carb swap

[Buddy]

i have a 650 holley on my 305 now and cant seem to get it dailed in right. I am picking up a quada jet today. do you think the quad is a bettter carb?

[ITSANSS]

I had a Computer Controlled Carburetor (CCC) Quadrajet on my 1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (305c.i. High Output) that I removed for a 650 Edelbrock.  I absolutely could never get it tuned right, even with the guidance of a professional carburetor guy.  Changed out the primary metering rods two dozen times at least, secondary metering rods a few times, changed up the timing, etc. just never did get anywhere with it.  Even the electric choke didn't work right.  Wound up trading it for a rebuilt non-CCC Quadrajet and never looked back.  Quadrajets are just good carburetors, in my opinion.  I barely had to do any tuning with the Quadrajet when I installed it, just had to tweak the idle a little bit and the choke idle.  Ran...RUNS great driving it normally, and gets up and goes with my foot to the floor.

That's my experience with Edelbrock versus Quadrajet on a 305c.i. engine.


edit:  WOW!! I'm dumb!  I thought you said 650 Edelbrock, but you said Holley.  My bad!  It's too early!   

[Irish_Alley]

Nothing is wrong with the quad you can even get them mod to do 800 cfm. When I finally got my Holley tuned in right took for ever even with the choke working to get her to idle it would be find but then once she warmed up it was running about 1200 would of liked to see about 900 but right before I broke my transfercase adapter plate with weeks of tweeking her one 1/4 turn at a time I think she finally started running right. To get thegbase line turn the screws all the was in then back them out I think its 1 1/2 turns start her up and then turn them in 1/4 at a time turning them the same till she starts to stumble then give them a 1/4 turn out and tweek from there

[jaredts]

I've had several quadrajets and have had really good luck with all of them.  Rebuilt a few and its easy.  Tuning is a little trickier than most, but they probably meter fuel better than any other carb. out there.  I've always found the chokes to be a bit flakey, but not bad.  Having said that I took the quadrajet off my current truck to rebuild it and it was not worth rebuilding--multiple major problems.  Probably should have picked one up at the junkyard and rebuilt it, but I just bought an Edelbrock 1406.  I know some don't like them, but I think it works great and is very easy to tune.  Don't know if it will hold up but it seems great so far.

[jaysons]

I had quadrabogs for a long time, I hated them, but I couldn't afford a new carb of any kind. Then I got a deal on a edelbrock 1406 That had been sitting on a 305 in a junk yard for about a year. I got it for 50 bucks, took it home & it sat on the shelf in the shed with a dirty rag thrown over it for 3 months. When I finally had all I could take of the quadrabog, boggin, coughin & gagging & laughing at me all the time when taking off, it gave me the ambition to bolt on the edelbrock & take my chances. I never turned a bolt on it. Just bolted it on, ( with 2 of the thick gaskets so the butterflies would clear the intake when w.o.t.). That was the best 50 bucks I have ever spent, engine wise. The difference was astronomical! No more bog, spit & sputter, gagging & laughing at me. When I step on the throttle, she went like a bat outta heck. And it was better on fuel. That was 10 years ago. I still run that exact same $50 carb. (altho I've cleaned it & rebuilt it twice now, which is still awesome for 10 years of runnin it). Ive even had a fire in it, & it still works better than any of the 15 or 20 quadrabogs I went through. But it may be soon time to retire it as I don't think it'll be big enough for the 355 I'm puttin it the truck this week. But ya never know. I'm certainly gonna try it...