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What is it with edelbrock carbs.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Brahm, May 13, 2010.

  1. I run 3 factory Holleys on my Falcon,Tri power if you will. All set to factory specs. 735 CFM total on a 260 CI SBF. Runs like a champ. I run 2 600 Holleys on my Roadster. Factory Ford 2x4 intake. 1200 cfm on a 302 CI SBF ! it screams. But this set up was no picnic to tune. Primary jets are stock but secondary jets are one size smaller than stock with 7.5 power valves. Air fuel ratio is 12 to 1 from 2000 to 7000. It runs a bit fatter from 1100 to 2000.
    I have overtime run both AFBs and Holleys. Just seem to like Holleys better.
     
  2. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,673

    Deuces

    X100... Ditto! You said it! I totally agree with what this guys sez! :D :)
     
  3. Johnny1290
    Joined: Apr 20, 2006
    Posts: 2,834

    Johnny1290
    Member

    I have an edelbrock on my mild 350 and it works great, except that after a few days the float bowls empty.

    I've picked up some holleys the last few weeks because they were cheap or free. They're kinda fun to rebuild, they're just so simple. I have a 525,600, and 650, so one of those ought to run alright.

    I have to think with so many different opinions on them, and experoences, it probably comes down to how well someone knows how to tune it.

    That, and the same messed up carbs being swapped around craigslist! ;-)
     
  4. I've always liked the looks of the Holley better so thats what I learned to tune. Even had a guy call once and said his Holley had an off idle miss. I told him what to do over the phone and he had it running great in no time. I know the guy who has the truck now and it still runs great. I buy demons now when I buy carbs (same as Holley design) and have had no problems. And look a whole lot better than Edelbrocks.
     
  5. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,131

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    I've run a Holley on my '57 for years, and aside from a few hiccups, usually not caused by the carb itself, it has run flawlessly and provided outstanding performance and reliability. I've also used Edelbrocks on a past build, and I have one on my '63 Ford with a 289. Both Edelbrocks have run reasonably well, but never as well as the Holley, and both have gotten awful fuel milage, even for the application.
     
  6. BigBlockMopar
    Joined: Feb 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,361

    BigBlockMopar
    Member

    A proper designed carb doesn't have gaskets below fuellevel that can dry out and start to fucking leak and burn your car down the next time you start your heap. :)
     
  7. 64cheb
    Joined: Sep 27, 2010
    Posts: 74

    64cheb
    Member

    It seems to me that Holleys will run well the first time it is tuned, but gets thrown off. I am personally an AFB person. Only when something within goes bad, they are tough to tune. The strip kit you can get has helped me with any of my Edelbrock/AFB problems. Edelbrock carbs work well on cars, horrible on Harleys.
     
  8. QuadQuad
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 87

    QuadQuad
    Member

    Had a conversation (limited conversation at best) with the Edelbrock/Carter carb tech line years ago..."the 600-650cfm carbs are set up to run on small block fords and chevys with mild RV camshafts"....this is what the rep told me about where the "baseline bench settings from factory" came from...Maybe he did not really know and that was a good guess, I dunno.
    Thus, to this "bolt on and Go" success SOME people have had...I'm jealous, never had such luck with any performance carb of any pedigree outta the box. Maybe it's because I'm too picky about responsiveness and performance.

    HeHeHe...bolt and go carbs...makes me chuckle :D
    Then again, most people think dizzys are also "bolt on and go" too :eek:
    leave that topic for another time ;)
    -QQ
     
  9. jamn47
    Joined: Jan 3, 2011
    Posts: 135

    jamn47
    Member

    I've always had good luck with holleys. It's all about the tunning, and matching components. I've run several tunnel ram setups on various Fords I have owned, They all ran great on the street with Holley's when properly dialed in. It's not rocket science but you do have to do a little homework. Proper jetting and shooter sizes, to drilling butterflies, with large overlap cams make a world of difference.
     
  10. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,673

    Deuces

    Tuning carbs is so much easier if you have a vacuum gauge and a tach.. Learn how to use both and you'll become a carb tuning wizard in no time... Kinda like yours truely... :D..:rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
  11. xhotrodder
    Joined: Jul 2, 2009
    Posts: 1,665

    xhotrodder
    Member

    I've had bad luck with Holleys and nothing but good luck with Edelbrock.
     
  12. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,673

    Deuces

    Did you take the time to "fine tune" the Holley??? Probably not...
     
  13. I will take a Q jet over a AFB/AVS/ any day of the week the problem is people dont rebuild the lower body and they suck air. If you drill out the butter fly shafts and press in new bushings they will out perform a AFB/AVS all day long shave the pump 10.000 and pick up lower flow and they will kick ass. love the new holley street avangers carb out the box close the hood.
     
  14. spoons
    Joined: Jan 1, 2004
    Posts: 1,738

    spoons
    Member
    from ohio

    Biggest problem is that everybody bolts them (edelbrocks) on and wants to forget about "it". Edelbrocks Want only 4-4.5 lbs. fuel pressure and many of us bolt them on our SBC's or whatever motors and gripe because they run "fat" at idle. No adjustment in the world will fix it till the fuel pressure is right.
    Most rebuilt "stock" pumps put out more than is needed and need to regulated down.
    I've been a Holley guy all my life and like to tune and tweak. I had a Edelbrock 1406 ele. choke unit that I couldn't get to run worth a crap either. I fiddled, turned, tweaked until I was in fits. I finally went to the edelbrock booth @ the US Nationals and told the Tech. rep "carbs aren't worth a shit". I told him my problem and he told me the fix: FUEL PRESSURE. He told me to bring the car in and he'd check it over. I used my buddies entrant pass went in and they put it behind the booth and went through it. Found only 1 thing wrong, FUEL PESSURE!!!
    They went and got a regulator, put it on for free, tweaked the carb, free, and sent me and my Hot Rod Home, running Good!!
    Moral of story, Just because it's "Stock Rebuilt or new" doesn't mean it is.

