More chrome Stromberg linkages

DSC_9525Need a chrome 3×2 linkage with kickdown facility for your small block Chevy or Ford? Your early overhead valve engines, like Ford Y-block and ’49-’61 Cadillac? Or your 6×2 Edelbrock X1 Ram intake? Step right up, sir. We have just what you need. We added three new chrome Stromberg linkages to our range today. Here’s how they shake out:

9246PRO-KD-CHR 3×2    5-1/2 inch carb spacing. Fits small block Chevy – Offenhauser 3558 and Edelbrock 5414 & 5418 3×2 intakes.

9251PRO-KD-CHR 3×2   4-7/8 inch carb spacing. Fits Offenhauser 3×2 intakes for early overhead valve engines, like Ford Y-block and ’49-’61 Cadillac, (but check carb spacing before ordering). Also used with our 9261-BB Back-bar kit for 6×2 Edelbrock X1 Ram intake.

9253PRO-KD-CHR 3×2   4-3/4 inch carb spacing. Fits Edelbrock 5412 3×2 intake for small block Ford. Fits some Weiand 3×2 intakes for early overhead valve engines (but check carburetor spacing before ordering). Also used with our 9262-BB Back-bar kit for 6×2 Offenhauser Pacesetter 3924 intake.

All three are high quality CHROME 3×2 progressive carburetor linkages with auto-trans kickdown capability – an extended center lever with a 1⁄4”UNF thread to accept the special fixing common to most (eg ‘Lokar®’) hot rod auto-trans kickdown cable kits. Stromberg KD linkages are designed to work with the Stromberg Cable Throttle Bracket (9136K), which provides a fixing hole for the small cable mount extension bracket supplied with most hot rod kickdown cable kits.

To find out more, you’ll find all three kits on the Stromberg website. Click here.

 

 

 

3×2 Progressive linkage update

DSC_9188I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse. We develop something cool, everybody likes it and, hey, people even buy ’em! But here at Stromberg, that’s never quite enough. We’re always looking to make things better, even in a small way. And here’s a perfect example.

We’ve made a small running change to all our 3×2 progressive linkages. The regular PRO kits, the PRO-KD kits with kick-down hook-up facility, and the chrome versions of both. You’d barely notice it, but it’s something we’ve been looking at for a while and it bugged us enough to make a change. Basically, the swivel for the lever with the sliding link through it used to have a small set screw in the center so you could lock it off if you wanted. We thought it might make it more versatile, but experience proved us wrong. More often the screw went AWOL. So we’ve deleted it so the swivels match at both end carburetors and the whole system gets a smoother look. OK, that’s all. A small change, but one for the better.

AMBR Stromberg equipped !

GMBR 2We got the May 2013 issue of Hot Rod NZ magazine today. To be honest, it’s one of our favourite magazines and for many reasons. First, the NZ scene seems so full of life – new imports coming in all the time, plenty of events, you know what we mean. And second, the magazine puts the reader first instead of the advertiser (the US mags have a lot to learn in this respect) and covers that scene in such depth with real support for the hobby – both home and abroad.

Here’s a perfect example. We’ve been following the coverage of John Mumford’s AMBR winning ‘Kelly Brown’ 1927 T roadster ever since the award back in January. But HRNZ has some of the best pictures we’ve ever seen of its Ardun-equipped V8-60 engine. We’re particularly stoked because we always suspected it was Stromberg equipped, but I’d never seen a good enough (close enough) picture to confirm that they were new 97s. Until now. So thanks hugely to HRNZ, Greg Stokes and photographer Alain Sauquet. And thanks to John Mumford and Roy Brizio and his crew for recognising that so many Stromberg linkage and fuel delivery parts are worthy of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster!

PS. Did you get the pun , Greg?  ;>)

Special 4×2 for Jalopy Journal

Jalopy 4x2 1Wow, big mention yesterday on the Jalopy Journal. We built the carbs and a double tricky linkage for the Y-block mounted 4×2 blower plate for their Project 38 nostalgia drag racer. And it all turned out real nice.

