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Carb CFM rating for BBC

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Old May 23, 2007 | 01:10 PM
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Default Carb CFM rating for BBC

I'm about to dive into fine tuning the carb on my mildly moded 72 454 with a LM-1 Wideband O2 AFM setup. A couple of local sages have opinioned that the Holley Squarebore 600 CFM carb might be too small for the engine. As we discussed it, they focused on how much the throttleplates would need to be opened at idle to flow the air required, and they thought that too much of the transition slots would need to be exposed.

Any thoughts??

BB NJ Ken
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Old May 23, 2007 | 01:20 PM
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600 is too small for max performance, but i'd bet that if you installed it, you would need nothing special done besides the normal tuning for it to work right.
the better size depends on how car is driven and the rest of the combo.
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Old May 23, 2007 | 01:20 PM
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It will idle and run just fine, and can be tuned to provide a very nice level of performance. But it is too small for peak power at elevated rpm.
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Old May 23, 2007 | 03:03 PM
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with all of the above.

It's going to start running out of wind above 4500 RPM.
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Old May 23, 2007 | 05:14 PM
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deffinetly a 750 or better!! or you may run the risk of leaning it out and burning a hole in a piston at higher rpms!!!!
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Old May 23, 2007 | 05:19 PM
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Originally Posted by blunblk68
deffinetly a 750 or better!! or you may run the risk of leaning it out and burning a hole in a piston at higher rpms!!!!

What???????
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Old May 23, 2007 | 05:21 PM
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Originally Posted by 69427
What???????
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Old May 23, 2007 | 10:04 PM
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Thanks all for the inputs. If I wasn't on the verge of moving, I'd go fuel injection, but now that is at least a year away.

I put the 600 cfm on go real good low speed throttle reponse, the cam is a .500 lift, short duration, bottom end torque bump stick.

I happen to have a 780 cfm Vac secondary carb in stock, but I thought the smaller throttle plates in the 600 cfm would give the best low speed to 5000. My ride, like myself, is built for comfort, not for speed.

Anyway, I'll give the 600 a shot, and see what happens, If I'm not impressed, I'll go with the 780.

Thanks again;

BB NJ Ken
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Old May 23, 2007 | 10:21 PM
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Originally Posted by BBNJKen
Thanks all for the inputs. If I wasn't on the verge of moving, I'd go fuel injection, but now that is at least a year away.

I put the 600 cfm on go real good low speed throttle reponse, the cam is a .500 lift, short duration, bottom end torque bump stick.

I happen to have a 780 cfm Vac secondary carb in stock, but I thought the smaller throttle plates in the 600 cfm would give the best low speed to 5000. My ride, like myself, is built for comfort, not for speed.

Anyway, I'll give the 600 a shot, and see what happens, If I'm not impressed, I'll go with the 780.

Thanks again;

BB NJ Ken
I ran a 780 on a mildly built 427 and it ran great for years- no complaints.
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Old May 24, 2007 | 09:42 AM
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Originally Posted by blunblk68
deffinetly a 750 or better!! or you may run the risk of leaning it out and burning a hole in a piston at higher rpms!!!!
A carb that is too small for an engine tends to run rich - not lean. A carb that is too big for an engine tends to run lean. Has to do with fuel metering signal.

GM delivered 427s in '66 with Holley carbs smaller than 600 cfm... No problem.
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