Carburetors

[Andy Wylie]

Tod I was surprised to see you refer to the Balls as people, I've long assumed they were 2 ball bearings:D I did a little research and found a 1923 patent  application indicating the partnership consisted  of Frederick O and Cornelia M Ball, I wonder when Tom joined them.

http://www.google.com/patents?lr=&q=ball+carburetor&btnG=Search+Patents

[Jim Benjaminson]

Stromberg may have offered their carbs as "after market" replacements.  After WWII, during the materials shortages, some P15's were factory fitted with a Stromberg carb but those are the only "factory" installations I am aware of.  The Stromberg was easy to spot - the gas line into the carb came in at a different angle than the Carter Ball & Ball carbs....

[David Rainville]

Thanks for the response, It just seemed strange to me that these identical Strombergs would end up on 31 Plymouths.

[TodFitch]

. . . . So I would be about 99% sure that the early Plymouths came with Carters until Ball and Ball came on the scene. . . .

My original 1933 Plymouth's Ball&Ball carburetor was made by Carter. So I don't think the matter is a "either Carter or Ball & Ball" kind of a thing.

It is my guess from reading Carl Breer's The Birth of Chrysler Corporation that the father and son team of Mr. Ball and Mr. Ball were at one point employed by or contracted to Chrysler specifically for carburetor design and that Chrysler contracted with Carter to have the manufacturing done. It is my impression from reading that book that the team of Zeder, Skelton and Breer met the Balls and started using their carburetor designs while the "three musketeers" worked for Studebaker so that relationship between the engineers predates the birth of Chrysler Corporation.

[David Rainville]

While searching on E-Bay I found a listing for a 31 Plymouth carburetor. It was a Stromberg, exactly like the one that's on my 31. I've always had the understanding that all 31's came with Carter carbs. Can anyone shed some light on this for me, was there a change late in production or did Plymouth's ever have Strombergs?