I've been following a lot of the threads on the carb board and I really respect your knowledge level and opinions. I have a question for you based on those.

Background: Redoing an 83 TransAm that has definitely seen better days, but I have it running pretty well now, and like everybody else, I want more power and better drivability.
I've gotten the suspension completely redone with performance pieces, braking system is good now, so onto the power makers!!!
Nothing done to the engine/breathing yet, but I have the exhaust planned out and will purchase pretty soon.

I have a better than stock Mallory distributor (non CC) ready to drop in and I trust the vac. advance with electronic controls more than the computer controlled stuff. The carb will be giving me fits though!
I am mostly convinced that I definitely want to stay with the qjet, mainly because I've worked with them before and they have much better reliability and ease of tuning, but am not convinced to stay CC (again)
I also have on my parts shelf (such that it is) 3 complete Holley carbs (390, 450 and 600 cfm) that I could easily put together and make the 600 work, but...

Sorry for the delay, but here's the question(s): Would you personally, given your past experience with qjet, and your recent success with Holley, get an older qjet (non-CC) and tune the hell out of it, or put the 600 Holley together and tune the hell out of it?

I've also been kind of considering either getting a JET Stage II or a Street Avenger. (I know! Make up my mind!!)

I remember reading an old issue of CarCraft where they mentioned that the qjet was the closest thing to fuel injection you could get without actually HAVING fuel injection. The small primaries let the engine sip the gas leading to decent fuel economy, but the "oil can sized secondaries" gave the engine every bit of fuel and air it could possibly want, !!!based on engine demand! I've been a qjet fan ever since!

Sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to provide as much info as I thought you might need in case you would lend your opinion!

Thanks!

 

Thank you for you kind words. Hopefully your confidence isn't misplaced...

I don't know if I'm some weird exception, but the CC q-jet I have on the Camaro is the best q-jet I've ever had. I even have two brand-new, in-the-box Edelbrock q-jets (non-CC, of course), and can't say I'm as happy with them - supposedly Edelbrock/Weber "fixed" all of the problems q-jets had been having all these years. One of those new ones was on the '57 for 4 years, and as you said, was replaced for the Holley with which I've had a measure of success recently.

Having said that, I'd recommend keeping the CC q-jet, as that is "as close to fuel injection" as you can get with a carb. The self-adjusting feature of the primaries really is nice. Mine is the later version, which includes the knock sensor, so that may be part of my "success" and explain why others have so many more problems. You didn't say what the primary use of your vehicle will be: If primarily a daily driver, with occasional 1320 duty, then this recommendation is especially strong.

If you really want to go backwards to mechanical open loop, then the 600 Holley is probably the right choice as mods progress (the 450 is fine for a stock 305). Rebuild it, get a power valve protecting check valve for it, then be prepared to spend some time dialing it in - jets, power valve, accelerator pump cam, secondary opening, etc. That is, after you get it mounted - you didn't say what intake you have or will use, what tranny you have, or what type of carb this is. If stock intake, you'll have to adapt or replace the manifold. If auto, you'll need TV cable bracketry. If the carb is a DP and you have auto, you'd better get a higher stall converter or never plan on WOT off the line. If VS, consider the Quick Fuel secondary housing I've raved about recently.

I have been very impressed with the Holley lately. Frankly, though, the best time the car turned was with the q-jet until recently when the 3.73 gears went in. Last Friday, with the gears and Holley rejetted once again, I had the best and most consistent 60' & 1320' ET's I've ever had. In bracket racing, that's worth more than fastest ever time.

You didn't list any mechanical q-jets in your arsenal, so I wouldn't recommend spending the money getting one. But, the Stage II would probably be a better choice than the SA, simply because you already have a Holley that will do the trick (assuming the type - VS or DP - matches your tranny) - and I don't have much respect for the SA's in general, money-for-what-you-get wise. If you're going to spend that kind of money, get a Demon.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice as you go along.

 

OK! Hi again! :hail: five7kid! Thanks for the reply, and I apologize for not giving the proper info in the first place (I should have KNOWN to give those other specs!! DUH!)

Anyway, right now, it's a mostly stock 305 non-HO (I don't know why, I've got most of the other performance options on the car!) with 3.73 gears, new posi, new disc brakes (!), factory alum. intake, changing to a Weiand (probably Action+) dual later. Will mostly be a driver (but not daily) with an occasional blast down the 1/4 mi. Has the factory T5 (rebuilt by me!) maybe going to Tremec later.

I guess the main reason why I don't want to keep the CC Qjet is because I don't want to keep the CC dizzy. From what I understand, one requires the use of the other. I don't like the fact that I can't tune the advance curve, no matter how fast the computer advance works. I guess I just don't trust that I'm getting the most out of it.

I also have read the Roe book on qjets and must admit, a lot of it I don't really understand, but then again, I've never put one on the workbench / kitchen table and step-by-step worked it either (yet!)

Anyway, sorry for the long post (again) and thanks so much for the reply!

TTYL!

P.S. Many of my buddies over here that have gotten Demons were not very happy with them once they finally got them. QA defects shipped, tunability problems, tech support, you name it, they had problems! I'm pretty sure I WON'T be getting one of those! (or E'brock for that matter, for the same type of reasons!)