401 Stock 2 Barrel to 4 Barrel

Discussion in ''Da Nailhead' started by tobyj1975, Feb 16, 2018.

  1. tobyj1975

    tobyj1975 Member

    Hi Guys,

    I have a 1962 Buick LeSabre 4 Door Hardtop with a 401 and stock 2 Barrel carb. I am looking at purchasing a used 4 Barrel intake manifold and I want to get a good match on the carb. The rest of the car is original except for Dual Exhaust. I have done quite a bit of reading and it's left me a little confused. So if the manifold is spread bore then do I need to go with a Carter AFB or 4Jet? Or can I purchase a new Edelbrock? I read somewhere not to use adapter plates. So I'm unsure. Can you guys clear the air for me? Thoughts? Recommendations?

    Thanks,
    Toby
     
  2. telriv

    telriv Founders Club Member

    You can use either the AFB or 4Jet. The AFB is more readily available & easier to get parts for. The easiest thing to do is find an original AFB for your application as it will have ALL the proper hook-ups for linkage & the MOST IMPORTANT the linkage for the DynaFlow switch pitch linkage. I will try & find the carb number you'll be looking for that's the EXACT application for your vehicle
    Be back soon.
    P.S. I also rebuild carbs & have done quite a few for people on this site & others.


    Tom T.
     
  3. telriv

    telriv Founders Club Member

    Toby,

    The numbers you are looking for are as follows:

    3088S
    3089S
    3297S
    3503S

    I would concentrate on the the 3503S

    You MUST look very carefully at the choke mechanism & the bottom of the carb. to make sure the base is not eaten up by corrosion.


    Tom T.
     
  4. tobyj1975

    tobyj1975 Member

    Tom,
    Thank you! I really appreciate you spending the time to get me that info.

    -Toby
     
  5. the big thing is if you go to a 64 65 or even 66, your dino transmission to the 4oo type transmission, diff. set up for kick downs, i personally like the 64 65 intakes with a carter afb carb
     
  6. tobyj1975

    tobyj1975 Member

    Hey guys! So I went ahead and bought a carter 3297s carb in good shape and rebuilt it with a kit from Mike's Carbs. I got everything together but I had a heck of a time finding a fuel inlet fitting for the carb as it did not come with one. Though it seemed to be 3/8 , none of the fittings would thread in. I found a brake line fitting that I had would thread in so I took that around to auto parts stores to compare. The only fitting I found that would thread in nicely was a 3/8 threaded size to hose 3/8 hose barb. I converted from hard line to hose and tried it out. I started it up and it leaked gas out the bottom of the new inlet fitting. So obviously that is not the correct fitting. Mike's carbs said they cannot advise me as the fittings are not carb specific. Really struggling here. Any thoughts?? I really wasnt wanting to order a bunch of random fittings online to see if they work. I just wish I knew what the original fitting looked like
     
  7. dual-quadism

    dual-quadism Black on Black

    I have an orig fitting. PM me info and will send pic
     
  8. tobyj1975

    tobyj1975 Member

    I just found a fitting that doesnt leak. Thanks anyways!

    -Toby
     
  9. John Codman

    John Codman Platinum Level Contributor

    I doubt that Edelbrock is making intake manifolds for our beloved Nailheads that have been out of production for a half-century. I also don't think that they (or anyone else) ever made an aluminum 4 bbl manifold for the 'Nail. Marty at Eelco was talking about making one a few years back, and I promised to buy one if he did (it still stands) but for a single four-barrel I think you're stuck with stock. The Quadrajet manifold is '66 only and you will pay a bit for one; the standard four barrel manifolds are pretty easy to come by. A '62 Buick would have had a Rochester 4 BBL (not a Quadrajet). I'd rather have an AFB or an Edelbrock 4 bbl as they are much easier to work on.
     
  10. tobyj1975

    tobyj1975 Member

    Yeah I ended up buying a standard four barrel manifold on ebay and a Carter AFB 3297s that was clean. I rebuilt the Carter and slapped it all on. Linkage pretty much fit right up. It kind of all turned into a bigger project because I decided to clean everything up and paint the engine bay, individual parts and the block. But I got her started up yesterday. Just have to run some new brake lines and I'm done for now.
     
    Harlockssx likes this.

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