My preference is always an Edlebrock. I NEVER had a good Holley. Ive thrown new Holleys in cornfields. Most cases ive had, Edlebrocks bolted right on and ran great without even touching a screw...and ran that way for years without touching them. Holleys were always leaking at the bowls because of the way theyre made. You can take the whole top off an AFB style without spilling a drop. I personally wont even look at anything else.
I assume you are talking about the v6. That is 173 ci. The Edelbrocks, while very sweet, are to fat for the job. Your 350 cfm Holley is pretty much perfect. If you want a 4 barrel, the Holley 390 works well also because the primary venturi are small. On balance, having used both, I'd say the 350 is the simpler and better choice for the motor. The 390 has to have the accellerator pump circuit modified if you use it due to bogging. That is a simple fix though.
"First, you need to understand that the Quadrajet, unlike the Holley carb, is an "air valve" carburetor that senses air flow requirements of the specific engine and meters fuel to those requirements. This is why, although rated at either 750 or 800 CFM, they could be used on a variety of engines ranging from a Pontiac OHC six cylinder to a Super Duty or Ram Air engine."
I'm leaning towards the 2 barrel for ease of set up and the overall cost is a little less when buying new. 390 cfm Holley's aren't cheap and I have a very tight budget plus the 350 cfm seem to be plentiful. I will probably post in the mall to see if anyone has a manifold and/or carb they want to unload, maybe a distributor too! As far as the height issue, not too worried as custom glass work is something I do everyday so I could come up with something cool such as a carb top that uses a tube and picks up the original air filter.
I'm leaning towards the 2 barrel for ease of set up and the overall cost is a little less when buying new. 390 cfm Holley's aren't cheap and I have a very tight budget plus the 350 cfm seem to be plentiful. I will probably post in the mall to see if anyone has a manifold and/or carb they want to unload, maybe a distributor too! As far as the height issue, not too worried as custom glass work is something I do everyday so I could come up with something cool such as a carb top that uses a tube and picks up the original air filter.
The height issue is this. The Edelbrock intake is tall and you will have to cut the deck lid for it. The Offenhauser is not and it is the better intake, but you likely won't find one for under $300 as it is no longer made. The S10 intake fits the Qjet and is also lower, but flows allot less and is not a performance intake. Both the Edelbrock and Offy are set up to accept the Holley bolt pattern.
You want the early 80's distributor from the S10 or Blazer. I bought used, but you can get one from Rockauto new for a decent price.
I can raise the roof so to speak of the deck lid, it may be safer than having a fiberglass elbow on top of a carb. A carb fire could ruin your day! So, my shopping list looks like Edelbrock intake with 2 barrel top, Holley 350cfm 2 barrel carb, and a distributor from a 84-85 S-10 with vacuum advance. How about a Vega electric fuel pump? Am I missing anything?
[This message has been edited by BrittB (edited 12-19-2013).]
