What Carb to use?

[svastano]

Group.

I am getting ready to finally get my new motor up and running and have been floundering over what carb to use. Presently Have a 302 that is full rebuild with new pistons .030 over, Towing cam, stock heads etc. I have a Holley 600 but before I tore it down I rebuilt the carb but it seems to be a bit too much for the 302. Wondering if an Edelbrock 500 would be a better option. 99% street driving. Want good throttle response and decent fuel mileage. From what I have been reading the 500 is a better option for a small block and the 600 is better for a 351-400 size engine. If I go with an Edelbrock is there a kit for the Auto kickdown for the tranny? Thanks in advance.

 

[cs_88]

I would also consider a Summit carb.

https://www.summitracing.com/search...-type/carburetors/brand/summit-racing/cfm/500

 

[blubuckaroo]

I'm wondering about the Summit carb too. It looks sort of like a knockoff of a 4100 or 4150 Ford carb.

I'm using an Edelbrock 1403 500 CFM. I'm happy with it but be ready to tune it. It comes out of the box a bit rich and slow on the power circuit. Both these issues are easily fixed with the tuning kit.

Here's the Edelbrock auto kick-down adapter you would need with the Edelbrock.
https://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/35...MIhPGD5O674gIVBLvsCh1viQGIEAQYASABEgKEY_D_BwE

 

[jedblake]

Hello sv,
Yes there is a kick down availible and purchased separately. I've had great luck with edelbrock. I've towed my boat several times with a 550 and stock 302.

 

[naneumranch]

I’ve had great luck with my quick fuel carburetor.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SteveL]

The edelbrock is great on the street. Carter sells the same carb for less and set up for the Ford but not sure if it comes in 500cfm. The Carter I had was 625 I think. The Carter is not smog or CARB legal but I doubt that matters in pa.. when I bought the Carter 20+ years ago the edelbrock was $100 more . Only difference was the CARB sticker to be smog legal

 

[pennyduke]

I love my Edelbrock 500 on my 302. Great street manors. We have almost the same engine except I have GT40p heads. My vote is the Edelbrock 500.

 

[taipeichris]

Hi,
My 302 is built similar to yours. I just went 165,000 miles on a 500CFM 2V and now changed to a 390CFM 4V Holley and really got great pedal response with both but overall like the 390CFM 4V a lot. Call the Holley tech line guys and ask them, they’re awesome helpful.
Good luck!

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, if the old Holley has vacuum secondaries I would just try that for now.
Gas mileage? HA HA
Good luck

 

[gr8scott]

Check out the new Edelbrock AVS2 series carbs. Love my 500 CFM AVS 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3npwfIOdKPc

 

[56f100bbw]

My Stocks 77 bronco 500 CFM Edelbrock runs great I am at 7000ft eve

 

[jckkys]

The Carter is a great street carb. The Carters sold by Edelbrock are still Carters. They were designed by Carter and both are made by Webber. The 500 CFM version is a better choice for 302s-351Ws than the 600-625 CFM. The difference between them is the primary booster venturi. So either can become the other by swapping the booster venturis. Enterprising machinists make restrictors to accomplish making 500s out of 600s, here;https://www.ebay.com/itm/CARTER-EDE...130548?hash=item42013595f4:g:K~8AAMXQJRhRZk~F Of course the primary jets and metering rods for 500s have to be used too. I've had several AFB/AVS carbs that had metering rod step up pistons that stick in their bores delaying power enrichment. I polished mine to cure the problem. FYI Carter made 4 AFB models of 500 CFM.
There were some Ford friendly AFBs that included a kick down lever that works a little better than the Edelbrock # 1483 kit. These AFBs were OE on Lincoln 430s.
With Holleys I like the List#4548 a 450 CFM sold as a replacement carb on 302s, 351s, 390s, and 428s.

 

[vintage bronco]

Fear not the Summit carb.

 

[SteveL]

Just remember. All these praise of the edelbrock/Carter carb come to a screaching halt should you go off road or get your bronco on a steep angle. Then you need to upgrade to a q-jet

 

[chuck1022]

I am probably in the minority on this...but I am a fan of runningbwhat Ford invented. My 2150 2BBL runs fantastic.

Remember that cfm is measured at wide open throttle. How often do you run WOT

 

[blubuckaroo]

Just remember. All these praise of the edelbrock/Carter carb come to a screaching halt should you go off road or get your bronco on a steep angle. Then you need to upgrade to a q-jet

I'll agree, but unless we can come up with a spread bore dual plenum intake manifold, for a 289/302, we're pretty much screwed.
Any options Steve?

 

[jckkys]

The 2100/2150 2bbl carbs definitely work well, but it sounds like the OP has a 4bbl intake. For that a 4100 is likely the best choice. I use a 480CFM 4100 on my 351 and it has all the good features of the 2100/2150s with 2 more barrels that kick in at high RPM. Chuck is correct in that 98 percent of driving is part throttle and that's where we feel a good running engine and get the best MPGs.
The Summit is an improved Holley 4010, that itself is a copy of the Autolite 4100. The Summit starts at 600 CFM and that's too big for 302/351s. The float bowls are elongated to make room for center hung floats. Both limit the abillity to negotiate steep grades and side angles. It got some of the good features of the 4100s, but not all.
The Holley List# 4412 mentioned in post #8 is race 2 bbl. Not surprising it lacked low speed drive abillity.

 

[cs_88]

The Summit starts at 600 CFM and that's too big for 302/351s.

They now offer a 500 version as well.

https://www.summitracing.com/search...-type/carburetors/brand/summit-racing/cfm/500

 

[forrest36]

I'm wondering about the Summit carb too. It looks sort of like a knockoff of a 4100 or 4150 Ford carb.

I am running a summit carb m2008 on my 67 with a 351w and it has ran great. I have not touched it since I installed it about 2-3 years ago. I wouldn't think twice about buying another one, I don't have one bad thing to say about it and it is hard to beat the price.

 

[SteveL]

I'll agree, but unless we can come up with a spread bore dual plenum intake manifold, for a 289/302, we're pretty much screwed.
Any options Steve?

I'm dealing with 351w's but Ford made a low profile manifold that will fit the q-jet under a stock hood with the spread bore adapter and a low air cleaner. I run an offenhouser manifold that has the stud holes for either carb set up. You have to clearance it a little for the q-jet secondaries but it bolts down without the adapter. I think it's a 360 model. Again this is on a 351 but both manifolds probably have a 302 version.