How important is carb spacer?

[85_Ranger4x4]

I am putting a different carb (1967 Motorcraft 2100) on my durasparked 2.8 and have hit a slight snag. The new carburator and the intake have the same size holes, but my stock carb spacer has holes that are slightly smaller, and the throttle plates hit it. I have tried to find a spacer for the 2100 but so far have come up with nothing.

So would it hurt anything to just forget the spacer?

 

[mkpecor]

your throutle responce will go down.

 

[enginepaul]

Your linkage may hit something - I had one stick open after driving for a few days, so be careful if you try that.

Can you just use a coarse file or rasp to open up the holes?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah the linkage was hitting a stud, I reused the old cardboard gasket and I got enough clearance to get it out of the garage and back to its shed under it's own power until I regroup. I don't trust the seal, so I will still need to do something different before I consider it roadworthy.

I was thinking about taking a dremel to it to make the hole bigger, but since the carb didn't have one on the 289 I didn't know if it was really needed on this either. There is probably a shy 1/8" difference between my new gasket (same size as the carb and intake) and the holes on the spacer.

 

[trents]

The other problem you could have without a spacer is related to heat/vapor lock issues. With the 190 degree stock thermostat, the 2.8 probably runs hotter than the old 289's. The spacer provides some insulation. Could you enlarge the holes in the spacer somehow? Or, you could make your own from a piece of hardwood plywood protected well with some fuel resistant coating (urathane?).

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The other problem you could have without a spacer is related to heat/vapor lock issues. With the 190 degree stock thermostat, the 2.8 probably runs hotter than the old 289's. The spacer provides some insulation.

That is mainly what I am worried about, I guess I will just try to hog out the holes with my Craftsman version of a dremel and see if I can get it to work.

Makes me wish I was still in school so I could use a Bridgeport and mill the thing out.