POLL: Which is your favorite carb(s) of choice?

[flyfish]

I'm a racer, and I drive my car on the street. For me, its Holley hands down because they make the good power, and they are consistent at the track....so I guess you can add me to the "Holley=Performance" group, with the caveat of ONLY IF it is tuned properly.

Wow...that's a pretty open-ended statement!
An Elephant-Quad like that wouldn't run worth a damn on any kind of street machine, much less a small-block.
What are you running it on, and what would you run on a normal street-strip or bracket racer?

This quote tells me that you don't race, which also explains why you don't understand how someone could use a carb like that on a "street car". I have seen many small blocks with 1050's on them...heck, my small block could easily handle a 1050 dom and would more than likely go faster than my current carb that I built.

So I ask you, why do you think they won't run worth a hoot on a street car, much less a small block ((HINT HINT....its is the same reasons you have been preaching about the TQ))...............That's right, you don't know how to tune it.

 

[Captainkirk]

No its because they actually want to Win..

So....A 'winning' car with a Holley would become a 'losing' car after bolting on a properly tuned TQ?
Seriously?
Good to know...all I have to do to win a race is bolt on a Holley.
And that's why the Chrysler engineers chose the TQ for virtually every four barrel carb setup beginning in 1971...including every factory performance package outside of the 2X4 setups and the six-pak?

 

[rumblefish360]

Which is your favorite carb (or carbs) of choice? Vote in the poll and give some details on your reasoning in the thread!

Here is the basic question of the thread again for those of you tuning in late or have forgotten.
The Capt., IIRC, isn't building a race car.

 

[Captainkirk]

This quote tells me that you don't race, which also explains why you don't understand how someone could use a carb like that on a "street car".

By any cfm calculator available, 1050 cfm is WAY over-carbed on the street for a smallie, especially with a double pumper/manual secondary carb such as the Dom.
No, I do not race. My experience is all street-related.
Hell, a tunnel ram with 2X4 will outperform the Dom in many cases, but you don't see many on the street. Not that they (or the Dom) won't run, but a smaller 4V will do the job better.

So I ask you, why do you think they won't run worth a hoot on a street car, much less a small block ((HINT HINT....its is the same reasons you have been preaching about the TQ))...............That's right, you don't know how to tune it.

I never claimed to know how to tune a Dominator. I've never owned one.
They are a great strip carb from what I've heard.
I said it before, I'll say it again; I love Holleys. What...you're not allowed to like more than one carb?

 

[Captainkirk]

Here is the basic question of the thread again for those of you tuning in late or have forgotten.
The Capt., IIRC, isn't building a race car.

Correct, Rob...I'm not.

Actually, I just wanted to get everyone's opinion on their FAVORITE carb and/or what they prefer, not hear about how such and such is a piece of garbage.
That doesn't add anything to the conversation and won't help any newbies to the site or to Mopar choose a carb.

 

[fnaramore]

Oh this is the best place to ask opinions about carbs! XD I remember when I first got on here and asked that question, four-five replies in it didnt become much better than this lol. Everyone likes to come out on top, whether it's a competition or not

 

[stroked340]

So....A 'winning' car with a Holley would become a 'losing' car after bolting on a properly tuned TQ?
Seriously?

Never said that.. basically NO one is using them is what i said..

As for T.Q. being used in h.p. applications..there we're no "real" h.p. applications after '1970..

 

[66fs]

Street is harder than Race. I've seen and made all carbs work for their intended purpose. If you think only Holleys are in the winners circle then you have not been around much. I've seen Holley, Rochester and Carter there. I've run all three on daily drivers. The ones that impressed me the most were the TQ and the 440 AVS. The Rochester was right behind them If you want to have your mind opened talk to real racers that are really good. They do not have to brow beat anyone. Their performance speaks for itself. Usually they will tell you most of how they got there and what they are using. I'm lucky to have known more than a few. I dismiss magazines and people that are one way only. I know you can get there with most decent carbs.

 

[adriver]

The one not listed, Rochester Quadrajet, 358K miles daily driven on just one rebuild. Thirty (30) years old and still sucking gas like a champ.

Yea, what he said. Remarkable in that the engineers could make it work on any engine with a little tweeking.
Not finicky in the least either.

 

[Pana.Mopar]

Quickfuel for me.

 

[rumblefish360]

Never said that.. basically NO one is using them is what i said..

As for T.Q. being used in h.p. applications..there we're no "real" h.p. applications after '1970..

