like i keep saying people over carburate trucks. that 650 if too much for a small 318 that will never likely hit 4000rpm. also the cam and intake used in that article are really for cars.

 

Yea I'm not really a fan of that intake, Im looking to be in the 0-5000rpm range. That intake shifts it a bit. I also have to agree with crazzywolfie, that the carb is too much for that setup.

 

Hahaha!

 

I found a place online that sells rebuilt Holley's

http://www.carburetorsandmore.com/Holleycarbs.htm

Anyone have any experience with these guys? They have a 390cfm I'm looking at.

 

Alright... Ill work on that this weekend. I now have somethings picture worthy... Lol. Yesterday, I installed 2nd gen seats and new carpet. I now know that I am no carpet layer. I will buy the kit soon to replace my attempt at custom forming.

 

also, I can't believe that out of the entire gang here, no one recommended a thermoquad or a quadrajet carburetor!!!!

With some reading and some learning, You will find that You can really get some of the best mileage and power out of these old spreadbore carbs!!!


The holley Vacuum secondary carbs are usually not very responsive or torquey on smaller engines.... Most people enjoy the small 500 cfm Edelbrock/ Carter AFB much more on this type of application, with better mileage and response all around....

Also, on your list of parts, I would highly recommend a good ole set of X heads or good older LA casting heads and to stay with an older style intake bolt pattern unless You want to spend more to pony up for a Magnum head setup and magnum pattern intake manifold.

Fuel injection has not typically shown to get huge amount better economy than carbureted if the carb setup is well tuned and matched out....

Keep the cam small, like less than 210 degrees duration @ .050......

get a higher stall converter that flashes to 1800-2,000 rpm, this will make an enormous difference in felt power and acceleration no matter what cam You choose... makes much more difference than many other mods You might make....

 

Well, I did mention getting a carb similar to the TQ.


It's a great carb, even bit BB applications if you know it well enough...

 

I did look at the Edelbrock and TQ carbs, but the problem is they are all 500cfm+ and that is just too much for my application. I would rather be around the 400cfm mark, and Holley offers a 390cfm and a 450cfm. I did really want to go with a spread bore for the smaller primaries, but I just cant find a spread bore thats right for me. Maybe I just havent been on the websites.

 

do you plan on walking him through how to tune a thermoquad or a quadrajet carburetor? holley carb are some of the easiest carb to use and setup for someone that has no experience with carbs. plus most people have hard starting problems with edelbrock carbs when the engine gets hot even if they are running aluminum intakes and those fancy spacers.

the best bang for your buck would be fuel injection. for $1000 i could have fuel injected my 81 but i decided to keep the ramcharger and run it. gaining 90hp and 40lb-ft of torque. plus you get instant power where with a carb you have to let it warm up before you get that power. plus since the OP has a d100 it would not be too hard to find a 46RH which would help him get better gas milage over a stock transmission. i know i can average 14mpg with a lead foot. if i keep my foot out of it i can keep in the 16-18mpg area and with a bit of work this summer i am hoping to hit 20mpg out of it.

 

The truth is that the booster design of the TQ and QJ are much more efficient than the old crappy straight leg boosters that come in almost all of the holley carbs, especially the the 390 and 450...... some ford motorcraft holleys had a decent annular booster that had good response and atomization at low velocity giving good fuel economy and responsiveness at low rpm...

Yes, tuning TQ and QJ is not easy, but, there is a wealth of knowledge out there about them...

Holleys have the same hot start problems because the fuel bowls hang out over the manifolds..... this can usually be fixed with a phenolic resin spacer and a heat shield under the carburetor.

I have had to use these spacers and heat shields with every type of carburetor for best results, as I live in Texas and get to 100+ summer temps very often.....

I also worked at a hot rod shop for 10 years and I sold all kinds of carbs and tuned and worked on all kinds....

The carter AFB's tend to be super easy to tune and get some of the best mileage.

Don't worry about going to big on your 318 within reason.... a 600cfm wouldn't hurt it at WOT, but you would only have roughly 300cfm on just the primary barrels.... also, having a velocity door/flap, keeps it from opening the rear barrels until the engine can take it... That is why a 500cfm might work very well...


I know that I have personally installed several 500 and 600 AFB's/ Edelbrock performers onto truck 318's and 360's.....

The TQ and QJ have the best potential for mileage of all the carbs and probably the best potential for the most HP on top end also.... but, more difficult to tune and harder to get parts for....

Fuel injection is great, but double whatever You think it will cost, and then some.... even for a factory setup to work on your older truck.....

However, swapping to a 318 MPI setup with intake, magnum heads, and all electronics and controls would be a nice swap.... but, look at the mileage numbers..... they really aren't much better than a well tuned carb setup really.....

GOOD LUCK!