Upgraded Carb

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August07

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2024
Messages
18
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8
Location
California
My Car
Gold 1972 Grande, H-type
Any recommendations for a 4v carb, I currently have a 2v on my H-code Grande but want a bit more kick under the hood. I was looking at the Holley Street Warrior 4160 or the 750 CFM Speed Demon carb but i’m not sure which would be a better more reliable fit for me. Any suggestions before I buy one?
 
If we are to assume that your engine is otherwise stock, with a stock auto trans, and stock 2.75/3.00 gearing, you will do well to go 600 cfm, vacuum secondaries, automatic choke, standard 4160, with an automatic kick down for use with Ford's kick down arm. Because the 4 barrel carb will be centered slightly more forward on the manifold than the 2 barrel is, you should also buy Holley's 20-41 kickdown lever extension ( it's in all the Holley catalogs ), but rarely mentioned by do-it-yourselfers. Resist going to Brawlers, Ultras, Demons, Warriors, and such with OOOH-AHHHH titles, as you don't have a race car. Also, you don't need a double pumper. Your stock 2V engine will likely peak well before 5k, so big CFM carbs will not perform any better on your current combination. Google Holley's Catalog for part no.s and information and guidance straight from the manufacturer.
 
I have an Edelbrock 1405 on my 302, mostly stock car. I don’t know how it compares to the stock performance…it was there when I bought the car…
I would say this about edelbrock, it’s a wide carb layout,i think the Holley is long and narrow, in other words rotated 90%. My throttle linkage is a PIA, it’s way out over the valve covers. I haven’t found a great kickdown and throttle setup for it, I think Lokar has a setup, but it is more cost that the carb itself!!!

Otherwise it works fine.
 
Take an original stock 351C Intake from a 70 Mustang M-Code, and put a 625cfm Street Demon on it, and not forget, install a Pertronix ignition conversion kit.
 
I've run an Edelbrock 1406 for 20 years on my mild build H-code. I have a Comp Cams 1-2 up from stock camshaft, an Edelbrock intake, and Hooker headers, other than that stock (*the last time I drove it, anyway). The 1406 is a simple carb, easy to tune, and I had no real trouble hooking it up. At 600 CFM, it's more carb than the H-code will ever need.
 
I'll agree with Spike on a Holley 600 VS. I'd recommend getting in touch with Drew from AirFuelSpark. He does restorations on early Ford Holley carbs, and occasionally does a run of Holley 1850 600VS carbs. He goes through them at a level Holley could never dream of and you end up with a top quality carb for about the same price.

Holley's QC is trash these days, so you're rolling the dice on new.

https://www.afscarbs.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AirFuelSParkTech/
 
Holley's QC is trash these days, so you're rolling the dice on new.
Ain't that the truth - I had the opportunity to work with 3 different QF carbs last summer, and every one out of the box was an absolute mess - every possible adjustment was wrong or off somehow, and one leaked from between the base plate and main body so bad we just it back.
 
If you get anything larger than 650cfm I suggest getting aa carb with vacuum secondaries, which allows the engine to let the carb know when it ought to begin opening the secondaries. Otherwise you run the risk of over-carbing the engine which will actually hurt performance at wide open throttle when the RPM is not high enough to use all the available volume from the carb. Also, get a carb made in 1993 or later, as they have Power Valve Protection vacuum channeling which will help keep any backfires or burpbacks from blowing out the Power Valve diaphragm. If you do use a pre-1993 Holley carb you can install a Power Valve Protection retrofit kit to accomplish the same thing:

https://www.holley.com/products/tools/carburetor_tools/parts/25-100QFT
 
Holley's QC is trash these days, so you're rolling the dice on new.

I can attest. I bought a couple of 650 DP main bodies when holly had their big sale last summer....I've only used one of them, so far, but the primary MB surface was not flat and resulted in cross-talk between circuits. I bought the bodies so I could replace one that has the choke horn cut off. Switching only the body resulted in a severe stumble....filing the metering block surface eliminated the stumble.
 
I have had good luck with the summit 600 carb. Also have a H code grande. The summit carb is like a updated 4300 and uses Holley parts. Nice sight glass so setting up the fuel bowls is easy. Used the Holley extension for the kickdown for my fmx transmission. I may honestly being selling the summit carb soon as I am going efi.
 
Also, get a carb made in 1993 or later, as they have Power Valve Protection vacuum channeling which will help keep any backfires or burpbacks from blowing out the Power Valve diaphragm. If you do use a pre-1993 Holley carb you can install a Power Valve Protection retrofit kit to accomplish the same thing:

https://www.holley.com/products/tools/carburetor_tools/parts/25-100QFT
This is a nice safeguard to have. In real life, if you are savvy in how the distributor installs and gets timed, and have a properly tuned engine, you will likely never encounter a "backfire" situation from your carb. Mild little burps will usually not damage the enrichment circuit power valve, it takes a big "pop" to do so, but, it can happen. If your carb doesn't have the check ball to prevent this occurrence, the power valve is in the primary metering plate and easily accessible to replace without removing the carb.
 
Any recommendations for a 4v carb, I currently have a 2v on my H-code Grande but want a bit more kick under the hood. I was looking at the Holley Street Warrior 4160 or the 750 CFM Speed Demon carb but i’m not sure which would be a better more reliable fit for me. Any suggestions before I buy one?
i would go with edelbrock performer 4V intake ( for 2V heads ) and a good carb choice would be the Summit brand carb in 600 cfm, they have annular boosters for good carb signal
 
I'll agree with Spike on a Holley 600 VS. I'd recommend getting in touch with Drew from AirFuelSpark. He does restorations on early Ford Holley carbs, and occasionally does a run of Holley 1850 600VS carbs. He goes through them at a level Holley could never dream of and you end up with a top quality carb for about the same price.

Holley's QC is trash these days, so you're rolling the dice on new.

https://www.afscarbs.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AirFuelSParkTech/
This is great info ! Drew just did a CJ 780cfm for my 408 Cleveland build
 
Take an original stock 351C Intake from a 70 Mustang M-Code, and put a 625cfm Street Demon on it, and not forget, install a Pertronix ignition conversion kit.
Roland, I have 351C 4V - 70 Mustang M-Code engine and intake, and caught this post. Can you say why Street Demon as opposed to a Holley ?
 
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