Fairmont Futura Carbs

[james singleton]

I was @ a local junkyard last week and saw a 82' Fairmont Futura with what I believe to be a 200cid engine, and was looking at the single barrel carb. I could not see any markings on the carb indicating what brand carb it was; does anybody know what carb this would probably be on this Fairmont??? I believe it to be the stock carb, and it had a number of various vacuum hoses, etc. Were these carbs on the early 80's Fairmont 200's any good??? Would they work on the earlier 200's; say a 66' 200 with a "Non-Load-A-Matic" dizzy??? Thanks! Jim

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy Jim:

Stock it should be a Holley #1946. It is a very complex carb with many EPA systems attached.

Adios, David

 

[rabendan]

Are there any threads with pics of the various carbs ie 1100, 1940, etc?

 

[james singleton]

David, Thanks for the reply. I wondered what the 1946 carb actually looked like; since I have a 1940 carb. There does appear to be more smog fittings & hoses on the 1946 model. Would this carb be any good for a 66'- 200 engine with a non- Load-A-Matic dizzy; or too much emission "stuff"??? Thanks again, Jim

 

[JackFish]

I run one, but it came with the car :!:
The early models are a bit more friendly to our purposes, but the later ones have too many vacuum fittings and are intended for emissions timing and a/f controls. I'm running EGR, so it works for me.

I would look at a Carter RBS, or a two barrel.
You can usually find pictures on ebay.

 

[rickwrench]

The Fairmont's 1946 is a very nice carb for mileage. Plug all the ports except distributor vacuum and you're good to go. Very smooth idle, decent power. If you want good mileage, it's the one to use with a DSII.
It's a refined evolution of the 1940 series, and a better carb, in my opinion.
I ran two different perfectly tuned 1940s for a few months last year and consistently lost 3-4mpg (32-->28) on the highway.
The Carter I used after I dumped the load-o-matic system never ran right, rough idle, surging, etc.
The 1946 was one of the last carbs made for production vehicles. All the bugs that could be worked out of earlier generations are gone. A nice, efficient, carb.
Ok, you can't adjust the mixture without some work unplugging the adjustment access hole, but, it's factory set to run right on a 200 using a flow bench (and then then plugged).
Rick(wrench)

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy Back Jim:

Nope, I know of no survey of one barrel carbs.

I was very interested in what Rick had to say about his experiences with the 1946. Ask one who's used it! I've never used one. I was scared off by the looks of it. It looked like a 1940 on life support! I also like to be able to adjust myself.

Also know that it is a cable linkage carb with a pull across the valve cover. If you want to convert get a donor for every thing from the gas pedal, cable, valve cover, carb, air cleaner system and all. These '80's cars had a great air cleaner system providing hot air intake for a quick warm up and in cold climates and cooler outside air when hot. The air cleaner system is worth salvaging under any circumstances. Many were made from lightweight aluminum too.

Adios, David

 

[james singleton]

Jackfish, Rick(Wrench), & CZLN6/David, This was just the info I was looking for on this carb! David, I liked your comment that the 1946 carb looks like the 1940 carb "on life support". Ha! That is what I thought when I saw it in the "junkyard"! I did not realize the 1946 was a more fuel effecient carb than the 1940; good to know. I had not thought about the throttle cable needed either; since I am still running the stock mechanical linkage on my vehicle! Thanks again guys! Jim