Any preferences towards Edelbrock performer or Holley? Running 396 stock block, peanut port stock heads, crane 272, Edelbrock Performer, 4 speed trans. choosing a carb. Edelbrock or Holley? CFM????

I would get a 750 or so. I am currently replacing my Edelbrock which I have several hundred dollars in, with a Holley! ;)

Originally posted by ctrain22:
Any preferences towards Edelbrock performer or Holley? Running 396 stock block, peanut port stock heads, crane 272, Edelbrock Performer, 4 speed trans. choosing a carb. Edelbrock or Holley? CFM???? For a basically stock car, youd be hard pressed to beat the Qjet on the street. However, between the two- Holley. They are the king of carbs for a reason and have been used so many years on so many things for a reason. Its not like there arent alternatives, its just that a properly set up Holley does what it does better than practically everything else. With a manual transmission, you might do OK with something like a 650 or 750 Double Pumper, depending how hard you are on the loud pedal tongue.gif

There's no question....Holley! graemlins/thumbsup.gif
If you're looking for Fun per Gallon, and don't care about fuel mileage, a 750 Double pump would work great with the 4 speed. I paid $325.00 for my 650 DP last summer.

I think it really depends on the usage of the car, your abilities (tuning), budget and the "look" you want to achieve...

I have used both (many times) with success, but have a few things I have noticed...

Edelbrock's will give you really good performance. Holley will probably give a little better overall performance, but unless you are really consistant (and at the track with timing equipment), there will not really be much difference...

A new Holley seems to be a bit costlier than a comparable Edelbrock. The Holley Double-Pumper is even more money (talking brand new, Holleys are alot easier to find used or rebuilt).

The double-pumper (mechanical secondaries) Holley will work well with a 4-speed, especially with low gears. But a DP isn't necessary, and it isn't the best choice unless you have the other parts to back up the carb (sticky tires, etc). Unless you car is setup for serious performance (good traction, etc) the DP is usually overkill. Plus the DP will result in a decrease in mileage compared to Vacuum Secondary equipped carbs. Some-times the "seat-of-the-pants" feel seems to be greater with the DP, but it doesn't make the car actually quicker. A well set up car with a VC will likely beat a car with a DP if that doesn't have the tuning/equippement to back up the carb.

I have actually replaced several well tuned DP with Vacuum secondary carbs (both Edelbrock and Holley), and have never seen a decrease in actual performance at the drag-strip. These carbs were replaced because the previous owners all had been told the DP would increase performance. These were all mild, street driven performance cars...

The Edelbrock carb is more "user friendly", especially if you are installing and tuning yourself and you don't have the experience. I have seen both brands have their issues, but the Edelbrock has always run better right out of the box than the Holleys I have seen. Not a big difference, but just found more minor tweaking required initially with the Holley... With some tuning/tweaking and adjustments, they should both run about the same. The Holley Double-pumper will require more tuning to run good for a cruiser.

I have always found that the Holleys often require more retuning/maintenance, although things like blowing power-valves have supposedly been remedied...

Looks: The Edelbrock looks pretty good in out-of-the-box form (shiny carb body), but it definitely won't "look" stock, if that matters... The Holleys were available optionally on many Chevelles, so they can be made to look relatively stock.

So IMO, I would stay with the Vacuum Secondary model, and either Edelbrock or Holley will work fine...


Just for comparison, some prices from Summit:

Holley 3310, 750 cfm, manual choke, dual feed lines, vacuum secondary carb $250 shiny finish/$260 classic finish (Gold irridated?)

Holley 4779 750, Double Pumper, classic finish $ 396

Edelbrock #1407 750 cfm, shiny finish, $240...

I tried them all, and I'm sticking with Holley. I like my life to be easy. smile.gif

I have ran both are good edelbrock seems to be less $$ I'm now running a mighty demon and really like it much better than a holley and is about same $$

We could debate this forever... :D
Some like Holleys,(Demons, Barry Grant) some like Edelbrock/Carter, and some like the good ole Rochester quadra-jets.
Personally, I prefer Holleys. They are the simple to tune..even for the novice. If you have a vacuum gauge, and can turn a screwdriver, you can tune your holley. tongue.gif A properly tuned Holley will out perform just about anything out there graemlins/thumbsup.gif
My 650 DP ran good right out of the box, and required only basic tuning of the idle mixture. I did have to change the power valve to a lower value due to a large cam, with low vacuum, but once I changed it, and set the idle mixture with a vacuum gauge, I have not touched it.
As others have said, it really depends on the rest of the combo as to which will work best for your application.
As far as comparing the double pump, mechanical secondaries to the vacuum secondaries, I have no track data to compare, but I do think there is a big difference in the "seat of the pants" feel with the DP. Throttle response seems much crisper than an equal size vacuum set up, with no Bog, or hesitation when the secondaries come in. Just a smooth, progressive acceleration.
The only complaint I have with Holleys over the years, is if they sit for an extended period of time. They tend to dry rot, and leak like crazy thus needing at leats a gaskit kit, and acc. pump diaphrams. :mad:
For me, there's no question. I will Always run Holleys.

Hey Tony, Ever tried one of Holleys HP carburetors? Pricey? yes, do they work? yes...best damn carburetor you can buy, outta da box graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Originally posted by Rapid Robert:
Hey Tony, Ever tried one of Holleys HP carburetors? Pricey? yes, do they work? yes...best damn carburetor you can buy, outta da box graemlins/thumbsup.gif I agree...