begining of Installation of Your New Edelbrock Carburetor Part 1.
http://www.edelbrocktv.com/featured_...php?reset=true

But here is a Youtube Video:

YouTube - ‪Edelbrock Carburetor...

[blackdawg]

yes thanks for the help all installed now.

[HEI451]

Although both adapter plates function the same, 2732 to the one shown, the 2732 won't raise the carb more than just over 1/8th of an inch. The aluminum adapter shown will raise the carb about 3/4ths of an inch when it is all said and done.

[willstruck]

First thing I notice, is what I saw when I took my carb off to put the spacer on. You have a spreadbore manifold, and squarebore spacer. Does your carb have the 4 almost equal holes, or the huge secondaries?

[HEI451]

"First thing I notice, is what I saw when I took my carb off to put the spacer on. You have a spreadbore manifold, and squarebore spacer. Does your carb have the 4 almost equal holes, or the huge secondaries?"

"To correctly seal that intake manifold to either the carb, or to the adapter, you will need an Edelbrock p/n 2732 seal plate/gasket kit. It consists of two different base gaskets for the carb, one a square flange gasket, the other for Q-Jet, and a steel plate that seals the Q-Jet base off. Sealer alone, or with a gasket, WILL NOT SEAL THAT CARB OR ADAPTER TO THAT MANIFOLD."

And,

"No matter if you use that thick spacer or not, YOU WILL STILL NEED THE EDELBROCK 2732 SPACER/ADAPTER KIT. Just making sure you realize that."

And,

"Although both adapter plates function the same, 2732 to the one shown, the 2732 won't raise the carb more than just over 1/8th of an inch. The aluminum adapter shown will raise the carb about 3/4ths of an inch when it is all said and done."

Asked and answered already.

[jocko]

guess i'm joining the party late if it's already installed - but judging from the first picture with the spacer on the manifold - you're bandaging a massive vac/gas leak in the area near where the spread bore manifold meets the spacer - you can even see a dark line there - with an adapter (2732) that was meant to adapt a carb to a manifold.... Yes, a 2732 will solve the vac/gas leak, BUT - it's meant to solve a problem of a mis-matched carb and manifold, i.e. if you happen to have a square-bore Holley and happen to have a spread bore manifold handy and don't want to shell out the $$ for the correct match. It will work, however, you are not buying yourself ANY perf gains by doing so - consider the turbulence and decrease in intake charge velocity beneath the plate where the manifold opens up to the spread-bore size... (> volume all of a sudden = <velocity or some bernoulli thingy like that).

Bottom line - I'd ditch the spacer in the picture (it serves no purpose since you can mount the carb with the 2732 alone with no spacer - and you will only see perf rewards on a modified engine and "matched" carb-manifold - i.e. a square bore carb, square bore spacer, and square bore manifold (or all spread-bore parts, etc)) - then, if you still want to use the square bore carb on the spread bore manifold, use the Edelbrock 2732 in between them. Better yet (but $$ may be tight, which they are for all of us) - stick a spread-bore Holley on there or a square bore manifold. But I assume you want to use what you have - in which case, I'd ditch that spacer and use the 2732 only.

My 2 cents. And I'm usually wrong!

Obtw, here is another way to go - to have your spacer cake and eat it too... Edelbrock 2696.
http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_..._spacers.shtml With this, you have the "spacer effect" and you don't piss off Mr. Bernoulli because there is a more gradual transition - and no vac/gas leaks - all with a single spacer (0.850" thick).

[61_FL_Apache]

Im using the same carb with spacer with no issues.

[HEI451]

Jocko, you are NOT wrong on this one, you ARE dead on target. MOST ENGINES DO NOT LIKE THICK SPACERS, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT ARE OPEN CENTER.

This is why the 2732 plate works so well, it is thin, and only takes the two gaskets to seal the Q-jet and square flange carburetor pads successfully.

The ONLY issues with the Holley Spread Bore carbs are:

The vacuum advance carbs use "close limit" type main jets, very hard to adjust correctly, reversed idle screws, they are AIR screws, not fuel, and, the power valves are two stage. Those carbs are designed for EMISSIONS engines only, not even a high flow air filter element in the stock air filter housing. The circuits in the carb are really different, not easily modified to give the correct fuel/air ratios. These carbs are just not worth trying to fix for a non-emissions stock engine.

The "performance" Spread Bores are all "double pumper" types (dual accelerator pumps). These carbs have the correct circuits, fuel screws, single stage power valves, and regular jets, so, they set in easily, like any other regular type Holley.

The best carb that is a Holley Spread Bore is the Q-Jet replacement for the Pontiac 455, double pumper, dual feed bowls, 800 cfm's.