1000cfm of carb on a mild 302?
- Thread starter DarkoStoj
- Start date
you might also need new valve covers if there are roller rockers on there...
my set of cobra valve covers hit my motorsport rockers (at least on TW heads) and wouldn't clear without the baffles removed...
my set of cobra valve covers hit my motorsport rockers (at least on TW heads) and wouldn't clear without the baffles removed...
zookeeper said:Ever hear the old saying, "when the green flag drops, the bullsh1t stops"? Three dueces went out in the fifties, Fonzie...
You just say that cause you've never experienced three-two's I've had mine on my 331 in the Ranger now for a year and they work and sound awesome. Haven't touched them since the initial dial-in. Think of them as a 750 cfm, spread bore, triple pumper. My kid prefers to drive it over his SEFI 94 Stang. 
Capt Dan
New Member
zookeeper
Founding Member
You seem to know quite a bit about what I have and have not experienced for some reason. If you ever get a chance to read a book written by Pat Ganahl called "Ford Performance", there's a pic of a three-two's setup on a small block Ford that's in a killer, fenderless roadster. You can't miss it since it's a full page pic at the start of the small block section. I work with the builder and have ridden in the car a time or two. While it worked well enough, it really wasn't about performance as much as it was appearance, same as yours. I'm also not sure what carbs you're using since the Ford 3-2's are meant for Holley model 2300 500 cfm two barrel carbs. Also, on real 3-2's setups, only the center carbs are supposed to have accelerator pumps and idle circuits, you did know that didn't you? Or did you just bolt on whatever fit? That means 1500cfm, not the 750 you have. Also, do you know what spread-bore means as it relates to carbs? It means that the primaries are smaller than the secondaries. Do you have three different size carbs on your Ranger? Must be an interesting setup alright. But all that aside, when was the last time any car with three-two's won a race in the last 50 years? Know when the last time a 2-4's equipped car won? Yesterday, at the Memphis NHRA nationals.D.Hearne said:
blkfrd said:
Yeah, but especially with a set of vac. secondaries, the thing wasn't flowing 600 cfm a peice. Most carb manufacturer's rate the CFM of a carb at 3 in/hg, at WOT. And divide that in two for twin setups. So unless he was pulling 1.5 in/hg at WOT, the motor wasn't actually seeing 1200 CFM. Was probably using mostly the primaries on both 600's.
The three-two setup I have is a repro piece of Ford's over the counter setup available in the late 60's-early 70's. And yea, all three carbs have accellerator pumps. The center carb is the primary, the ends are the secondaries. So in operation, the whole setup works like a spread bore 4 bbl carb. You have a 250 cfm primary with a 500 cfm secondary ( two-250 cfm carbs=500cfm) And yea, it's a "real" 3x2 setup, nothing fake about it.zookeeper said:
You, my friend sound like you don't know what you're talking about, not I. 
This setup is on a bored and stroked roller 5.0 that now displaces 331 cubes. Heads are Canfields with 1.94/1.60 valves. Cam is a Ford Racing Z303 with the lift augmented with 1.7 roller rockers. Comp ratio is 10.4 to 1. Exhaust is Shelby type tri-y headers dumping into dual 2.25" pipes into a 4"x12" equalizer pipe, then back to dual, thru 2.5" Dynomax turbos, into full length tailpipes. As for your comment about no three-two equipped cars winning races, I'll invite you to try your luck ANYDAY. ANYTIME YOU'RE READY Just because no-one races them professionally, doesn't mean the setup doesn't work. Now, after 1 full year on the 331 in the Ranger, this setup performs as well as it did last year, after tuning them to the motor. I have not touched them once, since then, other than a couple of cleanings with carb cleaner. 
For pics, go to therangerstation.com forums. Look in the V8 section. The thread title the pics are in is "Beware-the 331 is up and running". And, no, they're not hard to maintain. I have not touched mine since I tuned them to the motor last year. It's been run sometimes daily, or as little as once a week in the last year. Only real issue in tuning them was finding jets small enough for them. Holley's jet assortment kit starts with (I think) number 68's. The 250's on the intake had 58's. After tuning, they now have 62's on the secondaries and 60's in the primary.Capt Dan said:
On Ford's 427 dual four setups, these were usually dual plane intakes, the vacuum diaphram pods were balanced out I suppose, due to each carb getting a different vacuum signal, one would be getting it from one side of the intake (plane), the other carb from the other plane. Connecting them together exposes them to the same signal.
Zookeeper, if you have followed any of Hearne's posts here over the years, you would realize that he has a pretty good idea what he is talking about.
The problem with most multiple carb setups is that they offer too much cfm for the required application. 750cfm setups, like Hearne's, are just fine for a 331 stroked 302.
The reason racers rarely use them is because they are fine tuning at every track for weather conditions and elevation. Multiple carbs aren't conducive to that, especially on a restricted time schedule.
Multiple carbs, when sized correctly and set-up properly, can work great on a weekend cruiser.
The problem with most multiple carb setups is that they offer too much cfm for the required application. 750cfm setups, like Hearne's, are just fine for a 331 stroked 302.
The reason racers rarely use them is because they are fine tuning at every track for weather conditions and elevation. Multiple carbs aren't conducive to that, especially on a restricted time schedule.
Multiple carbs, when sized correctly and set-up properly, can work great on a weekend cruiser.
Capt Dan
New Member
will the 3x2 fit under a stock hood in a 66 coupe? Those pics look like the manifold has a fairly high rise on it.
zookeeper
Founding Member
Thanks for the history lesson on Hearne. I guess since I only joined SN two years before you, I hadn't noticed him. On my very first post in '01, Hearne gave me a snide, smart-mouth answer to an honest question. I think that experience, coupled with some of his other posts (anyone remember when he said adding oil to gas increased the octane rating?) have lead me to believe he's not quite as knowledgable as he might think. At 43, I've been wrenching on and building cars for 30 of them, and I think I've got a pretty good handle on what works. But if you want to be a charter member to his fan club, go right ahead, just remember, this is the same guy who said that drum brakes were superior to discs...Max Power said:
Jim
LMan
Founding Member
Gee, Zoo, I didn't know you caredzookeeper said:
As for my experience with 3x2 setups, this is the second one I've had.( and just how many have you dealt with?) And I'm slightly older than you at 47,But my experience is too, around thirty years also. Just when did I say that drums were superior to discs? I seem to recall something about that, but it's been awhile. There are SOME applications where drums will work better though,like when it comes to parking brakes. So if you lived in mountainous terrain, you might be better off with them on the rear axle. If I did give a snide answer to a question, it was likely earned, or you just took it the wrong way. I'm not in the habit of picking fights where none exists. I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm not going to kiss ass just to gain your friendship. 
iskwezm
10 Year Member
1320stang
Founding Member
Well, I want to change the subject a little bit, back towards the original topic. As far as being on the street, I'll say that a single 4bbl is probably a better choice as far as performance and mileage in most cases, but a multi carb setup can be as tame as a single four and offer more performance. My 289 is not exactly a street piece, but even so, when buying a induction system for it in the early 90's before they made very much aftermarket Ford stuff that wasn't old technology, I asked around to some of my old racing buddies what to buy. Even with 289/302's with stock rod/cranks and '69-'70 351w heads, the combo that worked the best was the Offy 360 Tunnel Ram with a pair of 660 center squirters. These are race only 1:1 carbs, so yes, you have 8v 100% of the time, oh and did you add that cfm up? 1320? Several of these guys ran these combos on the street, running AV gas, which was probably $0.75/per gallon then, which was probably "expensive". They didn't get too whoopy of mileage, but the carbs will only use what they need.
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