Strombergs again

[toey1977]

Ok I'm now chasing the bergs need a couple 1 5/32 but thought I'd see what was in the 161 in my ek atm I can't read it so hoping someone here can help me out I forgot to get the number off the base but I'm pretty sure it was bvx-2

[fingers]

Looks like a early carb off a fb ek etc with a bvxo2 base .....looks like 1 and 1/32 ...and it doesn't have a vent valve either

[Harv]

Toey,

Fingers is right - you've got a Frankenstein carb.

The main body is a BXOV-1 (1 1/32"), most likely from a grey motor. Undersized for a 161 unless it is part of a pair or triples. If you want to know what it was off, clean the muck off the leading ege of the float bowl and read the stamping:
23-105D = Holden 48, 50, FJ, FE, FE and early FC (1948-1959).
23-3000 = Holden FC (late), FB, EK and EJ manual transmissions (1959 - 1963).
23-3001 = Holden EK and EJ automatic transmissions (1961 - 1963).

To get this to fit onto the red motor manifold, someone has unbolted the main body rom the SAE1 throttle body and bolted it to an SAE 2 throttle body (probably from a red motor). The type of throttle body should be cast into the side:
BXUV-2 = 1 5/16" bore (just like a grey motor BXOV1).
BXV-2 = 1 1 7/16" bore.
BXOV-2 = 1 9/16" bore.

Cheers,
Harv (deputy apprentice Stromberg fiddler).

[Dr Terry]

That carby is an early one, 23-105D (1948 to May 1958). These early Strombergs were made in the USA, unlike the later units made here in Australia by Bendix Technico, when they were rebranded Bendix Strombergs. If you look closely the casting is quite rough when compared to the later Aussie made ones.

This change happened at engine L386733 in production & they originally had an adaptor to join the fuel line flare nut to the old style 1/8" NPT thread of the brass section of the needle & seat.

Over the years most of these adaptors were thrown away when they simply fitted the Aussie needle & seat at overhaul. My original 33,000 mile FC Special still has the adaptor.

Harv is correct though, to get this 1/32" carby to fit a Red manifold, it needs to have either a BXV-2 or BXUV-2 throttle body fitted.

Dr Terry

[Harv]

These early Strombergs were made in the USA, unlike the later units made here in Australia by Bendix Technico, when they were rebranded Bendix Strombergs. If you look closely the casting is quite rough when compared to the later Aussie made ones.

The early Holden BXOV-1 carbs were made under contract by American Bantam, a company once known as American Austin Company. American Bantam fitted the BXOV-1 to the 2,675 Bantam Reconaissance Cars (BRCs), which are recognised as the original "Army Jeep". I suspect that American Bantam ceased making the Stromberg BXOV-1s when the BRC production ceased in December 1941 (American Bantam continued the war effort making trailers). Whilst the BRC Detroit facility was acquired by the US War Requisitions Board in February 1942, I suspect American Bantam kept the carburettor tooling, and supplied Holden (Australia) with carburettors from 1948. I'm not sure where American Bantam did this manufacturing from… probably the same place they had been making the BRCs and trailers (Butler, Pennsylvania), despite the El Mira NY casting marks. This supply (American Bantam US-made BXOV-1 carburettors to GMH Australia) continued through to 1956… coincidentally the exact same time that Armco Steel Company bought out American Bantam. Apparently at that time the carburettor tooling was sold by American Bantam to Holden to make their own carburettors in Australia. I've tried chasing down the whole American Bantam link, but hit a dead-end despite going through the US car club.

Interestingly, according to the Stromberg Carburettor Company catalogues, the first WW carbs used by Holden were also made in the US (HR/HK/HT/HG carbs 23-201, 23-201A, 23-201B, 23-202, 23-202A and 23-202B). This was no earlier than 1966 though, well after the demise of American Bantam... not sure who made them on GMH's behalf.

Cheers,
Harv