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I hate to start this one but...Holley or Edelbrock

shady

shady

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http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/carbs_acc/lb/1826.jpg
http://www.holley.com/0-93670.asp

I know this is a long standing debate. But I will be buying a new carb soon and can not make up my mind. They are both about the same price in summit. I just don't have the experience with either brand to guide my decision. What I do know is that the holley has fewer parts to worry about. The one that came on my truck is old and I rebuilt it but it runs like crap. That could be me :dunno: I don't know. I've had 2 edelbrock performers in the past. But I had constant problems with them vehicles so I couldn't tell if they were any good or not. I'm pretty much carb stupid if you cant tell:rolleyes:. But I've been reading and learning more lately. It will be going on a 350 with mild cam N headers. Daily driven aggression reliever. 85 k5 w/35's 700r4. I'm looking at these cause I don't want it to Die while pointing at the stars. OR going down a steep hill:eek1:.

Thanks for any info or personal exerience with these.
 
I have a Holley, I like it aside from the fact I can't ever get the choke to work but that's not the carbs fault. I know Holleys require a lot of adjustment where Edelbrocks tend to hold their adjustments better. IIRC the most Eds are based on a Quadrajet design which I heard isn't the best design. I heard Holleys do have a lower MPG rating as well.

Just to state I'm a carb newb as well so I may be mistaken. I like my Holley but so far the extend of my tuning expertise is the curb idle speed screw and the idle mixture needles. I haven't learned how to rebuild a carb or mess with floats or anything like that.
 
Trying to think of the best way to put this cause both are good but, if it is not a routine bolt-on (headers, maybe a cam) the Edelbrock is real hard to dial in perfect, where I find the holly is simple to match up.
 
I like the simplicity of a Holley and that's what I'll always choose. I've had a few Edelbrocks too and haven't been the happiest with them. The Holleys seem to get better mileage too.
 
shady said:
http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/carbs_acc/lb/1826.jpg
http://www.holley.com/0-93670.asp

I know this is a long standing debate. But I will be buying a new carb soon and can not make up my mind. They are both about the same price in summit. I just don't have the experience with either brand to guide my decision. What I do know is that the holley has fewer parts to worry about. The one that came on my truck is old and I rebuilt it but it runs like crap. That could be me :dunno: I don't know. I've had 2 edelbrock performers in the past. But I had constant problems with them vehicles so I couldn't tell if they were any good or not. I'm pretty much carb stupid if you cant tell:rolleyes:. But I've been reading and learning more lately. It will be going on a 350 with mild cam N headers. Daily driven aggression reliever. 85 k5 w/35's 700r4. I'm looking at these cause I don't want it to Die while pointing at the stars. OR going down a steep hill:eek1:.

Thanks for any info or personal exerience with these.
Click to expand...


neither... quadrabog is a far superior carb....
 
I have an edelbrock and it sucks offroad. get one if you enjoy dying on hills and off camber.
 
DrkZide said:
IIRC the most Eds are based on a Quadrajet design which I heard isn't the best design.
Click to expand...


Neither Holly or Edelbrock design their carb's anything like a Q-jet, and to say the Q-jet isn't the best design is a bolt statement.

Holley and Edelbrock make carbs that are cheap and easy to tune, simplicity is their design. Other than the truck avenger they are terrible off road even with an "off road kit".

The Q-jet is the best choice all around, mileage, throttle response, and especially running at angles. Everything about is designed better, but it is more complex. They really aren't tough to rebuild but they are more complex than a Holley or Edelbrock carb.

For a truck, at least one that sees angles and four wheeling, you won't beat a Q-jet.

If you're building an 800 hp mud drag truck then there are probably better options than a Q-jet.
 
As per the "go fuel injection idea":

I held off going to fuel injection for a long time, my truck was a buggy for quite a while before I ditched the Q-jet. I ran nearly everything I ever wanted with the Q-jet, honestly the only issues I had with it were heavy throttle at steep angles.

I drove the "big" hot tub on Hell's Revenge (Mickey's hot tub, easy to search on youtube) with my Q-jet, there are very few non-buggy vehicles that make it up that.

Let alone with a carburetor.

I know I have a video on here of my truck on the exit to Carnage Gulch in Buena Vista, that makes the Rock Pile in Pritchett look small!
 
The edelbrock is based of the carter AFB not the quadrajet. Rochester Quadrajets get a bad reputation from people who don't understand them. They are excellent carbs and better all around then either a holley or edelbrock for off road uses. I don't find them hard to rebuild or understand but i rebuilt my first one when i was 13 and i have always just got em'. The only holley i ever liked was my 3310-3. Great carb and easy to tune.
 
Fuel injection is what I want but the cheapest I've come up with is like $1800. I thought about finding a donor vehicle, but space is not on my side:confused: I truly forgot all about the Qjet or(quadrajunk as I was raised:rolleyes:) I do know some people that swear by them. I never thought about it as an off roader though. if they handle the off kilter spots pretty good then I may go that way. Certainly cheaper, and I've rebuilt one already (15 years ago) so I'm kinda familiar with them. My intake happens to be universal bore too:whistle:
 
I never really liked Holley carbs all that much,they seemed too fussy and needed constant fiddling to keep them "happy"...only ones I had good luck with were some of the "Economaster" carbs they had out in the 70's and 80's,one I had was a 450 CFM model 4360,that one ran sweet on a 74 454 I had..I also had a 750 CFM Holley spread Bore carb designed to be a bolt on Q-jet replacement that ran very well both on and off road,once I got the correct springs for the vacuum secondaries...(I had it on a 454 in the Chevelle wagon in my avatar)..



I like the AFB's and Edelbrocks on a street driven truck,but off road they aren't the best thing to run...I would find a good used Q-jet and run that if you plan to do mucg off roading,they are hard to beat,but they do have some quirks to be dealt withlike the leaky main metering wells and finding someone who knows how to tweak them and adjust everything so it works well for YOUR particular style of driving..
 
I think I'm gonna go with the SMI offroad. Same price as the other 2 I looked at, and every body says Qjet:D. I'll tell you how it goes.
 
shady said:
I think I'm gonna go with the SMI offroad. Same price as the other 2 I looked at, and every body says Qjet:D. I'll tell you how it goes.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna send mine out to this year...it needs it!:waytogo:
 
I dont think Ill ever buy another edelbrock carb, they seem to me like a "it works so lets call it a day" design. I think theres only been a few updates in the last 30 years, and the updated ones are $100 more than the standrd ones. I had one on my old Nova and it was OK, but looking back I should have bought a holley, but for what I did with it a Q jet would have been fine.

For me, my future hotrods will have a holley 4150, and non EFI trucks will have a Q jet.
 
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