Well, I half agree. While the HP engines post '72 were not like they used to be from '72 & down, they still made the then HP engine versions.

What the thee makes has Holley carbs on there engines post '72?
Which model were they?
Standard production everyday cars or Hi-Po editions only?
I think one off's or rare/odd combo's are exempt as there more specialty than standard or low run Hi-Po cars.

 

[Captainkirk]

Never said that.. basically NO one is using them is what i said..

Fair enough. I happen to like them, and really don't care what others do or don't do. Either it works for me, or it doesn't. Holleys work. So does the TQ, for me, anyway.

As for T.Q. being used in h.p. applications..there we're no "real" h.p. applications after '1970..

Kind of hard to debate that one...they started eviscerating musclecars as early as '68, although the 340 didn't get seriously hacked until '72 when they dropped the compression to 8.5:1 and intake valve size to 1.88......The TQ was installed on the '71 Duster and did very well on that car. Actually, the '70 Duster with the AVS was quite respectable as well.

 

[Cuprum-74]

A little old but I still like it:
http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/bb/25.html

That Carter 750 AFB did extremely well when stacked against the Holley style counterparts.

I've rebuilt quite a few Carter AFB's. I like them. I'm about ready to switch out my 25+ yr old carter AFB 625 with an Edel 650 AVS. We'll see how it goes. This is my first Edelbrock carb.

But I voted Thermoquad. My father use to have one on his old Ramcharger. That thing sounded mean when the secondaries opened. He knew how to tune the darn thing. I was too stubborn and impatient to learn from him (hey I was 18 and thought I knew everything)... Now I regret it, It is something I will have to learn eventually as he forgot how to tune one for the most part.

That 1984 Ramcharger had a 360 and it averaged 13 to 14.5 mpg on the freeway.
It then started bogging real bad and I didn't want to deal with it anymore so... I then bought an AFB and stuck it on there, it averaged 11-12 at first. That's when I learned how to tune those damn things. However the best I can get it to go was 13.5 on a good day. Still pretty damn good for a 4500 lbs barn door with all-terrains.

So, I now have a hodge-podge of three Carter AFB's in peices, and three various thermoquads I have collected sitting in my garage. I also have two Rochesters (one from a Pontiac 400 and one from an 88 dodge ram).

I am going to crack the Thermoquad code one of these days.

And the beauty of it is that this site is a treasure trove of knowledge.

And yes, I'm not a big fan of the Holley's (sorry Holley fans). Although I think Quickfuel may be worth looking into.

Those new TQ style Street Demons are interesting, reviews seem to be mainly positive.

And I did find a 1960's Chrysler New Yorker(?) in a salvage yard with what appears to be a very old AFB ancestor on it, I know it has a big block in it, I'm just curious if its something worth looking into. It sure is kinda weird looking.

Sorry for writing a book here...

 

[66fs]

Never said that.. basically NO one is using them is what i said..

As for T.Q. being used in h.p. applications..there we're no "real" h.p. applications after '1970..

The cut off is 1971, so you are wrong. 1971 340 had the TQ from the factory. 1972 was the beginning of the end of most HP engines mostly because of the loss of compression. Everything, cam, carb, heads, intakes, were still there except 2 points of compression and lower octane fuel.

 

[flyfish]

Cap: Since you said this thread is intended for learning I'll add one more thing for the sake of learning. Again, this is from my view point as a racer that drives my car on the street. I need my car to tread that thin line of being street-able, and a winning bracket car.

By any cfm calculator available, 1050 cfm is WAY over-carbed on the street for a smallie, especially with a double pumper/manual secondary carb such as the Dom.
.........

For a race car, or a serious street strip car, you can't go by the cfm calculators. Your perfomance oriented cars will almost always go quicker (make more power) with a bigger carb than suggested by a cfm calculator (to a point, without going too big). This is largely due to the fact that many race engines achieve greater than 100% volumetric efficiency, and the generic cfm calculators for carbs don't take that into account. There are MANY examples of guys running their 4150 style carb (like a 750dp), swapping to a 4500 style (like a 1050 dominator) and picking up 2-4 tenths in the 1/4 mile (sometimes more)....So no, its not over carbed if the person driving the car is someone like me, a racer that drives his car on the street who wants consistency/max power/ and the car to be street-able (in that order).

No, I do not race. My experience is all street-related.
Hell, a tunnel ram with 2X4 will outperform the Dom in many cases, but you don't see many on the street. Not that they (or the Dom) won't run, but a smaller 4V will do the job better..........

