Dumb question from the new guy..:)
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 174
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From: Flower Mound TX
Dumb question from the new guy..:)
My 74 454 is in the shop now getting its tune-up etc. from my mechanics. I bought the car from a friend two weeks ago and am just starting the resto.
Question..the car has an Edelbrock Performer 2-0 intake manifold. Is this good/bad? What is the advantage of having this manifold over stock?
Question 2..the car also has a new Holley 4 barrel carb..good/bad/advantages over stock?
Thanks guys and sorry for the dumb questions.
Texxas :chevy
Question..the car has an Edelbrock Performer 2-0 intake manifold. Is this good/bad? What is the advantage of having this manifold over stock?
Question 2..the car also has a new Holley 4 barrel carb..good/bad/advantages over stock?
Thanks guys and sorry for the dumb questions.
Texxas :chevy
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,365
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From: Lake Villa IL
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St. Jude Contributor
Re: Dumb question from the new guy..:) (Texxas)
Boy, you weren't kidding. That was a stupid question. :lol:
Just messing with you.
What you need to keep in mind, is that the engine operates as a system, so it's typically no better than its weakest link. Throwing a big carb at an underachieving engine, will only help if that engine is underachieving because it's starved for fuel (big cam, single plane intake, open exhaust, high flow heads, small carb). Likewise, throwing a single plane intake on a car tuned for low end grunt (low RPM peak power and torque), is also silly.
But I don't think this is your issue. If the rest of your engine is stock, and you have a mild holley and a Performer intake, you're neither better or worse off than most. Running your specs through desktop dyno shows very little difference when comparing carbs and intake combinations alone. You need a better cam, heads, and a less restrictive exhaust to really extract power.
So to answer your question, keep what you have. You aren't hurting anything, and you aren't really helping anything.
I hope this helps.
By the way, welcome to the hobby. These cars will teach you a lot. My Vette is the shop class I never took.
Just messing with you.
What you need to keep in mind, is that the engine operates as a system, so it's typically no better than its weakest link. Throwing a big carb at an underachieving engine, will only help if that engine is underachieving because it's starved for fuel (big cam, single plane intake, open exhaust, high flow heads, small carb). Likewise, throwing a single plane intake on a car tuned for low end grunt (low RPM peak power and torque), is also silly.
But I don't think this is your issue. If the rest of your engine is stock, and you have a mild holley and a Performer intake, you're neither better or worse off than most. Running your specs through desktop dyno shows very little difference when comparing carbs and intake combinations alone. You need a better cam, heads, and a less restrictive exhaust to really extract power.
So to answer your question, keep what you have. You aren't hurting anything, and you aren't really helping anything.
I hope this helps.
By the way, welcome to the hobby. These cars will teach you a lot. My Vette is the shop class I never took.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: All in!
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St. Jude Donor '03-'10
Re: Dumb question from the new guy..:) (Texxas)
Don't take my word as gospel because I'm just learning all this but:
The Edelbrock Performer intake should be a slight gain on your stock intake. It should be a little more efficient and a bit lighter. The Performer RPM would be a larger gain...
People around here seem to like the Holley 4 barrels. It should be a good carb and you shouldn't have any problems with it.
hope that helps a little. :D
The Edelbrock Performer intake should be a slight gain on your stock intake. It should be a little more efficient and a bit lighter. The Performer RPM would be a larger gain...
People around here seem to like the Holley 4 barrels. It should be a good carb and you shouldn't have any problems with it.
hope that helps a little. :D
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 174
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From: Flower Mound TX
Re: Dumb question from the new guy..:) (joeveto)
Thanks Joe and D:,
One point you made was regarding the cam and other miscellaneous parts. I just bought the vette two weeks ago and the engine had been rebuilt before I got it...I believe it has roughly 5-10 miles on the rebuild.
It has a new cam straight out of the box but unfortunately I have no idea what was put in by the guy I bought it from..:( I do know that it has roller rockers so hopefully there will be some performance gain. After I get it back from my mechanics and there going through the car I expect to have a better idea of how good a job the guys did on the rebuild...I'm hopeful that it is solid.
Texx
One point you made was regarding the cam and other miscellaneous parts. I just bought the vette two weeks ago and the engine had been rebuilt before I got it...I believe it has roughly 5-10 miles on the rebuild.
It has a new cam straight out of the box but unfortunately I have no idea what was put in by the guy I bought it from..:( I do know that it has roller rockers so hopefully there will be some performance gain. After I get it back from my mechanics and there going through the car I expect to have a better idea of how good a job the guys did on the rebuild...I'm hopeful that it is solid.
Texx
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
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From: Huntersville NC
Re: Dumb question from the new guy..:) (joeveto)
. My Vette is the shop class I never took.
My neighbors are all impressed when they see me all greasy, and the vette up on jackstands.... and down and up..and down and up again (all for changing the air filter) .... and I tell them, yeah, I changed my own OIL !!! and they ask me how I know what to do???? and I reply... "Well, I dont really....." MJ
