im just wondering how good/bad these carbs are...either way, they look phat as hell

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...15&prmenbr=361

 

You know, I've asked this on here before because I was interested in running one as well. They're supposed to be simple as hell to tune. They used to be really cheap--about the same price as a Holley DP, but as with everything else that catches on, the price goes up. Someone on here is running one, but I'm not sure who it is. I knew a guy in high school who had one on his 60's chevelle and it ran and sounded bad a$$. I didn't go with one because of hood clearance issues (they're really tall) and I would have to fab up my own linkage for the tranny cable, but if you have a 5-spd or th 350 or 400 then that doesn't matter much. I really, really, really want to build a car (or truck) around one of these carbs one day, though.

 

It really hasn't caught on. With everything, the quantity will eventually get all the support, hence the success of Holley and Carter.
I don't really understand what the variable venturi design is trying to accomplish other than it might have the ability to get better atomization at lower engine speeds. In any case, it seems more complicated than it has to be AND if it was any noticably better than TBI at atomizing the fuel and reliable you could bet GM would have used something similar instead of going to EFI. Frankly, I don't like them BUT I would definatly get excited to see a nice project built with it. Anything out of the ordinary that gets the job done as well or better will always make me smile .
I hope the member that has one will see this and post. I'd like to hear his opinion and if he's tried a Holley yet.

 

I think the guy that used them may be called AFBCamaro or something like that.

JPrevost: Lots of motorcycles use or used to use variable venturi carb. The reason why GM probably didn't use them is because of emissions restrictions. They tend to run better a little on the rich side, say 13.7:1, besides can you really count on GM to make intelligent decisions regarding induction design? Can you say Crossfire Injection? Or how about Central Port Injection (in my opinion even worse than crossfire or TBI. Thank *** no thirdgens got stuck with CPI. My wife's blazer has it)? Anyways, not trying to start a flame war about induction systems. I think that the predator would catch on if given a chance. A lot of off-roaders use them, too, because apparently, they can run at funny angles. There are even stories of them being able to run upside-down, but this has more to do with the fuel bowl design than anything. I will use one someday, even if it is years from now. I've had wet dreams about predator carbs since high school.

 

the thing i dont understand, and this may very well be due to me not seeing one in persom, is how they flow so well with a SQUARE more....literally a damn square inlet for the air, youd thing a circle would be the better design in allowing the most air to efficiantly go into the engine....but ...like i said i havent seen or held one in person so ....it may be alittle more to it than a square air inlet .....but they DO look SICK.....also....i see what you mean about having the linkage hook up to it.....but im surw we could fabricate a some sheet metal to get it to work......id just like ot pup the hood and see it sitting there..lol

 

I've heard about them. I am wanting to try one too. If I could run one legally around here I would try it. Basically they run like the secondary side of a Q-jet or a fancy european carb. Basically they meter fuel in direct relation to air flow. More air, more fuel, less air, less fuel. They supposidly fit all carb bolt patterns including spreadbore. If you want to learn more they have a web page but I can't remember it right now (will look it up later) I wonder what they would do for gas mileage??

 

we used to use them back in the day....they were huge in monster truck racing if anyone remembers.....

there are like 6 of them hanging out in our shop right now.....they work good really, but they dont work as good at low speed and idle as something like a demon with 4 corner idle will

 

PROBLEM IS THEY DONT HAVE ANY TYPE OF VAC PORTS...SO HOW DO YOU RUN A VAC ADVANCE DISTRUBUTOR??

 

you can get spacers that have vac ports

 

oh yeah, just what you need with a 6 inch tall carb...a FRIGGIN SPACER!!! heh...i seriously doubt thatd fit under our hoods....itd take a hood with a hole cut in it for that sucker to fit....

i just want the carb for sheer shock value "wtf is that???" "its my carb"

"what cfm??" "600-950" ....variable lol...

so it being literal square bores in the carb doesnt hurt the flow?? id think a circle bore would be the best most perfect you could get with the least amount of air disruption/turbulance....

 

I think theres a reason nobody runs Predators and you can also find plenty of them on Ebay and other classifieds sites in "new condition" I wonder why? Oh thats right, they must suck.

