We’ll, after waiting a little over three months I finally received my FST carburetor. Obviously, it’s not on the engine so the only complaint thus far (besides the wait time) is that the finish looks faded.

However, the carb does have some really nice features. Such as:
Throttle position sensor,
Quick change jets, no need to remove the bowls,
Two circuit billet aluminum metering blocks; and,
Down leg boosters.

If anyone is curious, this is the RT-X 750 cfm version. Technically, it should have come with red billet metering blocks, but they were not in stock and gave me the gold ones instead.

 

The finish does look dull. Do you plan on pulling it apart to make sure its all good before using it?

 

I wasn’t planning on pulling it a part. FST tested it before they shipped it. And I have no doubt it was tested as it reeked of gas when I took it out of the box. These carbs are generally rated pretty good, but yes you can always get a bad one.

My engine won’t be ready until October, so more waiting until I can give a better review.

 

I looked at these last year, great value for the money

 

That looks a lot like the AED carburetors. I had an AED "Holley" 850 Double Pumper on my 427 that was "custom built for my engine" and flowed over 1100 CFM. They spent some time and wanted to know all the details about the engine and then built the carburetor to work with my engine. The owner of AED told me that if I wasn't happy with the way it was set up that he bring my Corvette down to their dyno and they would set it up on that. It was so good out of the box that I didn't have to change a jet or anything. They had it set up "perfectly" from the get go. I understood that they got rid of their dyno a while back now during the Covid mess. The owner was a really nice guy and loved Corvettes. They used some liquid to set it up that had the same qualities as gasoline so they could set it up on some machine that had air and liquid both flowing through it.

The only thing it doesn't have is a choke and I didn't like starting my new expensive engine by revving it when cold. You might be able to put the choke parts on the side of it that allow it to idle faster when cold and kick down when warmed up. That made cold starting much easier on the engine. It didn't use the choke tower or parts that are not on the carburetor. It did use the coil that warmed up using 12 Vdc and let the car idle at a higher speed when cold and then as it warmed up it reduced the idle. It is not hard to put those parts on and set it up for cooler weather starting.

 

I have not had a carb with a choke in 30 years. I can reach through the window and turn the key and my motor fires up. I did notice the 71 pri and 82 sec. and that seems way out of bounds when the difference is generally sub 8 sizes. As you see in this picture I have 70 - 74 jets with lots of air bleed and bench flow testing

Are the throttle blades drilled on the primary?

All you have to do is spray it down with tire shine to bring the rich black back.

You need to get a duel fuel log feed with an inline small micron filter and run a 4 hole thermal 4 hole wood 1/2 inch spacer.

 

Summit Racing in Ohio has these FST carbs on display......they have a very high quality appearance......but, there is also something Chinese looking about them.

 

Do you say that because they are made in china? lol the different models dont look cheap to me but I didnt know where they were made till a couple days ago. Its an american company and the design and R&D are american, the stuff is just made in china like about 75% of the available performance parts brand name or not, come from now. I do like that the tune up parts are interchangeable with holley stuff like all the other holley design spin off carbs out there.

 

I know an American company assembles these, because I researched it after I saw them at Summit. Honestly, the finishes look so high quality, I seriously considered buying one.....just because they look so nice Fact is, they are just another in a long line of carbs that are all based on, and stolen from, the original Holley design. These FST carbs just have mostly a higher quality appearance, except I don't like the plating they chose to use on the steel external parts.....it reminds me of cheap Chinese stuff. So......as I said, they have a cheap Chinese look to them.

Would I buy one? Naaaa......instead, I chose to buy a Holley Street HP Aluminum, which has served me well so far for 8000 miles without any changes. The truth is, as with many of my decisions, its more about the "character" of things.........I like seeing that "Holley" word embossed into the casting......makes me feel good. As you know, Holley is an American Icon. That is important to me.

And yes, I know, everything is made in China now.

 

Holley also has carb parts made in china now as well
I have a Quick Fuel carb myself admittedly because of features for the cost when I purchased.. Quick fuel is owned by the same investment firm who bought out Holley and Barry Grant (Demon) on their last bankruptcies so yeah like Harley and GM these "american Icons" all seem to have that in common... Its better than the common alternative for these companies which seems to be Pertronix or worse Honeywell buying them up which typically results in the manufacturing being sourced to the lowest bidders around the world. Eventually both Quick Fuel,Demon and Holley stuff will be made by the same manufacturers and assembled together as this is how these buyouts and acquisitions work, but they sell better at different pricepoints to folks who shop by brand or for recognition for bragging rights if they keep the independent brand appearance. (same reason seemingly competing brands like Lunati and competition products who are also owned by the same parent company are marketed independently toward the public to own a larger share of the market.) I laugh every time a see a comment bashing one and praising the other because it just shows the strategy works.


I thought I had read once that FST was started by some employees from Quick fuel and Holley that left to start their own independent company.
As far as the FST goes. Many of the stainless and steel components like float bolts, linkages and such are the same chinese made accessories that the rest like Holley, quick fuel, demon and the like purchase and use on their carbs. if you do a side by side comparison of these parts they are the same depending on specific models from each brands offerings. Ive read even some of the same bases are being used across the "Brands" now... The reality is now days marketing and branding are more important to all these companies than who or where its made. Its all about doing just enough to market it as a unique "American" item. Edelbrock does the same with their Carter/weber repop carbs by having some parts made overseas and assembling in house but they make most of the main components themselves in their foundries... I still think the edelbrock carb I owned was a crappy design regardless of where it was made or brand recognition. The airflow through them at higher rpms is terribly obstructed and effects top end performance negatively.

I had a holley 670 street avenger on my vette before the QF 680 and after tuning it ran fantastic even though it was a stripped down cheaper model carb. I replaced it for looks because the dull tarnished ratty finish looked like crap on a polished intake especially with all the other cosmetic upgrades under the hood. I had to replace crumbling corroded metering blocks and such on it since I bought it used but it worked well.

 

Nice Demon carb! I still have one on the shelf from my old ZZ4.

 

Yep.....its today's reality. Doesn't mean I have to like it. The best of America is now behind us.

 

Off topic,

Or its just changing like it always has... guess it depends on ones perspective. For the owners and stock holders of many big american companies the best times are now as they line their pockets by peddling foreign knock offs marketed under the brand names they now own. Id rather stick it too them myself and buy directly from the chinese who present their products for what they are and charge less for them without the markups. In this case FST charges less than the competition for what seems like a very nice fit and finish product compared to those products.

I guess We dont have as much local pollution, or as many people dieing from factory related illness or accidents either, and thanks to more socialist type aid programs less Americans feel inspired to bother working as they are happier living off those of us that do! I mean even the poorest seem to have cable tv and cell phones these days. Negative gripes aside, it seems far more people are driving around vehicles that cost half or more of what you can buy a home for these days... I see more corvettes on the road than I ever have so can quality of life really be that bad for the majority of Americans?

 

I’m planning to put an Air Fuel Ratio meter in the exhaust to tune it when it’s all done.

 

One for my L79 build and one for my 496 build. Seem to be decent quality and tunable.