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Carb suggestions

Cr1028

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What are your opinions on the best replacement carb for a 305 4bbl? I've heard people talk about edelbrock and holley. I'm getting a new one, not rebuilt, so what do you guys think?

81 K5
 
Edelbrock makes a nice Q-jet. With gas prices what they are the spread bore carb will get better mileage.

'71 Blazer CST with alot of rust
 
Get a q-jet...Edelbrock makes em. Or look into a rebuilt Rochester. A rebuilt one of those would run just as good as a new one. It's what my Blazer came with...when that carb dies I'll have it built again because it's a awesome carb!

"Suck Fumes Ford Boy"
"I love my country, I fear my government"
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I would get a 600 Edelbrock and then a metering rod kit so you can lean it out a bit. That way when you get sick of the 305 or it dies (one or the other is bound to happen) you can still have enough carb for the 350.

ND55856.jpg

1987 Chevy K5 Blazer- 350 TBI
 
The Edelbrock Q-jets are reallllly expensive. Just get a regular old 600 cfm Performer Edelbrock instead. Doesn't need constant attention like a Holley.

'73 K5
Chevy good...Ford bad
 
Ah, heck. Go nuts and get 4 2-barrel Webers. You can get the bigger ones and neck them down to fit the 305, then when you upgrade to a 454, take the restrictors out. If you are careful adjusting them the first time, supposedly you won't have to do it that often afterwards, and I hear the sound they make is killer.

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Seeing that the 600 Edelbrock is a square bore, you will still get better mileage with a 750 quad than you will with the edelbrock. And at least when you open the thing up, you'll have that extra 150CFM over the Edelbrock if the motor needs it.



Dorian
My tech/links page: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</A>
No anti-theft measures on your truck? No pity when its stolen
 
The AFB Edel Performer square bore (AFB) and the Holley will choke, sputter, flood and die if you get any kind of angles. The Edel Performer I had would sometimes actually kill my 454 when going over a speed bump! On the upside, it did really well the rest of the time. The guys I used to race with called Holleys "nothing but a bunch of leaks bolted together" and they also don't work well on angles or bumps. Seems like guys running Holleys are ALWAYS messing with them trying to get them into tune or keep them tuned, or replacing “power valves”, or fixing leaks, or...

IMO, your best bet is a Q-Jet and if you can afford it, go for the Edel Q-Jet. I've run one of them (the Edel Q-Jet) on a mildly tweaked 454 and they ROCK right out of the box. Best carb I’ve ever run (and there were MANY contenders).

Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
Get the QJet with the electric choke. put it on adjust the choke and forget about it for 10 years. Everybody that I know that has the other Edlebrock that is a copy of the Carter AFB doesn't like them. They ALL have stall problems nose up. Keith was so pissed about his last week he's dumping it. All us guys running the Q-jet were standing our truck on the back bumpers and sitting there ideling and he couldn't keep his running. Keith is a good wrench and he has tried everything to make it work even the seat kit and offroad parts.
As for the comment about if your going to put in a 350. Quad is still better. more than likly it will not need anything for the swap. If it does need something it will be about $5 for larger main jets. The Qjet on a 350 is the same qjet on a 454 just different jets and rods.

Diging it in the dirt with my K5's
Grim-Reaper
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://grimsk5s.coloradok5.com/>http://grimsk5s.coloradok5.com/</A>
 
If you put a spring loaded needle and seat in the performer it will work great on angles. It only costs $10.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://nick.rockcrawler.com>http://nick.rockcrawler.com</A>
 
Read this: http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html
No anti-theft measures on your truck? No pity when its stolen
 
Those "off-road" kits help only marginally. I talked to several techs at Edel about the problems with mine when I was fooling with it and I asked specifically about the “off-road kit” that the local dealer was trying to sell me. Their own techs said it would only help a little on angles and it was mainly just to stop the problem with the engine going dead while bouncing on rough trails/roads. Their own techs said that for serious off-road use, don’t use their AFB based carb with or without the kit. They were also not trying to sell me their more expensive Q-Jet since I was talking to them specifically about putting my old Q-Jet back on and returning the AFB. The unanimous answer from their own techs was to return the AFB and put my Q-Jet back on.

They were very cool about it and their answers (I believe) were direct and honest.

Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
I have a performer 600 with off road needle and seat and it works fine. On really steep angles my idle will drop about 100 to 200 rpms is all. It will run with my truck completely vertical.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://nick.rockcrawler.com>http://nick.rockcrawler.com</A>
 
Hmm, interesting. After talking to Edel Tech, I didn't even try it. I just returned the AFB and got a Edel Q-Jet (my carb was too worn out to fool with) and I liked it so much, I never looked back. If I had not put TBI in my K30, I would definitely get another Edel Q-Jet.

We also had a discussion on this very same subject a month or two ago. Seems a couple of people here mentioned that they HAD tried the off-road kit and that it still didn't work nearly as well as the stock Q-Jet. Don’t remember who they were. If they don't chime in here, might be worth a search through the old threads. Lots of other good info in the old thread too (which I think got quite long).

Good luck choosing a carb. There are lots of contradictory advise and info out here on what carb is the best eh? Sort of like which truck, which front suspension, which engine... Oh well, makes it all the more interesting as we each try to figure out what will work the best. If there were clear answers to everything, we would all be driving the same rigs and that wouldn't be much fun at all.

Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.
 
I'm going with the summit racing edelbrock qjet 795cfm. Should I go with manual or electric choke?

81 K5
 
Go with the electic. That way your not having to find the heat riser pipes.
You will need to find the oil presure switch that controls the choke. What it does is till the truck is running and has oil pressure it will not send power to the choke. This is very important. If you just wired it to a IG connection so that it got power in the run position you might forget one day and leave it in run keeping the choke on. The choke will then cycle and be open when you go to crank it. Most 80's GM v8's with the Quad had this set up. Find one in the junk yard and trace the wire back to the switch. On some the switch is mounted behind the distributor and on some it is above the oil filter. Most have 3 wires.. One wire goes to IG the second goes to the choke and the third goes to the fuel mix solonoid on the carb if so equipped. Get as much of the wire as you can to make it easier. Out of the box the choke is pretty close to right so don't adjust it till you have tried it.

Diging it in the dirt with my K5's
Grim-Reaper
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://grimsk5s.coloradok5.com/>http://grimsk5s.coloradok5.com/</A>
 
I just got one of the Performer 1406 carbs and I had a question. I have an HEI distributor...which one of the vacuums goes to the distr.? Thanks.
 
If you are looking at the front of the carb, it is on the right hand side.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://nick.rockcrawler.com>http://nick.rockcrawler.com</A>
 
I have the Edelbrock Q-Jet #1904, 795 CFM on my 454. Its also electric choke. I love that carb!
smile.gif
I have had a few other different carbs, but none can perform like the Q-Jet. Its very dependable.

When In Doubt, Whip It Out!
 
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