Looking at intakes and carbs
 

My engine should be complete early this week and be ready to be picked up from the builder. I am looking at intakes and carbs and wanted some opinions. I wanted to change the stock intake because the truck sat for 20 years and it was terribly corroded inside and it Quadra jet carb had issues in the past for my dad. Anyway the engine is a 350 and is going to have a mild cam installed just for some sound. I'm not building a hot rod race engine. I found this intake and carb kit from Holley. What are you thoughts? I really know nothing about carbeurators or how to select one for what intake or whatever. I plan to ask my builders opinion also. I didn't think this combo was bad and I have heard good things about Holley. Just looking for opinions. Thanks!

https://www.holley.com/products/fuel...parts/VK060010

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

Not a good choice. Even guys who know carbs have problems sorting them out.
That’s the message in this link.

https://www.hotrodders.com/threads/h...on-fix.507033/

Keep looking.

What carb does your motor have?

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

I like elbrock proformer intakes
I have ran them on standard bolt heads tbi style and vortec style
They work with mild stock well and have an eldbrock avs thunder carb from reading its tuning issue is add a fuel regulator

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

Used intakes are cheap and easy to find. Carbs are hit and miss. Eldebrock are pretty easy to tune and reliable. Get one with an electric choke then an dual plane intake. Make all adjustments according to their instructions. You will find there are arguments for Holley and eldebrock. It’s like a ford and Chevy argument.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

There are arguments and from what I have been reading people are saying Holley are better. I really not nothing about this subject so I'm trying to research as much as possible to gain a little knowledge. This is my first carbeurated vehicle to ever own.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

My motor had a Quadra Jet. I still have it. Maybe is should attempt to rebuild it.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

There’s more than enough vids or info available to help you rebuild it.
But you might not want to until you get your motor started and broke in.
Best to have a known good carb for break in.

How did it run?
You got a pic of it?

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

This is my own experience
1970 c10. Original stock 350
Installed
Eddy performer 2701 intake
Eddy 1405. 600cfm carb
Adjusted the choke slightly and slight tweaked the mixture screws. Both simple adjustments and haven’t had to touch it since
Pretty simple and reliable set up.
You will need a $20 carb spacer to keep heat off carb and stock pump or under 5.5psi pump or regulator
Add in an HEI dizzy and you’ve got a reliable set up.
RRM

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

I wish somebody had told me when I was starting with my truck how easy it is to get a very nice remanufactured Quadrajet with lifetime warranty. It addresses all issues such as well plug leaks, worn bushings and plating, gaskets and accelerator pump and other parts that work with gasohol, warpage and cracks, stripped threads. Same seller now sells brand new Quadrajets of some models. The remanufactured ones and new ones are inexpensive. The model I chose is a later model from 1981-86 with electric choke, and they built it for me to work with the 1969 throttle linkage. National Carburetor. My engine builder cleaned up my original intake manifold. A Quadrajet has a fuel filter integrated and you can use all steel fuel line instead of having a rubber hose going up to your carburetor. It can use a stock mechanical fuel pump with no regulator.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

I will take a look. I guess i need to go to mynparents house and get my old carb so i can what model i actually have. Thanks!

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

Here is an Edelbrock combo also from Summit.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/EDL-2020

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

I second the rebuilt Quadrajet from National Carburetor. They're completely remanufactured and flow tested, so they tend to run well right out of the box. If you want to update to an electric choke (which I recommend) go for a later year - mine is a 78.

In my opinion, having worked with Quadrajets, Carters, Webers, Holleys, Edelbrocks, and others for over 40 years, I haven't found a carb that works better than a Quadrajet for a GM V8 engine.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

:agree:

The Edelbrock performer and Quadra-jet will be a better match for your engine than the air gap. I ran an air gap on a stock GM crate engine and had low rpm stumble.
I put a performer on it and it cleared my issue up.
Just my experience.









.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

Also going on a stock 350...Not Running yet, but Demon 625...now produced by Holly.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

What is "an air gap"?

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

An air gap manifold has an air gap between the manifold valley and the runners (see the picture above). It's designed to keep the fuel charge cooler. The problem is that on a regular, street-driven engine, you actually need some heat to keep the fuel vaporized.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

I just ran out to my parents ad grabbed my stock carb and intake to evaluate. I may try and clean up the intake and reuse it instead of buying a new one.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

Honestly, if you're going with a stock setup, you're not going to gain much by changing the intake. An aluminum intake is lighter, but a few pounds on a 4,000 pound truck isn't likely to make much difference. If you have good surfaces to work with on a stock intake there's no reason not to use it.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

I'd have to say though that the E-brock dual plane is a big improvement over the stock manifold. They're good right off the line. I had one on my '68 Skylark and I used to get 18+ MPG driving the 405 past LAX every day for years. That was with a mild cam and a 1406 E-brock carburetor. If I ever go through my truck engine, it'll get an E-brock intake, but I'll keep the Q-Jet, in this case.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

There is lots of info on the web to identify your carb to get the right kit if you choose to rebuild it.
Here is one of many links below.
Link: https://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/...n_and_decoding









.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

Thank you! There are soooo many decisions to make and too many options. I just want to make the right decisions the first time. Its cheaper that way.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

A "race" manifold won't help much if any on a very mild street engine but I could tell the difference on one of my engines when I swapped to an Edelbrock performer. Noticeable difference in mid range pulling over the cast iron Intake I had on it before.

Carb choice has to be what you personally like and get along with. I've had great luck with the Q jet on my 454 in my 77 one ton when I used a kit from one of the Q jet specialists. Worn throttle shafts and the need to fix that are usually the big Q jet issues. I've got to build one for the Cad 500 in my 71 now.

I ran Holley carbs for years and even built one with mix and match parts to make a carb that didn't exist back a few years ago. Basically center pivot bowls on a regular 4 barrel. I ran a Spread bore double pumper for a long time until I had a backfire that melted the air horn a bit too much.

My last go around with the 350 in my 71 before it gave out and I put the 500 in it I ran a 600 Edelbrock that was pretty well care free and then installed an HEI on it that was the best move I made with that engine in that truck. It's a pretty good combo on a mild street engine.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

So here is what I am working with as far as my stock parts go.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

And a few more.

Re: Looking at intakes and carbs
 

And more