THE CARBURETOR SHOP / Carburetor Identification (2024)

The Carburetor Shop LLC

204 East 15^thStreet

Eldon, Missouri 65026

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Tips on identification of various carburetors

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Carburetor Identification Service

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Carter, Holley, Marvel,Marvel/Schebler, Rochester,Schebler, Stromberg, Zenith

Brass Series (A,C,G,H) – (1909 – 1922) 1 barrelupdraft (have no information to further identify these units)

Brass Bowl Series (DFT08, DR0, DRH0, DRJH0, DRJX0, DRJH08, DRX0, RAJH0,RAJX0, RAKX0, RJH08, R0, RT08, RX0) – (1923 –1932) (1 barrel updraft) red cardboard tag (some later service replacementstagged with a triangular brass tag)

U Series (U-1) (1932) brass tag

W Series (W-0, W-1, WA-1, WE, W-2) - (1932 – 1949)(1barrel) triangular brass tag; also, code number stamped under base

W Series (WCD, WD0,WGD) – (2 barrel) (1936 – 1967) metal tag; also code numberstamped under base

W Series (WCFB) – (4 barrel) (1952 – 1965) metal tag;also code number stamped under base

AS Series – (1 barrel) (1956 – 1963) metal tag

RBS Series – (1barrel) (1963 – 1974) metal tag; alsosome (not all) stamped id number on edge of flange

AFB Series – (4 barrel) (1957 – 2001) metal tag: alsosome units stamped on edge of flange, some units stamped center of bowl inrear, some units stamped along bowl – airhorn seam in front, some units NOTstamped (tag only)

BB Updraft Series – (1 barrel) (1932 – 1963)rectangular brass tag

BBR Series (BBR-1, BBR-2) – (1 barrel) (1933 – 1938)rectangular brass tag

BBR Series (BBR-1, BBR-2) – (1 barrel) (1939 – 1960)letter number combination stamped on side of airhorn strengthening vane

BBS Series - (identified by tag only, once the tag isremoved, identification is extremely difficult

BBD Series - identified by tag only, once the tag is removed,identification is extremely difficult

YF Series (YF, YFA) - most O.E. carbs stamped with the number followed by letter ‘S’on center section (bowl)

UT Series – identified by tag only, once the tag isremoved, identification is extremely difficult

N Series (N, ND, NRD) – some stamped on edge offlange, others tagged

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Carter numbering systems. Three different types ofnumbering systems are found on Carter produced carburetors.

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(1) On carburetors built for Chrysler Corporation, a seriesof 3, 4, or 5 letters and numbers; i.e. EV1 or D6H2.

(2) On carburetors built for Ford Motor Company, the “Ford”numbering system which is “lnll – l(l)(l)” or letter, number, letter, letterdash letter (possible letter) (possible letter) i.e C5VF-A. This system iscodified in that the first letter is the decade (B=1950’s, C=1960’s, etc.); thenumber is the last digit in the year; the 3^rd and 4^thletters (before the dash) represent the vehicle model (VF=Lincoln); and theletter or letters after the dash are a modifier which distinguishes the exactapplication. Thus in the example C5VF-A, the carburetor would have been thefirst application for Lincoln in the year 1965.

(3) The traditional Carter numbering system which consistedof 1, 2, 3, or 4 digits; followed by the letter “S”, possibly followed byanother letter. It is extremely doubtful that any of the single, double, orearly triple digit tags will appear; as they were produced before 1930 and wereconstructed of red cardboard. The metal tag appeared about 1930 with tagnumbers of about 300s. The 4 digit tag appeared in 1952, and was continued onuntil the end. The letter S and following letters, when present, have causedmuch speculation (mostly incorrect). In Carter’s terminology, an individualpart such as an idle mixture screw was a single part; whereas two or moreindividual parts sold together such as a needle, seat, and gasket were sold asan “assembly”. Carter used the suffix letter S to denote assembly. Since allcarburetors are composed of multiple parts, the letter S was appended to allcarburetors using the traditional numbering system i.e. 938s. If a significantengineering change was made to the carburetor, the letter “A” would be appendedto the S (i.e. 938sa). A second change would have the letter A replaced by theletter B (i.,e. 938sb). The highest engineering change of which I am aware is 4i.e.938sd. Contrary to popular belief, the S DID NOT mean standard transmission,nor the SA automatic transmission.

