Since I'm not driving my 91 RS as much as I used to, I'm thinking about switching from TBI to Carb for easier tuning and more power. It's a built 350 with Vortec Heads and a LT4 hotcam. It's also a stick shift car.

If I switch, what should I get? My dad likes Holleys. But the older he gets, the more he's liking Eldebrock. And his 1935 pickup has a QJet and it works awesome! I'm split. I'm more on the Holley side though. I like screwing around and I don't care about gas mileage as much as I used too. Any recommendations would be great help!

 

i had an Edelbrock 1910 Quadrajet (it's the 850cfm one, they don't make them any more) on almost that exact same engine in my Nova, and it was awesome.. perfect throttle response at any rpm and it pulled past 7000 rpm like nothing... it would also average 17mpg on long trips down the interstate at 80mph with no overdrive and 3.70 gears, and also average 17mpg in normal daily driving at 60mph.. it didn't matter how you drove it- 17mpg is what it calculated to at the next fill up..

 

I've been hearing good things about the Street Demon carb. You can order the 625 version through Advance Auto for around $270, last time I checked.

 

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hly-0-6210

 

I was curious and looked at the price of one. I saw one on eBay for $700 used.

 

i should have mentioned that the qjet that i'm running is pretty much just the carb that was used on 454's in trucks with a couple of tweaks done to it... so a $50 junkyard carb with a $35 kit and some tuning will be all you need.

 

Does everybody put too big of carbs on? Two people I know have similar motors and both have 750 carbs on their S10s.

 

The one sofa linked to was a 650.

 

I know. That's my point. My dad says that everybody over feeds their motors. He thinks a 650 would be perfect. And sofa does too. A 750 would probably run a little too fat.

 

Ah, I see. Yeah, I think a 650 would be fine for you and your application.

I run a 750 double pumper and love it, but my set up is a bit different than what you're running.

 

650

 

What do you think dmccain? Should I switch form TBI to carb? Or should I pay $550 for a tune? You've been with this build since the beginning. I'm considering this dyno tune.

 

With a modified car like yours man I would have to go carb. More people will be able to help you work on it because it is familiar to most folks. In a stock or mildly warmed car I do like fuel injection. It can be a nightmare when it gives you problems and no one wants to work on it though. Then go ahead and sell me that stock L03 chip while youre at it LOL..

 

get a good tune and leave it youre ahead of the carb game

 

Most people tend to over carb and over cam engines. Yours would do very well with a 600-670 cfm carb.

I like Edelbrock carbs for street engines, and holley carbs for race use or more radical street/strip cars.

You do not need nor want a double pumper. A vac sec. 600-670 is what you need.

I run a 750 holley HP double pumper on my camaro and as an example here is a short spec list of that engine and car.
355, 10.34:1, Brodix IK 200 heads, solid 249/252@.050", .570"/.579" lift, 106 lsa, 3500 stall 9.5" converter, th-400 trans, ford 9" 3.89 gears. I shift at 7200-7300 rpm

My S10, I run an edelbrock 600 cfm carb, it's a 355, vortec heads, 214/224@.050" cam, .480"/.512" lift, 2800 stall, th-350, 3.42 gear

 

That's one awesome build you have on your camaro! I thought you want a double pumper with a stick shift. Or am I wrong?

 

Thank you man. It's been a long road getting there. Darn thing still is not finished. I still need to paint it.

Want, need, and can use are all 3 very different things. A manual trans car can 'get away' with a double pumper carb where an auto trans car can't.

These mild engines like yours and my S10 engine don't need a DP carb, but your with a stick could get away with one and run ok, where my S10 being auto would have more driveabilty probs trying to use a DP carb

 

Thanks for the advise!

 

Ok one last question... If I get my TBI tuned, will I be losing any power compared to a carb?

 

What's that? Is there like a "tuned" store I've been missing all these years? Maybe right next door to the "life" store (I hope)?

An auto trans car can work perfectly fine with a man sec carb. That's why the one I posted has been the "stock replacement" for 327 and 350 4-bbl all these years. All ya gotta do, AT MOST, is teach your driver how to use the gas pedal with less violence and prejudice than, say, stomping on a cockroach.

 

Where's the fun in that?!

 

Hey now, everynow and again one comes out from under the carpet and ya just gotta kill it

I agree though, my car is an auto and has a dp

 

Entry level carbs are fairly cheap and your best finding the carb with the most items that work with your car as is and the least items that dont. First would be a square bore or spread bore to fit your square bore or spread bore intake that u choose to run. Next is the carb with matching fuel line side and least changes to your fuel line/filter. Most important is the throttle assembly. U more than likely will need an adjustable throttle bracket to ensure the throttle fully opens and closes though its possible u can find something from a donor car/carb that will work. Dont laugh but getting the throttle to work fully can be a major headache. Finally what kind of choke are u going to use. Most conversions and current production carbs use electric choke but u need to know what kind u want and can use.

If u are new to carbs then dont waste your money on anything fancy until u know what u want. I kinda like the new Summit brand carbs (rebranded Holley design) and I think the new Street Demon is pretty cool but u have to make sure that secondary single blade (on the Demon) fits your chosen intake. The old Carter style carb sold by Edelbrock is simple, with few flaws, rock solid steady once tuned and cheap but not as good a performance carb as others but again it a bargain at its price.


As for losing power i doubt it and if u move onto higher performance the TBI would be a road block.


Hope this helps and good luck.