Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

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Speakrdude

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While I have the engine out of this 88 Sea Ray, (twin 94 model Merc. 350's) I discovered they have Webber 4 barrel carbs. I was going to put a rebuild kit in the one I have out but thought I would get the forum opinion on Webber. I am very familiar with Quadrajets, but none with Webber. Anythng other brand of carb you might recommend to bring this up to current GOOD status?
Thanks
 

reddogg

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

I don't have allot of experiance with marine engine's like yours, but I do have a bunch with automotive engines and I always go with the holley's. To me they are dependable and very easy to work on/re-build as well as giving great performance.

red
 

dubs283

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

quadrajet is the best for idle mixture settings and fuel economy

holley, weber/edelbrock/carter = fuel waste, load up the engine at idle and off idle speeds, and very finicky to get idle mixture dialed in - oh yeah, they're great if you wanna go wide open ALL the time
 

RZR2007

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

quadrajet is the best for idle mixture settings and fuel economy

holley, weber/edelbrock/carter = fuel waste, load up the engine at idle and off idle speeds, and very finicky to get idle mixture dialed in - oh yeah, they're great if you wanna go wide open ALL the time

I fully agree, it's hard to beat a good running quadrajet for all around performance, not nearly as easy to rebuild as the others, but a great carb. when done correctly.
 

Bondo

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

Ayuh,.... Mercruiser dropped the Rochesters back in the early 80s, 'n went to the Merc/ Webers...

The Merc/ Weber is a Carter AFB clone, 'n is Exactly the same castings as the Edlebrock Performer carbs...

Merc only used the Holley carb on a few Fords, back in the 70s...

Personally, I think the Carter Clones are the Easiest carb to rebuild/ work on/ tune...
 

mkast

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

A person's opinion about a carburetor tend to lean toward the carburetor that person has the most experience with, that's why they feel comfortable with it.
Interesting side note, back in the muscle car days, GM which normally used a quadrajet carburetor on their engines, used a Holley on their high performance engines.
 

Fireman431

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

I prefer Edelbrock fstrictly for the tuning ability and their capacity to retain an original tune. I run Holleys on my race truck, which perform well, but always seem to need something. Their all good in aspect, or the companies wouldn't still be in business. Remember, unless you get a marinized version, there will be vacuum lines that need to be blocked off and that will affect the performance of any of them. The auto versions are meant to be run with vacuum.
 

skargo

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

A person's opinion about a carburetor tend to lean toward the carburetor that person has the most experience with, that's why they feel comfortable with it.
Interesting side note, back in the muscle car days, GM which normally used a quadrajet carburetor on their engines, used a Holley on their high performance engines.

Only on a few engines did they use Holleys, and they were dual feed. MANY of their high performance offerings came with q-jets.
It's funny, back in the day people would throw their q-jets in the trash, nowadays, people know better and know on their muscle cars you can not beat a properly tuned q-jet.
 

mkast

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

Only on a few engines did they use Holleys
nowadays, people know better and know on their muscle cars you can not beat a properly tuned q-jet.

Only used Holley's on the engines they wanted serious horsepower from.

Now all you have to do is convince NASCAR, apparently they are interested in horsepower too.
 

skargo

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

Only used Holley's on the engines they wanted serious horsepower from.

Now all you have to do is convince NASCAR.
Not sure what that has to do with street driven muscle cars LOL.
 

mkast

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

Not sure what that has to do with street driven muscle cars LOL.

GM probably found out that they could get more horsepower out of an engine with a Holley than out of the quadrajet.
 

skargo

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

GM probably found out that they could get more horsepower out of an engine with a Holley than out of the quadrajet.

Really, is that why MOST come with q-jets? How many GM muscle cars do you own? I have a couple. Q-jets are built for race and street these days.
Cliff works magic on them, efficient power building carbs!
http://www.cliffshighperformance.com/
 

mkast

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

is that why MOST come with q-jets?

I think you're missing the point.
Yes, most GM engines came with a quadrajet.
Why did GM choose to use a Holley on selected engines when they could have easily used the quadrajet?
 

skargo

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

This is an ancient argument, google holley vs quadrajet for real world, modern day dyno numbers. What was pertinent 40 years ago is not pertinent today.
I am not missing the point at all.
 
D

DJ

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

Why did GM choose to use a Holley on selected engines when they could have easily used the quadrajet?



Economics. It's easier to buy something, off the shelf, than to redesign what you have for limited numbers. I'm not saying one is better over the other. Just commenting on what GM's ratationale may have been.
 

mkast

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

This is an ancient argument, google holley vs quadrajet for real world, modern day dyno numbers. What was pertinent 40 years ago is not pertinent today.
I am not missing the point at all.

I think Nascar uses Holleys, today.
 

skargo

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

I think Nascar uses Holleys, today.

Yes but are they concerned with efficiency, along with making power.

I remember as a kid, calling q-jets "quadrajunk" and all that, but I had no clue. Times change and now a q-jet is preferred by many, especially if you know how, or know someone that can tune them properly. ;)
 

wifisher

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

Chevy VS Ford VS Dodge VS Toyota

They all work. You will find as many opinions on this as you will on any brand name argument.
 

45Auto

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

mkast said:
Now all you have to do is convince NASCAR, apparently they are interested in horsepower too.

Actually, the reasons NASCAR uses carbs are to keep the cars as slow and safe as possible (same reason they run restrictor plates on big tracks), and a carb is easy to police compared to a computerized fuel injection system.

And the only reason they use stock Holley 4150's (NASCAR Rule 20-5.10) and specify only stock Holley replacement parts is because it's almost impossible (as far as NASCAR knows) to find a way to "cheat" them.

If they were serious about making power, they would have allowed fuel injection a couple of decades ago.

This article has a quick overview on NASCAR carbs:

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/icons/news/story?id=3473499
 

Speakrdude

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Re: Webber VS Quadrajet VS Holley VS Eldlebrock

So as long as we all agree, Sounds like a fresh rebuilt "Factory issued" Webber on a Sea Ray 350 will be about as good as the rest of them for normal, everyday, operation.
The boat has twin, Merc. 350's with Webbers.

The stbd engine idles great and seems to run smooth, the port engine seized and the manifold and webber are a mess. Matter of fact, I have to find a new manifold. Saltwater destroyed it.
 
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