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Updraft – brass bowl – must be identified frompictures of actual linkage and internal specifications (no identificationnumbers)

Updraft – diecast bowl – an identification number isstamped in tiny numbers on the underside of the bowl, or on the edge of thecarburetor mounting flange. The number will be in the format 10-nnnn, wherennnn is some number generally LARGER than 500. Some Pontiac and Oakland unitshave a stamped “O” or “P” preceding the 10.

Downdraft – an identification number will be stampedSOMEWHERE on the outside surface of the carburetor in tiny numbers. Areas tolook: the bowl cover, above the float; the edge of the flange of the bowl whereit fits to the throttle body, on the throttle body itself. Downdraft Marvelmodels were B, BD, and CD. The D in the BD and CD meant duplex or two-barrel.

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Additional information with Marvel casting numbers: MARVELCASTING NUMBERS

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Please see the history blurb under Schebler. Some of theMarvel models, and Schebler models were continued as Marvel/Schebler models.The identification on Marvel/Schebler is difficult to pigeon-hole, as differentforms were used for the same model in different years. GENERALLY,Marvel/Schebler identification numbers would be in the same format as Scheblernumbers (please see the Schebler section) BUT NOT ALWAYS. Example: the letter Xwas not used on models such as the TSV, VD, VH which were mostly small engine.Marvel/Schebler numbers could have been STAMPED into the casting; stamped intoa riveted rectangular tag; stamped into a riveted teardrop shaped tag, and someof the late small engine carbs had the number stamped on a round tag. A quirkof the identification system which really is confusing until you know about it,especially on the TS series tractor carburetors, is as follows:

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The information stamped into the tag might read:

DD

DLT

GLE

TSV

VHD

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As my Marvel/Schebler information gets very sketchy in the1960’s, I am unable to give a year range for these models.

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AA Series – (1949, 1950) (2 barrel) triangular metaltag

B Series (B, BC, BV) – (1949 - 1967) (1 barrel)triangular metal tag.

BB Series – (1951) (2 barrel) triangularmetal tag

2G Series (2G, 2GC, 2GV) – (1955 - 1967) (2 barrel)triangular metal tag

2G Series (2G, 2GC, 2GV) – (1968 – up) (2 barrel)roll stamp on side of bowl

4GSeries (4G, 4GC) – (1952 – 1967) (4 barrel)triangular metal tag

H Series (H, HV) – (1960 – 1967) (1 barrel)triangular metal tag

H Series (H, HV) - (1968, 1969) (1 barrel) roll stamp on side of bowl

Monojet – (1968 - up) (1 barrel) roll stamp on sideof bowl

Quadrajet – (1965 – 1967, some early 1968) (4 barrel)round metal tag pressed into side of bowl

Quadrajet – (1968 – up) (4 barrel) vertical rollstamp on side of bowl

R Series – (R, RC) – (1962, 1963) (1 barrel)triangular metal tag

Tags: Tags beginning in 1949 were brass. The metalwas changed to aluminum approximately 1956. There appears to be some timeoverlap in the different series. The aluminum tags were color anodized on thetop side. The color used was a code to help identify the carburetors. A fewtimes in carburetor cleaner, and the color disappeared to a natural aluminumfinish. The triangular tags were located under one of the screws holding theair horn to the bowl. The round tags (1965 – 1967 quadrajets) were pressed intoan indent in the side of the bowl directly behind the primary throttle arm.

Roll stamps: Beginning in 1968, all Rochestercarburetors were "roll stamped" with the identification number on theside of the bowl. These are "stamped" or "recessed"numbers, not "raised" as discussed below.

Other identification numbers: A very few 4G Seriescarburetors in 1957 only were stamped with the last 4 digits of theidentification number on top of the air horn. Very early B series have the last2 digits of the identification number stamped on the airhorn.

Casting (raised) numbers: Raised numbers appearing onvarious castings are so-called "casting" numbers. These numbers wereused by Rochester to identify a casting "blank" PRIOR to machining. Acasting could be machined into different parts. As an example; consider thethrottle body of the 1957 Pontiac tripower: the front carburetor has no idlescrews in front, and an 1/8 inch pipe tap in the rear; the center carburetorhas idle screws in front, and an 1/8 inch pipe tap in the rear; the rearcarburetor has neither idle screws nor pipe tap. ALL have the same castingnumber. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY ROCHESTER CARBURETORS FROM CASTING NUMBERSALONE!

