The Stromberg 97 Carburetor

Two Stromberg 97 Carburetors

The Stromberg 97 is the Hot Rod
Carb of choice- and probably the most famous carburetor ever made.  Hot Rodders for years have favored the Stromberg 97.   Through the 50's and 60's, and even early into the 70's they were plentiful, cheap, and easy to build into multi-carburetor systems for virtually any motor.  You couldn't call it a hot rod unless it had more than one carb with chrome bonnets- and Strombergs were the king of carburetors.  The reason so many hot rodders have stuck with the Stromberg 97 might just be tradition.  It might also be the "cool" factor.  But the Stromberg 97 despite it's slightly lower CFM rates has one trick up it's sleeve.  It has a mechanical  by pass circuit that is unaffected by a low vacuum signal.  You can use 2 to 3 carburetors, even up to 8 carburetors and not worry about tweaking the carburetor itself to avoid flooding, or creating a rich condition under full throttle (like Holley 94).

The Stromberg 97 packs a punch for a two barrel carburetor.  It flows 150 to 160 CFM (results vary between the Stromberg 48 and the 97's- and almost always flow relatively close to each other- with the 48 barely leading at 175 CFM).  Which, by the way, is why 4 Strombergs work great with a 350 Chevy. 

Hemi 6x2 with Stromberg 97 Carburetors

Because they are so popular it's getting harder and harder to find good rebuild-able cores.  20 years ago they were still available and you could find good deals.  Now, don't be surprised to pay around $50 on the low end just for the core, sometimes much more than that (Solid cores can sell for over $100!)  Factor in another $200 to have it professionally rebuilt.  For you DIY's we sell everything you need to rebuild it on your own.

Whatever your reasons for choosing Stromberg Carburetors give us a call to see if we can help you find parts, rebuild-able cores, or help you put together your custom carburetor set up with the genuine Stromberg 97 Carburetor!