Our buddy and Stromberg reseller Aaron Von Minden supplied one of his 6-deuce tops for 6-71 blowers and the car’s builder, Keith Tardel, cut and shut it (awesomely, I might add) into a very cool and unique 4-carb blower plate.

So why so tricky? Man, these carbs sat so close to each other that the accelerator pump rods were touching the carb in front! There is no space to get any linkage in between the carbs so we made some cool stainless steel throttle shaft extensions to get the right-side carburetors to meet the left hand linkage, but the fat ends literally hit the jet plugs on the left-side carbs. We solved that with a further lathe visit to skinny them up, then our ace fabricator Rick P made up some little support brackets with oilite bushes to keep the extension ends from waving back at us in the breeze.

Next? Well, race cars need a rod end linkage so we made each carb link individually adjustable – four swivels linked together on a straight rod like a convict work party just wouldn’t cut it.  We didn’t want weird-looking short links either. Rick came up with this crazy plan involving two levers on the front carb. Good on the intake and good on the eye too. But even then we had to shave some iron off the left-hand bases to ensure unhindered WOT on all four carbs (..too close together!). Remember that crazy Navarro 4-carb deal we posted recently? That was for a blower plate too. Same issues…no space. Anyway, problem solved. You can read all about it on the Jalopy Journal..

And….Looks like we might make some more of those throttle shaft extensions, by the way, as they came out real nice. They cover the steel throttle shaft bush, which helps the looks, and using stainless instead of brass helps reduce the torsional twist you get on all long throttle shafts. Stay tuned…

 

Stromberg linkages now with kickdown!

DSC_8943Got a Chevy or a Ford with three 97s and an auto box? You need our new 9136K Cable Throttle Bracket plus our new Stromberg TwoStep progressive carburetor linkage with auto-trans kickdown capability.

What’s the secret? Our totally new center (primary) carburetor lever, which extends below the throttle shaft center line to pull the kickdown cable at a point set by the owner. The ‘kickdown’ end has a ¼”UNF thread, which accepts the special fixing common to most hot rod aftermarket auto-trans kickdown cable kits.

Linkages with the new kickdown capability simply add a KD suffix to the regular part number, so the 9246PRO 3×2 kit for small block Chevy intakes becomes 9246PRO-KD with kickdown. For small block Ford, choose 9253PRO-KD. Chrome versions are also available. All KD linkages come with two of our Snapback torsion-type throttle return springs, by the way. We have shown the traditional springs in our ‘assembly’ pictures to highlight a typical conversion from a Lokar-equipped 4-barrel carb to three 97s.

To be honest, kickdown is an issue we rarely encounter with flathead Ford applications, but with more hot rodders choosing a 97 tripower for their small block Chevy or Ford, our new ‘kick-down compatible’ progressive linkage, coupled with our new 9136K Cable Throttle Bracket, is a real problem solver. Just one note, if you have one of the more modern auto-transmissions like the 700R4, for example, please seek professional advice about the TV cable requirements. It’s not as simple as with an old-style Turbo 350, for example, as the rate of cable ‘pull’ is as important as the distance pulled. We are looking at special solutions, but they’re not ready right now.

Here’s the full KD range, available from stock. The new center carb lever (Part No: 9096K-KD) is also available separately, complete with swivel and clamping screw. If you need something else, please ask!

9246PRO-KD – 5-1/2″ carb centers – typical small block Chevy 3×2

9251PRO-KD – 4-7/8″ carb centers – Offy Y-block & Cad 3×2

9253PRO-KD – 4-3/4″ carb centers – Edelbrock small block Ford 3×2

All these new Stromberg linkages are on the website under the Linkage & Fuel Delivery menu. Prices are the same as the regular linkages. And as ever, full installation instructions and ‘how-to’ help are also available at the Stromberg Tech Center at www.stromberg-97.com.