Stromberg Carburetors - Jim O'Clair @Hemmings

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One of the most popular carburetor choices used by Ford and Lincoln, as well as several other auto manufacturers, is the Stromberg two-barrel. The most desirable of these is the “97;” however, four other versions were also offered by Ford: the “L,” the “40,” the “48” and the “81.”

The model “40” was the first generation of the Stromberg dual-downdraft or two-barrel design and saw limited use on some of the early 1934 V-8s. The 48s were the original-equipment carburetors for the 1934 and 1935 Ford flathead V-8s. The 97s were offered on the 85hp V-8s from 1936 to early 1938, and the 81s powered the 60hp V-8s in 1937 and ’38. Stromberg also produced a model “L” which had a one-inch venturi and was used only on 1936-’37 Lincoln V-12 engines.

Stromberg 97 cores can be difficult to find, but can be identified by a raised “97” cast into the center section; the Indiana-built units had an “EE-1” stamped onto the base. Units built in the Elmira, New York, factory can be identified by a “1-1” casting number on the base. Although the EE-1 castings are the most sought after, the New Y-built units were an improved design that had better response coming off idle. The model 48 units, rated at 170 cfm, share the same base casting as the 97s but had a larger 1-1/32-inch bore diameter. The 97s got their name because of the 31/32-inch-bore diameter (.97-inch) and were rated at 155 cfm. Model 81s have a 13/16-inch bore diameter (.8125-inch) and were rated at 125 cfm. All three are great for using in pairs on smaller-cubic-inch engines. The model “L” was rated at 160 cfm, and installing them on larger-displacement engines will usually require a 3 x 2-barrel or 3-deuce setup.

So what can they fit? There are a lot of aftermarket Edelbrock, Weiand and Offenhauser intake manifolds that will accommodate the 3-bolt Stromberg mounting base. Obviously, Ford flathead manifolds of the 1930s are their primary candidates. But the Slingshot manifold that was designed by Vic Edelbrock Sr. was just the beginning of intake and Stromberg configurations that have been offered over the last 60 years. Y-shaped manifolds are also available, allowing you to install two Strombergs on a single-barrel manifold. There are base plate adapters to convert a single-barrel manifold to the 3-bolt Stromberg 2-barrel and to adapt a four-barrel spread-bore manifold to accept dual 97s. Plus, there are 3 x 2 and 4 x 2, manifolds for 1953-’56 Chrysler Hemis and 1955-’86 small-block Chevys. You can even still find 6 x 2 manifolds for most Chevy engines. All of these manifolds are compatible with Strombergs as well as the Holley model 94, another 3-bolt two-barrel performance carb that was built by Holley and Chandler Grove for Ford, as an alternative to a Stromberg carburetor.

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Stromberg Carbs are available new, information can be found here