Flattop carbs vs. round top carbs?

[Bambikiller240]

Mike,

I think my response is being seen with more "ferocity" than I intended. I was just pointing out the reasons / facts as I see them. Indeed to each his own.

The only ferosity I have in this area is shadetree mechanics (I don't recall any of us being ASE certified, or professional auto mechanics and yet disagreeing with the wisdom of the manufacturer, and professional mechanics who serviced these cars. Who had many problems with these things, even to the point where they issued service buletins, and dealers illegally replaced the Flats with Rounds when their "professional" mechanics could not resolve the customer complaints. It's not just a bunch of "shadetree" mechanics who have low opinions of these carbs. The manufacturer didn't like them either.

That's it, that's all I was trying to get across. If they work good for you (or anyone else), great. My first Z was a 73 and had Flats on it. I didn't have any reliability issues, and performance was fine (but I had nothing to compare against). When I rebuilt my 71 Z (using the 73 Z motor) I switched to Rounds, and I noticed a marked difference in the seat of my pants, and the smile on my helmeted face.

Originality is something I understand and value, but that wasn't what Shane4golf seemed interested in. F.I. (properly set up) certainly should out perform either carb.

Peace?

[sblake01]

Regardless of who doesn't like them, they do work. Evidentally, pretty well if you know what you are doing. This opinion comes from one of my friends who IS an ASE certified mechanic and has an auto repair shop that specializes in Datsun/Nissan/Infiniti and has been in business for over 30 years. He can make flats perform as well as rounds. I have discussed this with him many times. That is why I don't share the common opinion on round vs flat. According to Elvan, with the technology that is available to properly rebuild a carbureator today vs 30 years ago, the is no appreciable difference between a round top and a flat top, performance wise. I know that's hard to accept considering the general consensus, but I've seen, rode in, and driven examples that would seem to verify that statement.

[Ed]

Regardless of who doesn't like them, they do work. Evidentally, pretty well if you know what you are doing. This opinion comes from one of my friends who IS an ASE certified mechanic and has an auto repair shop that specializes in Datsun/Nissan/Infiniti and has been in business for over 30 years. He can make flats perform as well as rounds. I have discussed this with him many times. That is why I don't share the common opinion on round vs flat. According to Elvan, with the technology that is available to properly rebuild a carbureator today vs 30 years ago, the is no appreciable difference between a round top and a flat top, performance wise. I know that's hard to accept considering the general consensus, but I've seen, rode in, and driven examples that would seem to verify that statement.

I must agree with Stephen. I started out with the flat tops on my 73. Over time they slowly deteriorated (cold starts were a pain). I worked on them trying to improve there performance but the parts were expensive and hard to obtain (compared to the round tops). But they did work. Once I replaced them with my rebuilt round tops I can honestly say there was no performance gains.

Which do I like better? The round tops. Why, because they are easier to work on. Which is why they are more popular. Try adjusting the float on the flat top.