Actually, a single dominator on a single plane intake will usually out perform a T-ram with 2x4 setup (power wise).

 

[stroked340]

Quickfuel for me.

Now your talking my 850 is the "best" carb i ever bought...

 

[Johnny Dart]

For what im doing, I like the Edelbrocks. The ease of tunning, and the set and forget aspect, works for me.
I also like the way they hook up to the factory linkage, with no fuss.

For my 360 car I have found the Ede Thunder Series 650 works very well.

 

[73 Swinger 8]

Since I'm new and really out of my league. I had an Eddy 650 on my 304 in a Javelin, a Holley 600 on my 318 in a Dart, never saw a TQ, but the K551 Weber has been roaring my 258 in my Jeep on and off road since 1997. Hopefully the years of knowledge you all have will help me make an informed decision with my new toy, 1973 dart w/ 318.

 

[MoparDaddy]

Ive had the fewest issues with Holley, Ive only had 1 problematic Quadrajet at my own fault, and have yet to have a decent Eddie. The Eddie on my RC isnt the worst unit ive ever dealt though. I think with a pair of qualified hands that it could have the potential to be an ok carb

 

[Captainkirk]

Cap: Since you said this thread is intended for learning I'll add one more thing for the sake of learning. Again, this is from my view point as a racer that drives my car on the street. I need my car to tread that thin line of being street-able, and a winning bracket car.
For a race car, or a serious street strip car, you can't go by the cfm calculators. Your perfomance oriented cars will almost always go quicker (make more power) with a bigger carb than suggested by a cfm calculator (to a point, without going too big). This is largely due to the fact that many race engines achieve greater than 100% volumetric efficiency, and the generic cfm calculators for carbs don't take that into account. There are MANY examples of guys running their 4150 style carb (like a 750dp), swapping to a 4500 style (like a 1050 dominator) and picking up 2-4 tenths in the 1/4 mile (sometimes more)....So no, its not over carbed if the person driving the car is someone like me, a racer that drives his car on the street who wants consistency/max power/ and the car to be street-able (in that order).

Yep...and there's the rub, I believe.
Back in the 70's everyone and his brother tried to emulate the Big Boys at the track by bolting on an 850 Double Pumper regardless of manifold, engine size or configuration....and consequently ended up making their cars slower or ended up with bad street manners as a result. There's a fine line between having an everyday driver, a true street/strip car, and a racer that most newbies don't know how to dance around....hence Holley recommending vac secondary carbs for street cars. Even though you can actually tune the right DP configuration to smoke a Holley VS carb if you know what you are doing. Probably much the same with a Dom...if you know how to tune it to your engine combo, you can probably make it run well.
A lot of guys back in the day used to bust my chops for running such a small Holley (650DP) but couldn't figure out why my car was so damn fast. It was because my combo was fine-tuned while they just strapped on the biggest Holley they could find figuring "bigger is better" and it generally wasn't.
At the strip, you probably nail it to the floor WFO and let 'er rip

 

[66fs]

A friend of mine had a 68 Chevelle, 396 4 speed with a 850 DP. Would pull hard once it wound up. Ran 18 sec in the 1/4 mile. Rebuilt the Original QJ for him and it had so much torque he fried the clutch next time out. Then he went back to the 850 DP??? Combination for sure.

 

[Captainkirk]

A friend of mine had a 68 Chevelle, 396 4 speed with a 850 DP. Would pull hard once it wound up. Ran 18 sec in the 1/4 mile. Rebuilt the Original QJ for him and it had so much torque he fried the clutch next time out. Then he went back to the 850 DP??? Combination for sure.

Didn't they put the QJs on some of the early 'vettes?

 

[66fs]

How early? They came with everything under the sun. WCFB, AFB, AVS, QJ, and Holley. Actually probably more depending on engine and year.

 

[qkcuda]

I have run a TQ, AFB, AVS, Edelbrock, and Holley vacuum and DP. My choice is the Holley. They are much more tunable than the Carter style carbs, and less prone to heat soak and vapor lock.

 

[stroked340]

A friend of mine had a 68 Chevelle, 396 4 speed with a 850 DP. Would pull hard once it wound up. Ran 18 sec in the 1/4 mile. Rebuilt the Original QJ for him and it had so much torque he fried the clutch next time out. Then he went back to the 850 DP??? Combination for sure.

18 seconds