 

I have no idea about how well they work, but I think they look like ***. Why would you want something under your hood that besides being huge, looks like it should be in a freezer making ice. The only way I could see running one is if the outperformed everything else dramatically because I just dont like the look.

Ben

 

we used them for years....they work great, very reliable too.....i wouldnt use it for the street though...they work well for off roading because they put up with steep angles and shock very well

 

Yes I understand thats pretty much their only strong point... I posted a few questions on Predators (dead) message board about looking for non-biased Holley vs Predator articles. 1 Guy replied with something he read in a magazine in 1989 about how a Predator went 7 tenths faster than a Holley. Yeah RIGHT. Maybe 7 tenths faster than a completely untuned Holley that someone threw against a wall.

Once again, I never used one but there has gotta be a good reason nobody uses them at the dragstrip. Its like I don't gotta use a Edelbrock to know a Holley is superior (performance wise). Why risk spending $500+ on a Predator when you can get yourself a Holley HP series for the same price - a carb thats proven to perform to its fulliest and be dependable.

 

probably for the same reason that some people love/use quadrajets

 

that a fact?:lala:

 

Yes. Your Edelbrock may work for you but that doesn't mean they're just as good as Holley. How many 9-10-11 second cars do you know with Edelbrock carbs? None, because there isn't any. Why? Because Holley works better (PERFORMANCE wise)

 

*shrug*

its a carb designed for specific application.

when you try to use it outside that application, it doesnt work as well.


its like trying to use a dominator carb on a 305 on the street.... sure you could do it, but there are other methods that work better.


predator carbs arnt going out because they suck... they're going out for the same reasons all carbs do.... fuel injection is being adapted to their app...
a predator carb can run at extreme angles..... FI can run upside down... heh...

look at monster trucks and mud racers...and tractor pullers... they all used to use that carb... some still do, but most just swapped to FI.

 

ya, mechanical fuel injection hehe

 

i never said EFI... hehe

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...light=predator

This is the link to a previous tread with information on them. Check out were i posted. I ended up putting some on my blown chevy and had to take them off. They were the race version so they idled high and have no money for two of the street version ones (low idler). Its a street motor after all. and the biggest reason for getting rid of them is that they made the motor act violent.

I swear I have tried almost every carb (exept q-jet) with the blown motor and none i swear this to G O D felt the same. I even had some dominators on there and they were the closest thing. If anybody gets one try getting a new or near new one. And I would not mind helping you set it up correctly.


Take care guys

 

Thats probably because you have never met anyone that truly tuned an edelbrock. An edelbrock is as good as any vacuum secondary carb. As far as 9, 10, 11 second cars, I have seen a few. My brothers neighbor has a 70 chevelle, dynoed 528hp. With an edelbrock carb. Dont know what kinda 1/4 it would run, but the power is there. He is definately not the only guy I know making 500+hp with an edelbrock.

 

When I first bolted it on my 400 small block 82 TA back around 1992 I said HOLLY ****!!!!!!! with 1/4 throttle it would put you back in the seat like 3/4 throttle would on my tuned 750 CFM Holley that propelled my 3750 lb. with driver TA to 11.04 @ 123 MPH on pump gas and 3.70 gears back then but after a lot of tuning on two different Predators; the tuned 750 was still a 1/10 but more like two quicker. I tried my best to get the predator tuned because of the part throttle response that this thing had. Bottom line= Holley or like carb. PS: I run a 1050 cfm on this street car now.

 

Curious what kind of cam were you using on the 400? I to this day havent felt that kind of push from dare i say even fuel injection.

 

It was a Isky hyd. roller (246/246 dur. @ .050 with a 110 lobe sep. angle and if I remember correctly it had about .585 lift with 1.6 rockers. and installed at what ever int. centerline that Ron Isky recomended.) 1 3/4" supercomp. Hooker Headers. 34 degrees total timing in by about 3200/3500 rpm's. Victor single plane manifold. PS: 135 psi seat pressure and 360 psi over the nose valve spring pressure. This is about the limit that hyd. lifters can take (more spring pressure= most rpm's before float) althrough the car never went more than 6000 rpm's anywhere on the track and I could get high 1.4's 60 fts. I almost forgot. A guy I knew back then had a 355 blown 72 camaro which was very impressive, so he tried me on the street and I must tell the truth; all he saw was tail lights that got smaller.

