Carb Spacer?

[jasonnb]

I am going over my winter list of possible upgrades and repairs for my Merc 888/Ford 302 and stumbled on an idea. Would a carb spacer do any good on a boat? I'm looking more toward keeping the carb cooler as opposed to just increasing the intake length. The carb is a 2bl Rockester and the intake is a standard Ford 2bl.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Carb Spacer?

No help. Or what I should have said was no help you would notice. You would be better off tossing the 2 barrel and getting yourself a 4 banger with a matching intake. Lots of H.P. there. Then there's a cam (the most hp for the buck), heads (lots of money,lots of hp), through hull exhaust........ Its all on what you want to spend. Remember the kids think the 5.0 liter is the Holy Grail of motors. They hop them up pretty good but like I said "its all on what you want to spend" but a carb spacer is not going to help you any with what you have.

 

[jasonnb]

Re: Carb Spacer?

Thanks F_in, I've already taken care of the cam. I'm not so much looking for HP as much as just cooling things off. I know where some cheap HP is, just not sure how safe it is. If I plumb some outside air in to the compartment, I would pick up some power. Last time I ran with the cover off the check the water pump, I picked up 200-400 RPM. I was just thinking about getting the carb in a cooler spot. I'm not unhappy with current HP, but a little more is always nice and sometimes it helps the MPG. That's the biggest reason I have kept the 2bl. It seems to be economical while making good power. I plan on trying an ignition upgrade before giving any more thought to the carb. I have a feeling my original 1976 coil is breaking down under heat. Needs changing anyway due to age...

 

[geriksen]

Re: Carb Spacer?

It sounds to me like you might want to look at the engine compartment venting system on the boat. If you are picking up rpm with the lid open, I don't think the issue is temperature, but the engine is just sucking up all the air it can get in that box. Are the vents on the boat turned the right way? there should be two in and two out. Is there something blocking the vents inside the hull (life jackets etc.) You may want to add a couple more vents. any marine store can get you some.

 

[jasonnb]

Re: Carb Spacer?

I don't think it flows well enough even though there are two vents. I have considered putting an extra "In" blower in and direct is straight to the area of the flame arrestor. Would this be safe? The $20 for a blower would likely be cheap power and economy as long as it doesn't create any safety hazards.

 

[geriksen]

Re: Carb Spacer?

Although a second blower is not a bad idea, all you really need is another pair of vents. Check out the West Marine catalog and you will see there are lots of styles to choose from. You can find a pair that look like they belong on you boat. If you do it let me know how it works!

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Carb Spacer?

The only problem that I see with running a vent directly to the carb is everything that goes in the vent intake (sea air,water,bugs ect) will be dumped out onto the carb and motor. I would vent the whole box (a cooler motor overall, including the fuel lines) then just the carb.

 

[geriksen]

Re: Carb Spacer?

right, vent the compartment not the carb

 

[coupedeville]

Re: Carb Spacer?

You've got a 302 Ford with a Rochester 2 barrel?<br />Jiminy Crickets, the more I read about some of this stuff, the more it reminds me of working on an American Motors product: You never knew what to expect under the hood - they would buy parts from all kinds of suppliers.<br />Have you ever taken the carb off? The Rochester 2GC and the Autolite [Ford] carbs have very different mounting patterns. I'll bet there's some sort of awful adaptor on there. If you bought yourself a Holley marine 2 barrel, it would bolt straight onto the manifold. And if you bought the 500cfm model, it would give you a nice little boost in power, too. It was an old trick long ago: Take the 2bbl from a 390 Ford and swap it onto a 289/302. Bolts right up. A non-metallic carb spacer wouldn't hurt, either.

 

[jasonnb]

Re: Carb Spacer?

Thanks for the tip Coupe. This Mercruiser engine has a number of "unusual" parts. Delco alternator, Rochester carb (does have an adapter), prestolite ignition, plugs that only AC-Delco makes, etc. I'll have to look intop the 500cfm Holly. I missed it along the way. Wonder what it would do to the fuel economy?<br /><br />After thinking about it, I agree that I would be better off venting the entire compartment. The way the boat is made, I believe I can do this without adding highly visable vents. I'll have to pull the cover off and check.<br /><br />Also looking forward to replacing the points with a Pertronix Ignitor II kit. Not looking for more power per say, but hopefully better starts.

 

[coupedeville]

Re: Carb Spacer?

Here's the 500cfm 2 barrel.<br /> http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Products/Marine/FMS/FMSC/0-80402-1.html <br />And yes, this is an authentic marine carb.

 

[geriksen]

Re: Carb Spacer?

Here is a site with some great parts on it.<br />Read carefully. <br /> http://kalecoauto.com/

 

[magster65]

Re: Carb Spacer?

There is some power to be gained by getting a cool air supply to the carb. Almost all cars take advantage of this, have since the 40's. Hood scoops work. I agree with the other guys, engine compartment ventilation will benefit you. Hey, how often is horsepower free? This is as close as it gets!