    After 51 years of living, I find too many guys on here who can't and don't take the time to find out how to do something correctly. I stiil ask questions, and will always ask till I understand the "fix".
     
  15. carbking
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
    Posts: 3,714

    carbking
    Member

    In 1964, the largest AFB was a 950, not a 650.

    e-clone a vast improvement??????? over what?

    Jon.
     
  16. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,723

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    that goes both ways...

    yeah yeah yeah, we know you don't like the Edelbrocks.
     
  17. rustyford40
    Joined: Nov 20, 2007
    Posts: 2,168

    rustyford40
    Member
    from Mass Bay

    I had a Holley that ran like shit I replaced it with a Edelbrock an never had a problem. That was 3 years and 18,000 miles ago.
     
  18. newpy383
    Joined: Mar 30, 2007
    Posts: 113

    newpy383
    Member

    I have never had a problem with an edelbrock carb. I bought a new holley once and it ran like shit. The holley techs were nice and helpful but it we never could get it right.
     
  19. carbking
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
    Posts: 3,714

    carbking
    Member

    A slab throttle shaft is a vast improvement over a slotted shaft???

    A split pump well is a vast improvement over a solid well with a check valve???

    A plastic pump with a neopreme skirt is a vast improvement over a brass pump with a leather cup???

    Yes to all of the above, IF you happen to sell replacement parts, maybe not so much if you are an owner.

    Jon.
     
  20. Edelbrocks rule!

    Holleys drool.
     
  21. toolman1967
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 441

    toolman1967
    Member

    Due to the design of the different types of carbs, you run which one you need the benefits of. Edelbrocks have metering rods to regulate fuel flow at part throttle, which makes them good for around town driving. Holleys are best used for wide open throttle, unless you jet them down, but they dont transition the best. Bottom line, both great carbs for what they were designed for. I use the Edelbrock for the street and the Holley for the track.
     
  22. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,723

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    I didn't say things about the original Carter's weren't better, but you feel the need to poke your head in every Edelbrock thread about this. I can't call up and get a NEW Carter, some NOS is available but I have a hard time spending twice as much for a carb that most likely needs going through from sitting on a shelf for 20 years. I have great luck with the Edelbrocks.
     
  23. Well since there are so many people with opposite opinions and arguments to support both sides about these carbs, it must be the tuner.
    Some tuners think like the Holley works, some tuners think the AFB works , some tuners think like a Q-jet. Some tuners understand all of them, some only of them.

    Kinda like a Sax player that can't play a guitar, neither one can sing! and then there's Elvis
     
  24. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,673

    Deuces

    This one is never going to end... Let's just say that I'll stick with what I know best! HOLLEYS!! :D
     
  25. Drive Em
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,748

    Drive Em
    Member

    I like them all, Holley, Carter, Predator, Edelbrock, Autolite, Motorcraft, Rochester, etc., but I know how a carb works, and I know that throwing another brand on a car is probably not going to fix anything. What happened to tuning and tweaking things on a car. All I hear is "I wanna throw something on there and I don't want to mess with it." Or, "Give me an HEI, or Pertronix because I don't want to have to ever set my points." The traditional car gods are probably cringing at that kind of behavior.
     
  26. BELLM
    Joined: Nov 16, 2002
    Posts: 2,590

    BELLM
    Member

    Only carb I have ever had a problem with is a Demon. I'm not smart enough to tune them. I ran Carter AFBs back in the '60s, we all did, I can still hear in my mind the sound of an AFB on a 283 bored to 301 hitting 8 grand at the end of quarter on a two lane country road at about midnight as I stood at the line in the middle of the road after flagging them off, awesome sound. Still got a pair of AFBs, I now run Holleys and Edelbrocks both without any problems.
     
  27. Never had a bad experience with either - both are good designs that have their limitations.

    Most of these carbs are very good.....its the tuner who does'nt know what they're doing and end up blaming the carb.....usually.

    How many guys actually start with a decent carb to begin with, c, clean fuel filters, clean air bleeds, emulsion tubes, tight throttle shafts etc? How about using a vac gauge, gas analyzer etc to get the fuel curve right? Any POS carb regardless of brand will run like crap its its in crap condition or used in the wrong application. Nor will a new carb fix a clapped out junker engine with bad rings and a huge cam.

    Knowledge, patience and fine tuning once and for all is the name of the game with either design. Once dialled in, leave it be and drive - unless you're racing.

    Had very good success with both Holly vac sec, DPs and Carter TQs. Take the time to learn about the carbs, how they function and maximising their potential with your combo.

    Educate yourselves then have a crack at dialing it in - properly.

    Rat
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2011
  28. TwoLaneBlacktop
    Joined: Feb 23, 2009
    Posts: 215

    TwoLaneBlacktop
    Member
    from Burien

    I have both also. The only problem I've ever had with the 650 Holley's is blown power valves. I have a 750 Edelbrock on my '36 and once it was "tuned" the thing runs great. The Camaro run's a 650 Holley and has for 30 plus years without any real issues other than a couple Power Valves and rebuilds...........
     
  29. 40fordtudor
    Joined: Jan 3, 2010
    Posts: 2,503

    40fordtudor
    Member

    X2---I'm running a 650 Street Avenger right now that's making it's way to doorstop duty.
     
  30. Lots of good info here guys, but all about big suckie things. Anyone have anything to say about the new Edelbrock 94 Two-Barrel Carburetors? Been thinking of putting one on a side valve.
     

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