 

I was about to complement you on your cam selection until your last comment. LOL

To be honest that cams seems very stout, definatly a brouser. I was going to compliment you more but you killed it with the blown 355 remark, im a little sensitive about that. LOL

Ill race you though!!! MAUAHAHAHAH

 

I had to edit to put that in and I knew it was not needed but it was the only time a (good) guy actually came to my door to call me out. He knew how my car ran, he just wanted to see how his would stack-up and maybe kick my a$$ at the same time because at that time he had not had the car to the track yet. That cam may be a little large for a 355.

 

its not (the cam in the 355).

AFB:
I ran the same setup except w/a little better parts.. 383 sbc, Dart Iron Eagle 215cc heads, Nitrous HP 284 cam (or 282..whichever is the biggest they had), Hampton 6-71 blower, dual 650 dp carbs, 7.8:1 CR, 6# boost..ran 11.35 without messing with anything. This was in a 68 Camaro. Your carbs are too small.. mine were. If you have a good bottom end, crank up the boost to 15# and have some real fun. You can get that 355 to put out some good #'s (your heads will limit your output though).. Got some pics of your car?

10 sec: I'm like you though.. BBC now in my 3rd gen..but going w/a Vortech YSi trim blower w/same setup (other then a piston swap)

 

Well then I CALL YOU OUT

 

who, me? dude, I'm offering suggestions etc. I'm a fan of roots blowers.. but if you're calling me out, you'd better bring more then a 355 w/a 6-71. Besides you're in Florida so I can only whoop you in bench racing.

 

No not you BDR. Was actually talking to 10 sec. Im just teasing 10 sec he seems to have a fast ride so he is easy bothered. I know we people with quick rides jump to easily LOL. NO 10 sec, I didnt say im faster than you! LOL I might be though. :-)

Actually when when i posted the call out message I didnt even have my page refreshed I didnt even know you had posted BDR until now, my apologies if you thought that was for you. This message was supposed to go directly under 10 secs last post. you probably posted as I was starting to write the post.

BDR- I ported the heads pretty well, I still know they are not close to what i want but this thing has set me back quite a bit of bucks(im very poor). So i had to cheap out on some things, mostly everything. My next purchase is on suspension. It is stock. Car flexes quite a bit so have to address that.I mainly wanted to have a cruiser for now until more money rolls in and didnt want to wait till i could actually afford a real tranny and heads, and rear end, and suspension and etc.

I mainly got set on these carbs becauise of visibility. Side to side carbs limit it drastically in a car that i intend to drive on the street. But definatly when i had 1860cfm of carburation the motor was a different animal.

6# of boost and run in the 11s is pretty neat. Im going to sell something now to get real heads! LOL . Ill post the pics of the car tomorow.

Take care guys!!!

 

I look forward to seeing your car. I am a big fan of roots blown cars.. you cant beat the looks you get and it MOVES when you get on it. I scraped a little also.. I ran 5.565" 400 rods w/ARP pro series wave loc bolts, TRW pistons, a SCAT steel crank. But that motor can take a pounding.. go to my site I have vids of the car @ the track and of it idling. Post some vid clips also if you can.

-Alex

 

My best ET this year in drive and through full exhaust with this 3950 lb. with driver 9.5 compression oval port pump gas big block bracket warrior that I am thinking about pressurerising is 10.49 @129.88 and if you want to check it out go to: intensephotos.com (than) to Capitol raceway (than) to August 7 and veiw page 1, Red "82" TA with a cowl hood. PS: This used to be my daily driver until the 87 black Buick (pressurerised V6) that I drive now and the Buick is a faster car due to some slight mods than the bracket warrior is and gets much better mileage to boot. PS: DON'T BE SHEER TO TAKE A LOOK!!!!! Oh and in Book 7, page 1020, paragraph 14, line 23 of "HP FOR YOU" it state's very clearly that the key to HP begins with the "HEADS" man.:hail: and I am glad to see you guys bonding, just makes me feel all warmeeee inside.:lala: :lala: