Red Ram Revival Part Two
I’ve collected some interesting parts over the years but one of my favorites is an original Edmunds two deuce intake manifold for a 1954 Dodge 241 Hemi. As with many vintage speed parts the story of how I obtained it is as important as the piece itself. I can still smell the old barn where I first laid eyes on it; I vividly remember the man I purchased it from and the story behind why he had it. This intake is finally coming down from 10 years on my garage shelf to be installed on a 241 Red Ram Hemi which will power my little 28’ Ford Coupe. It will roam the streets again.
The manifold itself had been polished by Edmunds back in the fifties, but needed a little TLC to erase signs of rough treatment through its 58 years of life. Some of the repairs included polishing out some of the large scratches and repairing a large hole in one of the runners. I completed the repairs and am now left with the choice of what carburetors to use. The Intake was originally designed for a pair of 4 bolt carburetors such as a Rochester 2GC, but I wanted to use something different. For the period build I am aiming for, “97” carbs seem like the perfect choice. Working at Speedway Motors I know how proud Bill Smith was of his “9 super 7” carburetors and have witnessed how well they have performed for our customers since their release. I ordered two 91511655 primary carbs which will look great topping of my little Dodge.
To make my intake and carburetor combination possible, Speedway Motors offers some great cast aluminum carburetor adaptors (part# 5605159) which allow you to install a three bolt carburetor such as the Speedy 9 Super 7, Holly 94, Stromberg, and others to an intake using a 4 bolt flange. The adapter also works the opposite direction if you would like to use a later style 4 bolt carburetor on an intake cast with a 3 bolt flange.
To accommodate this flexibility, the adapter is tapped 5/16 x 18 on all 7 holes. Once you determine your needs simply drill out the threaded holes on the intake side to 11/32 so the adapter will slide over your studs. A hand drill or drill press makes quick work of opening up the holes on the intake side of the adapters.
Because the original carburetor studs installed in the intake were in sorry shape, they were removed and replaced with new. Speedway Motors sells replacement studs, (part# 13560). I ordered two which will give me a total of 8 studs, 8 nuts, and 8 flat washers. I cleaned out and tapped the threads in the intake just to be sure everything goes together smoothly.
Once all of the threads were cleaned up, I installed the new studs and prepared the gaskets for installation. The adapters do not come supplied with gaskets, so I ordered two each of 910-11050 (Base Gasket for Stromberg 97) for the carburetor side, and two 550-49 (Gasket – 2 BBL Holley-open). The gaskets for the intake side are a universal gasket, so I had to trim them down for a clean look. Simply tracing the adapter onto the gasket, and trimming it with a razorblade was easy.
I chose not to use studs to fix the carbs to the adapter and used standard bolts for a cleaner look. I picked up six, 1” 5/16 -18 bolts with washers to handle the task. Here is the finished assembly after being bolted together. I have tossed around picking up some Edmunds air cleaners from Speedway, but for now decided to go with two “97 Carb Scoops”, part# 91611001.
After some final polishing, this set up should look right at home on top of my virtually stock 241 Red Ram Dodge engine. In my next articles I will tackle linkage, and plumbing of the carburetors themselves. Here is a list of everything used to create this combination:
- (1) 1954 Edmunds Aluminum 2x2 Intake
- (2) 915-11655 Speedy's 9 Super 7 primary 3-Bolt 2 Barrel Carb, Plain
- (2) 560-5159 Late Carburetor Adapter
- (2) 135-60 Carburetor Stud Kit, 1-3/8" Inch
- (2) 910-11050 Three-Bolt Carburetor Base Gasket
- (2) 550-49 Holley 2300/Roch 2G open Base 2 Barrel Carb Gasket
- (2) 916-11001 97 Carb Scoop