Carter built quadrajets: Carter Carburetor Company ofSt. Louis produced millions of quadrajets under license from GM from 1966through 1979. These carburetors carry the exact same identification as theirRochester counterparts, and parts are directly interchangeable. Carter alsoproduced "aftermarket" replacement quadrajets, which will be identifiedby the traditional Carter part number (4 digits, followed by the letter"S"). An example of this numbering system would be 4675S, which isidentical except for the number to 7028262.

Rochester part numbers and application: Virtually allRochester carburetor numbers producedfrom 1949 through 1974 are included in the application listings on thiswebsite.

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The Schebler Carburetor Company started producingcarburetors about 1902. The Schebler Carburetor Company was purchased byBorg/Warner about 1930, along with a number of other carburetor companiesincluding Marvel. Borg/Warner combined the Marvel and Schebler brands and cameup with Marvel/Schebler. SOME of the Schebler models were held over and werethen produced by Marvel/Schebler. The Schebler models (also known as WheelerSchebler in the early days) would have STAMPED identification numbers. Thesenumbers are in the format: “model” “X” “number” and should be referred to asmodel “model” assembly number “number”. Example: DX-320. The model is D and thenumber is 320. This should be read as model D assembly number 320 OR DX-320 forshort. Application information on most Schebler carburetors is difficult tofind. Also, Schebler made replacement carburetors in the same models asoriginal equipment carburetors. While we have very good information on theSchebler models DL, DLT, H, S, T, and U; we would appreciate ANY OTHER ORIGINALSchebler application information from possibly an owner’s manual, shop manual,etc. We do have Schebler information on quite a few models L and R, but unableto determine if these were used as original equipment or aftermarket. Listedbelow are Schebler models of which I am aware, and year ranges these wereproduced.

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A (1913-1936)

AH (1915-1922)

AL (1918-1921)

AM (???)

AT (1911-1933)

B (1916)

D (1903-1938)

DL (1915-1940)

DLT (1926-1930)

E (1906-1911)

FA (1912-1926)

G (1926-1934)

H (1907-1926)

HD (1927-1934)

L (1908-1925)

R (1914-1921)

S (1920-1933)

T (1930-1933)

U (1927-1932)

The following applies to Stromberg-USA carburetors, anddoes not apply to Stromberg carburetors produced elsewhere:

Stromberg began stampinga ‘code’ number on virtually all O.E. (original equipment) carburetorsbeginning in 1935 up through the end of production in 1974. Most of thecarburetors produced in the late 1930’s were stamped on the throttle body.Others were stamped on the airhorn. After 1940 this trend was reversed, andmost carburetors were stamped on the top surface of the airhorn along one ofthe edges. Replacement carburetors produced during this period were generallyidentified by tag only (although a few replacements were stamped). The stamped‘code’ is in the format ‘ccc-nnne’ where ccc is a one, two, or three digit coderepresenting the company for which the carburetor was produced (ie 2=Ford,4=Chrysler, 7=Buick, etc.); nnn is a one, two, or three digit numberrepresenting the next sequential number of carburetor sold to the company in‘ccc’; and e is a letter (if present) representing the engineering changestatus of the carburetor. An example would be 7-69A which is decoded as 7(Buick); 69 (the sixty-ninth type of carburetor sold to Buick – this one fits a40 series in 1949); and ‘A’ meaning one engineering change to the originalspecifications. A second change would be 7-69B. Stromberg used both rectangular(held in place by a screw) and round (riveted in place) tags during thisperiod, on those units which were tagged.

Stromberg carburetorsproduced prior to 1935 can easily be identified as to type, as it is cast ontothe carburetor; however complete identification is impossible unless one hasprior knowledge of the carburetor being identified; and can be quite difficultand time consuming for even someone with the original prints.

Zenith

The following applies to Zenith-USA carburetors, and doesnot apply to Zenith carburetors produced in elsewhere:

Zenith carburetors produced from about 1932 to 1980 have around tag, approximately the size of a US dime, riveted to the body of thecarburetor. Original equipment carburetors will have two numbers stamped onthis tag. The outer circle will be the O.E. part number (ie Allis Chalmers,GMC, IHC, etc.). The inner circle will be the Zenith number. Aftermarketcarburetors made during this period will have the Zenith part number only onthe tag.

Zenith carburetor produced after about 1980 will not havethe round tag, but will have a tiny number stamped (never raised) in asemi-circle on the body of the carburetor.

