Old School Carb Question for my Odd Fire 225.

[RobsIron]

I have a new 225 bored 30 over in my Willys Jeep. I just ordered a Offy 360 4bbl alum intake for it.

A Holley 390 mechanical sec carb would probably be ideal, but it is $160 more than a mechanical 450cfm Holley and a vacuum secondary 500cfm Edelbrock carb. Normally I wouldn't let $160 stop me, but I am thinking I would rather have the vac sec 500cfm over all of them. I like that it will be a 2bbl until the engine can handle the secondaries and I can jet it down if I have to.

At a stop light I start off in 2nd gear and the pedal is usually to the floor through all the gears.

What would you old school dudes use?

 

[John Larkin]

The best carb I ever had was a 450 Holley Economaster. It was a little Quadrajet basically. Woke my 350 Olds up and got 21mpg in 1979. That's on a 3 speed Turbo 350 but it did have a 2.41 rear end. Still it wasn't overdrive. It was a spreadbore too so cruising was on tiny primarys and it had enough oomph when I put the pedal down.

You always need less carburetor than you think. Especially on a 225 v6.

 

[RobsIron]

The best carb I ever had was a 450 Holley Economaster. It was a little Quadrajet basically. Woke my 350 Olds up and got 21mpg in 1979. That's on a 3 speed Turbo 350 but it did have a 2.41 rear end. Still it wasn't overdrive. It was a spreadbore too so cruising was on tiny primarys and it had enough oomph when I put the pedal down.

You always need less carburetor than you think. Especially on a 225 v6.

Agreed. The first carb I ever bought was the 450 econo for my 305 el camino back in '84. I loved it. Hard to find now and I have a strict rule.."always buy a new carb". No rebuilts for me.

 

[John Larkin]

Theres a used one on ebay for $30 right now. But it's used. And it's the only one.

 

[charlief1]

I would use anything over an eldelcrap carb Rob. If you want to make it work best then find an early Q jet. They really do work best for me in 99% of the stuff I've done.

 

[RobsIron]

I would use anything over an eldelcrap carb Rob. If you want to make it work best then find an early Q jet. They really do work best for me in 99% of the stuff I've done.

I love Q-Jets, but aren't most of them 650 cfm and up and spread bores? Intake is for a square flange. I would have to find one of the V6 ones which is difficult.

 

[charlief1]

I love Q-Jets, but aren't most of them 650 cfm and up and spread bores? Intake is for a square flange. I would have to find one of the V6 ones which is difficult.

You'd be surprised how much carb the little V6 will use. Optimum, per mathematics, is about 400 cfm, but a larger carb will work better. Grumpy Jenkins did a lot of playing with the GM V engines and on the 4.3 chevy he ended up using 2, 500 cfm Holley 2 barrels to get the most our of it. I used to use a 750 on my old NA V6 and it worked fine. I had a earlier carb that was modified for the track and it was ported out more than that.

 

[RobsIron]

You'd be surprised how much carb the little V6 will use. Optimum, per mathematics, is about 400 cfm, but a larger carb will work better. Grumpy Jenkins did a lot of playing with the GM V engines and on the 4.3 chevy he ended up using 2, 500 cfm Holley 2 barrels to get the most our of it. I used to use a 750 on my old NA V6 and it worked fine. I had a earlier carb that was modified for the track and it was ported out more than that.

I was just reading about people using QJets on V6's and how well they work. I have a new QJet on a shelf in my garage I've been saving for my '62 C10 pickup, but I would have to use an adapter plate on the Willys and my hood clearance is minimal.

 

[charlief1]

I was just reading about people using QJets on V6's and how well they work. I have a new QJet on a shelf in my garage I've been saving for my '62 C10 pickup, but I would have to use an adapter plate on the Willys and my hood clearance is minimal.

Get the adapter, take your hood off, and give it a try. You may like it enough to see if you can find a Holley intake. Had 1 a few years ago so I'm sorry I don't have it anymore. The 360 intake may not be what you're looking for in the end.

 

[hensleyt]

Off the beaten path but I have as set of aluminum rockers for for your 225 supper cheap $

 

[dynoman]

A Q-jet or Holley with vacuum secondaries is the way to go . You would be surprised what it takes for those secondaries to open . I had a new 76 chevy van with a 350 4 bbl & headers back in the day and wanted to " watch " the carb under full throttle . So I removed the engine cover & air cleaner and headed out for a long WOT "blast" . Well I was shocked to see the secondaries just start to crack open at about 50 mph . On a side note I work at GM Rochester the home of the Rochester Q-Jet ..... no longer in production . They had some pretty neat prototype stuff laying around , now it's all fuel injectors . Sam

 

[RobsIron]

Get the adapter, take your hood off, and give it a try. You may like it enough to see if you can find a Holley intake. Had 1 a few years ago so I'm sorry I don't have it anymore. The 360 intake may not be what you're looking for in the end.

A Holley intake would have been cool. I have Holley valve covers tho. I ordered the Offy 360 and the Edelbrock 500cfm. Its your fault. you convinced me that the 500cfm and vac secondaries the way to go. I didn't want to use a 600cfm Holley so the edel was the only choice.

A Q-jet or Holley with vacuum secondaries is the way to go . You would be surprised what it takes for those secondaries to open . I had a new 76 chevy van with a 350 4 bbl & headers back in the day and wanted to " watch " the carb under full throttle . So I removed the engine cover & air cleaner and headed out for a long WOT "blast" . Well I was shocked to see the secondaries just start to crack open at about 50 mph . On a side note I work at GM Rochester the home of the Rochester Q-Jet ..... no longer in production . They had some pretty neat prototype stuff laying around , now it's all fuel injectors . Sam

Damn. Looks like I just bought a 2bbl..

 

[charlief1]

A Holley intake would have been cool. I have Holley valve covers tho. I ordered the Offy 360 and the Edelbrock 500cfm. Its your fault. you convinced me that the 500cfm and vac secondaries the way to go. I didn't want to use a 600cfm Holley so the edel was the only choice.

I would use anything over an eldelcrap carb Rob. If you want to make it work best then find an early Q jet. They really do work best for me in 99% of the stuff I've done.

If you want to blame be you better read again Rob.

 

[RobsIron]

If you want to blame be you better read again Rob.

I know, but if I want a NEW small cfm vacuum secondary carb the edel is the only one. Ive used them before on some of my Mopars. They were ok. I'm pretty good at tweaking carbs. I learned early. This was my daily driver when I was 19..heheh