Oddball Johnson Carburetor.... What does it fit??

[mikewest]

Anybody have any information on this beauty??

[wayne sheldon]

I can't judge the size, but the overall design is similar to the Johnson model H that was original for my 1927 Paige 6-45 sedan. Yours must be a bit newer however, given the Oct 1929 patent date cast onto the body. I am not sure I could find it, however, I also have another Johnson carburetor roughly 20 percent larger than the model H that looks very similar to yours. None of mine have that inlet elbow on them, although a couple of them do have the screw holes for something along that line or an air filter. According to some original literature I have, my Paige was supposed to have an air filter on the car.

For such a rarely seen carburetor, Johnson carburetors were used on quite a few cars around 1930, including some Cadillacs.

 

I hope you can get a definitive answer to what it fits, and find someone that can use it.

[carbking]

I think this one is a Model R, rather than the Model H.

 

The only documentation I have ever found on these are a few of the 5x8 individual brochures.

 

The H's and R's were used on a number of vehicles in the 1920's; but every one I have ever seen, like this one, was suffering from "pot metal decay", and usable only for patterns.

 

The Johnsons used by Cadillac were aluminum, not zinc alloy..

 

Jon

[rocketraider]

Hopefully you'll find what the carb fits, but tell us more about the cool space-age washing machine it's sitting on!

 

Old appliances are another fascination...☺️

[wayne sheldon]

19 hours ago, carbking said:

The H's and R's were used on a number of vehicles in the 1920's; but every one I have ever seen, like this one, was suffering from "pot metal decay", and usable only for patterns.

 

After my dad bought the Paige in 1967, I spent quite a few years searching swap meets for parts for the car. The original carburetor had been replaced by a model B Ford carburetor (which we sold to someone restoring a model B). I managed to fine a couple Johnson model H carburetors which the Paige literature I have said the car had originally. Most like you said were suffering from "pot metal fatigue". However, I did find one Johnson model H apparently cast of aluminum. I don't know how many like it might be out there? But I have one.

If I ever get to work on the car again, and get it running? I don't know whether I might try to use the aluminum Johnson on it? Or perhaps some brass 1920s from maybe a Studebaker or other similar size six. I have a 1920s Stromberg that might be good.

[carbking]

Wayne - Stromberg released a replacement carburetor specifically for the 6-45 Paige. 

 

It is a URO-1.

 

While there are a number of URO-1 carbs, any may be recalibrated. The carb is cast iron, so not as "pretty" as a brass one, but there is probably no better, or even as good, a carburetor that you could put on the engine for all purposes except national shows or a museum.

 

I have never seen an aluminum Johnson model H; but I have seen a couple of larger Johnson model R's that were aluminum.

 

Jon