14 replies to this topic

[mudunit77f250]

..... im looking at carbs for both of my trucks, 77 and 79 both have 400's. the 79 has a holley on top right now but what one is unknown and an edelbrock manifold, but im unsure as to what one (assuming performer series)..... i was looking at the double pumper, but after doing a lil research found out that i would probably want a carb with vacuum secondaries not mechanical....... im looking at getting one in the 650 cfm range, 4 bbl, reasonable price...... any input for me??? thanks

[mudunit77f250]

what specific model would you be referring to??? 4160 or 4150???

[highboy73]

4160,I talk alot of trash about carbs but holley makes good ones.if you are worried about off roading they sell all kinds of assesories for them just for the off roading crowd
edelbrock makes good ones too I just like the infinate tunability of holleys

[Seabronc]

I'm a Holley bigot myself, but an Edlebrock 1403 is doable but needs a little adaption also.

Good luck,

[4xfan78]

I prefer the edelbrock 1405. No adjusting neede no mods. to get it to hook up. Take it out of the box put it on and run.

[highboy73]

I don't know why ya'll don't like the holley's they are good carbs and are easy to tune,find and repair. there isn't another carb made that can be tuned as much for what you want.
I'd stay with the vac secondaries you can always change the vac spring to get it to open sooner.the secondaries work off of engine vaccum and the spring lets them open at a given rate depending on the color of the spring.
the pump cams on the linkage can be changed for longer duration,shorter..etc they are diff colors too.
the discharge nozzles are all differant sizes and lengths to taloir adjust too.
you can buy an 50cc acclerator pump to get even more off the line,you can get float bowl extensions,baffles,adjustable jets,whatever you name it you can get it.
if you want to tinker and tune I'd suggest a holley but if you just want the easy way go with the edelbrock.holley's aren't that bad just gotta build what you want.
oh yeah and you can buy out of the box 600 cfm's from holley for bolt on applications.
good luck

[mudunit77f250]

i have basically zero knowledge bout carbs so maybe i should start with a edelbrock for the street driving and get a tinker toy holley for the weekend trips.....

[highboy73]

i agree I grew up with a father that drag raced and taught me alot about holley's but it does take some tinkering

[davids78bronco]

Quadrajet

[Seabronc]

That is what makes a Holley a great racing carb. Somebody that knows what they are doing can make them sing.

[Broncoholics]

I used to run a holley 650 double pumper. Not only was the gas milage bad but it had bad hesitaions and only ran well crusing around or full throttle. I couldn't adjust it right so I took it to the carb shop and they said to get a Carter Carb and be done with it. I purchased a 600 cfm Carter and it ran like a million bucks with no adjustments out of the box and passed emmissions.
My next rig had an Edelbrock 600 cfm. Worked great on flat surfaces only. Once off road climbing steep hills or off camber situations the carb would flood out.

Now, I have a Q-Jet 600 cfm that runs well at all angles and I wouldn't want anything else off road. This is the carb they use on boats due to the angles they run at. The primaries are small for good gas milage but once the large secondaries kick in you get tons of horse power but fuel gauge drop fast. So depending on what you do with your rig, you have my $0.02 worth.

[highboy73]

we can debate about which is better forever,all I am saying is the differant uses for them,the prob with any mechanical secondaries carb is that you get the gas even if the motor doesn't need it which if you have to big of a carb(double pumper)on a motor that isn't built for it then it'll bog and flood out.
if a carb shop told you to swicth brands of carbs you need to find a differant carb shop,every good carb man I know will fix what is wrong or it isn't the carb.I don't think that a double pumper has a place on a street truck a drag car yes.
there are so many variables in carb selection and tuning it's mind boggling,if you want a good carb to just drive get the edelbrock,want to tinker and fine tune get the holley.carters are good too but they aren't as cheap or parts for performance available.Q-jets are good carbs too if you know how to tune them and they are mech secondaries which most times give you a stumble when you punch it.
RESEARCH my friend and you will see that no carb is better at everything but they are all good at something figure out what you want.
good luck

[Slomar]

Eddelbrock has a great online manual for carbs. I have the 1406, I think, on my 400m. I had a bad float and had to actually figure out how to tune the thing. It took about 4 days to finally understand the online manual, but now its a breeze. Just read it a couple times to let it sink in. Jets, rods, springs... oh my.