Some Zenith carburetors produced in the 1920’s up to about1935 have a long thin rectangular tag with the Zenith number stamped.

Identification of Zeniths other than above is difficult.

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The following chart has been copied (with permission) from afactory Zenith publication, and will help the hobbyist understand the meaningof the Zenith models. This does NOT identify individual carburetors, only theidentification number can be used for positive identification:

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A – designates a carburetor where the throttle shaft isparallel to the air shutter shaft (with normal air intake).

B – designates a carburetor where the throttle shaft is atright angles to the air shutter shaft (with normal air intake).

BB – same as above but with fly opening opposite of above(B).

C – vacuum pump, NO power jet.

DA – duplex carburetor with one throttle shaft.

DB – duplex carburetor with two parallel throttle shafts.

E – elbow air intake ( for downdraft, horizontal and updraftcarburetors, when the angle of the air intake differs from that of the standardof the series)

F – governor connection, opposite side from bowl or on leftside.

G – a carburetor using natural gas or a combination ofgasoline and natural gas for fuel

GM – special 30 series to General Motors

I – special for International Harvester, Inc.

J – back-suction economizer

L – large bowl ( model 267 carburetors)

LP – liquid petroleum gas carburetor

M2 - marine carburetor with screws, brackets, levers, andshafts in brass.

M3 – marine carburetor with brass bowl and iron barrel

M4 – marine carburetor, all brass

N – special for Novi governors

O – offset throttle shaft (only in case it differs from thestandard).

P – pump (14 and 16 models)

R – governor connections, same side as bowl or on right side

S – straight thru for updraft carburetors

T – balanced or sealed bowl vent

U – universal replacement carburetor special flange c.c

V – vacuum operated power jet if the standard of the serieshas mechanical pump or no pump

W – vacuum pump AND power jet

X – oversize flange and/or bolt location

Y – undersize flange and/or bolt location

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The following for letters FOLLOWING the carburetor size:

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C – automatic choke

G – gas valve attachment for LPG

R – Facet regulator or governor

RP – Pierce governor

RZ – Mechanovac governor

S – special flange

SD – LP starting device

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IFYou Have Carburetors to Identify

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We offer a carburetor identification service. If thecarburetor can be readily identified (tag, or stamped identification number)there is a $20. charge per carburetor.

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Some carburetors can be identified by casting number (mostcannot). Again, this would result in a $20. per carburetor charge.

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Many older (especially brass) carburetors can be identifiedeasily only into a group of applications (example: a Zenith O-4). Thesecarburetors have different internal venturi, different calibrations, and differentthrottle and choke hook-ups. Absolute identification, while possible, normallywould exceed the value of the carburetor! There is a $40. charge for aprint-out of the various applications for a carburetor such as this.

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Some carburetors in this group are worth the absoluteidentification. An example of this would be the Stromberg EE-3. These were usedon Duesenbergs, Chrysler Imperials, Pierce-Arrows, Delahayes, Deloges, etc. Topositively identify one of these, we generally need to inspect the carburetorin person. Cost will vary with the amount of time necessary. Occasionally, oneof these can be done via telephone (we would tell you what to look for). Anexample of this is the Duesenberg EE-3 is the only one to use 1 3/8 venturi.This number is cast on the outside of the bowl.

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Many carburetors are simply not worth the time to positivelyidentify. Examples of these would be Rochester 1 barrel units used on primarilyChevrolet 6 cylinders of the 1950’s and 1960’s. These were identified by a tag.Once the tag is removed, identification is extremely difficult.

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If you wish carburetors identified, the best method is tosend us a list by manufacturer, type, and identification number (if present).We can then tell you what we can identify, and the costs. Pictures may, or maynot be sufficient for identification.

THE CARBURETOR SHOP / Carburetor Identification (2024)

The Carburetor Shop LLC

Tips on identification of various carburetors

Brass Bowl Series (DFT08, DR0, DRH0, DRJH0, DRJX0, DRJH08, DRX0, RAJH0,RAJX0, RAKX0, RJH08, R0, RT08, RX0) – (1923 –1932) (1 barrel updraft) red cardboard tag (some later service replacementstagged with a triangular brass tag)

U Series (U-1) (1932) brass tag

BBD Series - identified by tag only, once the tag is removed,identification is extremely difficult

DD

VHD

BB Series – (1951) (2 barrel) triangularmetal tag

References