Carb spacing on a 6bbl

Working on a project and need to know throttle shaft to throttle shaft distance on a big block 6bbl setup. Center carb to rear carb.

I just snapped this. Hope it works for you. I did my best to keep the end-clip in the center of the throttle shaft hole. It looks damm close to 4 3/4" .

Just measure the carb to manifold bolt hole centerlines.

Don't have a manifold yet.

Thanks, that's a huge help! Man that's tight in there, really wish I could save the 350 carb I have and gain a little extra room.

My comment was referring to using the carb bolt pattern, not an approximate length from shaft to shaft - for anyone replying to you.

Update

It appears you have 3 center carbs there. That's not going to work well, but you can always swap the float bowls to the side-hung style to allow for more room between carbs. I have two pristine sets of the DC carbs for sale if anyone is interested.

Those carbs look like my early mechanical set to me
I need to put another low deck 400 block stroker motor and car to have some more fun with those street and strip racers that don't believe six packs will make power

Yes, 3 4412 carbs. IMHO side hung just don't look right. And yes probably a tuning nightmare but not much worse than the typical double pumper carbs.

I like the look of the traditional float bowls too. After several decades of car shows etc, I realized virtually no one ever attempted to look under my Shaker hood to see the beautiful sixpack any way, so now I'm abandoning the sixpack and running a single 4150 throttle body and multi-port EFI. EFI is soooo much nice from a drivability and engine life standpoint, and you can't see the set-up with a Shaker air cleaner anyway.

With the wide-band gauges available, tuning has become much easier.

The problem is you can't have both a metering block and a center hung bowl on the rear carb. One or the other fits. Not Both

Um, look at the picture, those carbs are bolted together and bolted to the manifold.

There's a fair amount of mill work done there.

Not in that pic

Look again, I just put a couple bolts in for pictures. But there's 2 bolts holding each carb down.

The goal was to fit the carbs without adaptors or modifying the intake. Got really close, just need to clearance the plenum openings for the throttle blades.

I still need to plug unused vacuum passages in the throttle plates and figure out a PCV port.

Then lines (easy)and linkage (still debating). I'll fab a air cleaner baseplate and buy a stock style lid and element.

Stock lid relies on studs mounted to the carbs , so make sure you take that into account .

It's been a long time since I've had a 6pk but why does it look like that rear carb is not mounted squarely , does a bolt actually go thru that hole or did you oval the holes to get it to bolt on which is why you need to clearance the manifold for the throttle blade clearance ?

Yes, slight slotting of the holes, and therefore a clearance problem with the blades. But, all 3 carbs will get 4 bolts for attaching

I'll make studs to fit the lid.

And before anyone nit picks, yes the carbs are partially assembled. You don't have to point out the missing throttle shaft, pump assembly or the choke blades in the wrong locations.

Gaskets ?

I'll cut airhorn gaskets. Base gaskets should be ok other than the mounting holes and or throttle holes. Other gaskets should be standard stuff.

What GoMango said he has 3 carbs with metering blocks and center hung bowls. It will not fit! Thats why the DC carbs used the side hung bowls. They are smaller and you can fit a metering block with them.

is that a 383 intake ?

Mine is.

Everyone saying they don't or can't fit, explain exactly why please?

I mean I did post pictures of my setup, and acknowledged a couple remaining issues.

What do you think I'm missing?

More pictures

Again

Again

Always good info. Man, I love sixpacks. I have a 440 sixpack, a 383 Sixpack (yes, a non-factory Edelbrock low deck manifold) and a 340 sixpack.

Fwiw, I've got about 1k into this mess, so I'm money ahead compared to buying "correct " parts. That includes a couple extra carbs and rebuild kits for them.

I really really wanted to use the 350 I have for the center, mainly because the main body is just a little smaller. But, turns out it's worth what I paid for it, zero. Pulled it off a junkyard truck that had been sitting without a hood for a long time. Just rusted solid.

So, 3 500s is what I'm going with. Bad idea? Absolutely. Way too much for my current engine.

But, I'm enjoying the challenge anyway.

No I meant are the gaskets installed between the bowl and metering block and metering block and carb body, they didn't look like it in the picture and that will add a small amount to the carb overall width.

and another question , what air cleaner are you planning on , that is going to need to be modified too .

What did you have to whittle off the carbs there?

I'm not familiar with what those carbs are off originally, Ford truck application?

They should work, what size engine are you running this on?

I think I sold you that intake

No I meant are the gaskets installed between the bowl and metering block and metering block and carb body, they didn't look like it in the picture and that will add a small amount to the carb overall width.

_____ No gaskets yet but there's a little clearance between the center and rear carbs. There's also a little more material I can take off if needed. I may redo the center carb anyway since I took off a boss or two for the choke linkage. Kinda figured one carb would be a throwaway.

and another question , what air cleaner are you planning on , that is going to need to be modified too .

_____ I plan on the K&N Mopar style filter with a repop 6bbl lid. I'll make the needed studs and baseplate once this is in the car. I can line everything up with the 6bbl scoop.

What did you have to whittle off the carbs there?

______ Obviously the rear half of the airhorns and the associated ribbing. On the rear carb I smoothed out the front of the bowl, milled a little off the bowl gasket surface and the outer edge of the metering block where the bowl seals. Not much gained there due to accelerator pump passages. The bowl and metering block machining got me maybe 3/16". I'll have to modify the lever on the accelerator pump to correct linkage alignment.

I'm not familiar with what those carbs are off originally, Ford truck application?

_____ As far as I know, these are big bore versions of the basic 2300 series 2bbl used by a few manufacturers. Typically OEM were the 350 cfm versions. I don't think the 500s were used factory.

They should work, what size engine are you running ?

_____ Going on a pretty mild 383 for now. Going to have to go down the rabbit hole for tuning as this is really alot more cfm than needed.

JCastle, might be your manifold, bought it off ebay a couple months ago.

Spent a little time yesterday looking things over and decided I'm definitely going to machine another center carb. I want to keep the chokstat mounting points in case I end up with one of those or using the manual choke parts I have.

Ideally I want to run a factory style well mounted chokstat, probably get one for an 80s 318 to have electric heating too. And yes, I'll have to modify the rod for it.

Also I want to reshape the center airhorn around the float adjustment for the rear carb.

There's vacuum passages in the bases of the outboards that will need to be plugged, the surfaces of the manifold aren't big enough to seal them off. I'm thinking JB weld or solder, any other ideas?

If you oblong the holes on the carb base to make them fit then your butterflies will not fit or open properly. Your better off finding side hung bowls and make them fit.

Already covered, and I'm going to open up the plenum bores just a bit for clearance. As I get things more dialed in, I might be able to minimize the grinding.

Also, I don't want side hung bowls, kinda defeats the purpose of this exercise.

Is ALL of this work just to get adjustable jetting on all 3 carbs? I heard they make drill bits for the general, er, I mean, Mopar repair crowd.

That and saving a couple thousand bucks.

Just an update, work has been busy and I haven't had time to use the mills. I did pull the intake off the car to get ready for the swap.

Also made up fuel lines but discovered buggered threads in one of the bowls. Grrr. Going to have to scrounge up another bowl.

Got parts ordered up to make linkage. Got a KN air filter and going to order a lid this weekend.

Unrelated but other projects are installing a heater, replacing the fuse block, relocating gauges and putting a factory radio back in.

And momma is buying me seat covers and carpet for my birthday.