The Carburetors on a 426 Hemi
The 426 Hemi is probably the most talked about engine in the Chrysler family. One of the topics coming up in conversation is the carburetion. Some people ask, how many carburetors did the 426 Hemi have?
The 426 Hemi had two four barrel carburetors made by the brand Carter. Each Carter AFB carburetor was rated at 625 cfm and was mounted inline, one in front of the other. These carburetors were used on all street Hemi engines from 1966 to 1971.
This article will discuss the carburetors in more detail including part numbers for each year. In addition, find out how the carburetors actually worked.
The following carburetor specifications and facts were learned from my personal experience and research, Mopar engine manuals, webinars, books and articles.
426 Hemi Carburetors
The company brand Carter made all the 426 street Hemi carburetors from the first year in 1966 all the way through to the last year in 1971.
The letters AFB mean aluminum four barrel.
The part numbers for each year are different. The front carb has the same part number for an automatic or manual car.
Other than ’66 and ’67, the rear one has a different part number, one for a manual and one for an automatic.
One of my first thoughts when I saw these carburetors for the first time was, two four barrels on a street engine, are you kidding?
The following are the 426 Hemi Carter carburetor part numbers for each year:
1966
- 4139S Front
- 4140S Rear
1967
- 4139S Front
- 4343S Rear
1968 Manual
- 4430S Front
- 4431S Rear
1968 Automatic
- 4430S Front
- 4432S Rear
1969 Manual
- 4619S Front
- 4620S Rear
1969 Automatic
- 4619S Front
- 4621S Rear
1970 Manual
- 4742S Front
- 4745S Rear
1970 Automatic
- 4742S Front
- 4746S Rear
1971 Manual
- 4971S Front
- 4969S Rear
1971 Automatic
- 4971S Front
- 4970S Rear
(CAP) Cleaner Air Package
- 4137S 1966 Automatic
- 4136S 1966 Manual
- 4324S 1967 Front (Manual or Automatic) (CAP)
- 4325S 1967 Rear (Manual or Automatic) (CAP)
The part numbers are stamped into the base on the front, left side.
Find out about the mythical 426 Hemi DOHC in my article, The 426 Hemi Dual Overhead Cam Engine – The “Doomsday Hemi”
Hemi Carter AFB Build Dates
Depending on the year, the earlier carbs have a build date directly underneath the part number. The later ones have the build date to the left of the part number.
The build date consists of a letter and a number. The letter indicates the month and the number indicates the last number of the year.
The letter I was skipped to avoid someone confusing it with the number 1. The letters in the build date represent the following months:
- A= January
- B= February
- C= March
- D= April
- E= May
- F= June
- G= July
- H= August
- J= September
- K= October
- L= November
- M= December
The numbers in the build date represent the following:
- 6= 1966
- 7= 1967
- 8= 1968
- 9= 1969
- 0= 1970
- 1= 1971
The following are some examples of build dates and what they mean:
- J8 indicates September 1968
- A9 indicates January 1969
- F9 indicates June 1969
- C6 indicates March 1966
Other Mopar Carb Number Articles:
- Find out the Six Pack carb numbers and date codes in my article, 440 Six Carb Numbers and Holley Date Codes.
- Mopar 440 Carburetor Identification and Numbers
- 413 Max Wedge Carburetor Specs
Also, check out the 426 Hemi fuel pump specifications.
My uncle had two Hemi carburetors on the shelf in his garage. Every time we visited him I would venture into the garage and stare at them. He didn’t know what car or year they were from. He acquired them from someone he knew years earlier.
How They Operate
The 426 Hemi carb linkage is progressive. The rear carburetor is considered the primary carburetor. It has the throttle linkage connected to it. A light, quick tap of the gas pedal will only open the rear carburetor.
The front carburetors are considered the secondary and are attached to the rear carb with a progressive linkage bar. When the throttle is opened up past a certain point, the linkage will open the front carb also.
The secondary carb (front) is not vacuum operated like the outboards on a Six Pack setup.
This can clearly be seen in the video below as the engine is opened up to full throttle during a dyno test.
Read up on the last year of the 426 Hemi and what cars it came in. Check out my other article, The Last Year of the 426 Hemi.
The car idles off the primary and secondary, not just the rear (primary) one. For the 1966 and 1967 carbs, there is no idle adjustment screw. From 1968 to 1971, there is an adjustment screw.
Both the front and rear have idle mixture screws. The front carb’s idle mixture screws are plugged after 1967 (1968-1971).
The front (secondary) carb has mixture screws to provide fuel to the forward cylinders to prevent a lean mixture.
1970 and 1971 have an idle speed solenoid and adjustment.
The dual floats are adjusted by taking the carb apart. It cannot be adjusted from the outside like a Holley.
The idle is adjusted using the mixture screws and the idle adjustments screws.
The carbs have primary and secondary jets and metering rods.
Find out all the cars which came with the 426 Hemi in my article, What Cars Had the 426 Hemi: Street and Race Hemis.
More Hemi Carb Facts
- Both carburetors have their own throttle return spring.
- The rear carburetor has the automatic choke.
- The linkage is on the driver’s side.
- The fuel lines attach on the passenger side.
- Each carb has two floats, one on each side.
- Each one has an accelerator pump.
Check out all the Hemi engines produced prior to the 426 in my article, Hemi Engines Made Before the 426 Hemi.
Read More 426 Hemi Articles!
How Fast is a 426 Hemi? 1/4 Mile & 0-60 Results
426 Hemi Horsepower and Torque – Rated and Real HP
How Much An Original 426 Hemi Car is Worth: Recent Prices
426 Hemi Specifications – Complete Engine Specs
What Makes the 426 Hemi So Special
What Hemi Means in an Engine: Generation 1, 2 and 3 Hemis
The Worth of a 426 Hemi Engine
The First Year of the 426 Hemi
Why the 426 Hemi is Called the Elephant Engine
Any questions or if you have more information you’d like to contribute, send us an email found on our contact page.
Article Resources
- Hemmings: Carter 4-Barrel Reference Numbers
- Wikipedia: Chrysler Hemi engine
- GTS: Galen’s Tag Service
- Google books: The Definitive Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger Guide: 1970-1974
- Google Books: Challenger and Barracuda Restoration Guide, 1967-74
- Wikipedia: Carter Carburetor