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What is a good street carb?

36K views 174 replies 17 participants last post by  Dajerseyrat 
#1 ·
What street carb would you recommend for a fairly angry 383 Stroker with a 600 lift cam and about 11:1 compression? Currently it has a racing carb on it that is about 850cfm with mechanical secondaries. In this set up it like to load up and foul out plugs at idle or part cruising. Im looking to tame the car down a bit for the street, not a daily driver but a weekend warrior. Im looking for something I can install and drive out of the box with the minor adjustments..

Recommendations and why?
 
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#86 ·
Well the $$$$ is not the issue, I can afford to drop 100 octane which we have at a gas station 3 miles away, but the issue is when I cruise it to a show and may need to fill up somewhere else in a pinch..Would running 93 in a pinch when cruising home be a bad thing? I have a 15 gallon cell and am assuming the car would get about 5 mpg so it limits my distance I can go.
 
#90 ·
My engine made peak torque @ 4750 and peak HP @ 6500 there fore in my application the engine is fabulous(just my opinion) from 4,000-6800. You Cam is about the same as mine.You have a bigger intake and a little smaller engine.I would guess that from 4300-7800 would be a use able range,especially if you road RACED. I wouldnt spent a lot of time at 7800 with out shaft rockers,though Im sure your girdle system is just fine.The only thing I would even consider changing on your car would be a 5 speed. Your car is more race oriented than mine. probably makes as much or more power too.
I would have a couple chips for your ignition too. a 7500 RPM chip would keep that engine glued together with it bordering on too much power for daily use and not rain friendly.
Have you driven the car hard yet?
 
#91 ·
Have you driven the car hard yet?
No...Scared of it actually..LOL Contemplating either selling the engine or tuning it down a bit for street use. I would be happy with 400-450hp. Im guessing this one is around 600-700 ish...

As far as the MSD chips, the MSD box I have does not use chips, it has adjustable dip switches. I have it set at a 7400 rpm limiter as of now


What would be a fair price for this engine and tranny set up and you know of anyone interested?
 
#92 ·
Thats a great engine for the right guy.You would be lucky to find a good home for it.Like Tech always says,combination,combination...so I doubt you could tune it down enough to make you happy. I wouldnt sell it in pieces either.
You might try any local race car engine seller if you have any hard core sellers in the area.Or race track.It cost a lot to build an engine like yours and all the labour will be lost.
If it was me,I would run the engine until it was needing a freshen up or someone bought it after you scare the living poop out of them.Then build mamby pamby 450 HP 383. When the engine needs to be freshened,you can take it apart for potential buyers with no losses.
I know what you mean by the engine scaring you,,,,they are a handfull with that much power and a manual transmission
 
#94 ·
I went with the Professional Products Powerjection III fuel injection. Self learning and good to 600+ HP. For your engine I would get the larger 80# injectors and a bigger fuel pump like I am running.

I run a 421SBC with a decent solid roller and it idles like a kitten but screams like a raped ape at WOT. I have 11:1 compression with about 250*@0.050" and .660 lift. Engine makes a little over 675HP NA. Timing is 24* initial, with 36* all in by 3000rpms. I also have vacuum advance hooked up with 8* total advance under cruise and zero advance at idle.

The Powerjection III is an easy install and works with a stock intake. Even looks like a carb. I compared it to the FAST and Holley systems and it had more features for less money and was boost/nitrous ready out of the box, which the other two are not. I run a 200HP shot of nitrous with mine.

Listen to F-bird on the timing. I followed his advice and got my engine idling, cruising and WOT right.
 
#99 ·
Its going to cost you 3K by the time you convert. F.I. is a great thing for your drive ability.You will notice a huge difference from idle to 2500 RPM. When you floor it,the car will brake loose. What you have now,kinda doesnt like to be between idle and 2500 RPM.When you nail it now,the tires break loose.
 
#104 ·
Back to the discussion about the carb that is currently on there...I checked how open the throttle plates are, and they are exposing well over .040 of the transfer slots. Im guessing the car is currently ideling off the powervalve or the main circuit causing extremely rich idle. I understand the principle involved in tuning the idle but with the throttle blades open less the car wont even idle to check the vacuum and adjust the set screws...Which leads me back to adjusting the idle set screw which reopens the throttle blades well beyond .040 and back to the beginning I go...

So, I have read on several tech articles that some guys dril 1/16" holes in the the leading edge of the throttle blades to let more air in, and allowing them to close the throttle blades within spec.

How do you guys feel about this trick??
 
#105 ·
Drill the blades as a last resort. To close the primaries more than they are now at idle, you should be able to add initial timing (which increases the idle speed). Once you get the blades closed down some, the idle mixture screws will work again. Use them to get the best idle, readjust the curb idle speed as needed while you are adjusting the mixture screws.

If you add initial you'll need to remove the same amount of timing from the mechanical advance.
 
#115 ·
Ok, so I finally got the car road worthy... Took it out the other day and scared the living bejesus out of myself simply pulling out of my driveway...I can not drive this car for my life, I stalled it 8 times going around the block..:mad: I dont know if it is the clutch throw, or the fact that it mose likely has a VERY light weight flywheel, and the combination of the Jerico Transmission. Im thinking if I get rid of the Jerico and light weight clutch and flywheel for something more streetable I would be able to drive it but as of now revving to 3000 rpms just to get moving is unacceptable..Also the fact that the Jerico feels like the transmission is going to fall out of the car during shifts..I think the Jerico has to go.

Any recommendation on which tranny and clutch/flywheel combination would handle the power and actually be streetable???
 
#119 ·
Well i removed the tranny and the clutch was a Quartermasters 7.25" super lightweight 3 disc racing clutch with the flywheel on the transmission side. It had a Quartermasters reverse mount starter and bellhousing on it.

Im in the process of replacing it with a normal streetable sprung hub clutch and flywheel combo. while I was in there I noticed some coolant seepage on the block and head mating surface so I pulled the motor to replace the headgasket. I have to say the engine is incredibly fresh looking, the cylinders still have the honing marks and zero sign of wear on them.The headgasket did not look compromised at all, just seems a re torque of the heads would have done the trick. I figured I would right and clean everything up and replace the headgasket.

On a side note, what is a good TQ spec for the ARP head studs with a .070 thick MLS headgasket on Aluminum heads?
 
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