replace carb?

[BarryK]

earlier today I asked about the best place to send my carb out to be rebuilt - thanks John for the reply!

Well, those plans are scrapped. I double checked my carb and the paperwork from when I bought the car when I checked every number on the motor and I had forgotten that the carb on my car was the correct model but the incorrect date so it's a replacement carb. One of only a few non-original parts under the hood.

Rather than spending $300 give or take on restoring this incorrectly dated Holley 2818-1 carb, which has been rebuilt within the last year anyway and still gives me sporatic performance, I'm now considering just replacing it. Would I be better off just buying a new Holley 2818 carb or something else entirely. I know from other posts a lot of people seem to prefer and are happy with the Barry Grant carbs.
Any opinions on the best way to go?

A new Holley replacement should just bolt right in. If I went with something else though i'm concerned that it's going to be a lot of extra work involved with possibly needing to redo the plumbing on the fuel line, etc.

also, when looking on both the Holley website and the Barry Grant website I'm confused at which carb would be the proper one.
On the Holley's they list a LOT of various 4150 carbs - with vacuum or with mechanical secondaries, various size CFM size models, choke or no choke models etc. On the Barry Grant site same thing.........

thanks for any help or advice!

 

[ctjackster]

earlier today I asked about the best place to send my carb out to be rebuilt - thanks John for the reply!

Well, those plans are scrapped. I double checked my carb and the paperwork from when I bought the car when I checked every number on the motor and I had forgotten that the carb on my car was the correct model but the incorrect date so it's a replacement carb. One of only a few non-original parts under the hood.

Rather than spending $300 give or take on restoring this incorrectly dated Holley 2818-1 carb, which has been rebuilt within the last year anyway and still gives me sporatic performance, I'm now considering just replacing it. Would I be better off just buying a new Holley 2818 carb or something else entirely. I know from other posts a lot of people seem to prefer and are happy with the Barry Grant carbs.
Any opinions on the best way to go?

A new Holley replacement should just bolt right in. If I went with something else though i'm concerned that it's going to be a lot of extra work involved with possibly needing to redo the plumbing on the fuel line, etc.

also, when looking on both the Holley website and the Barry Grant website I'm confused at which carb would be the proper one.
On the Holley's they list a LOT of various 4150 carbs - with vacuum or with mechanical secondaries, various size CFM size models, choke or no choke models etc. On the Barry Grant site same thing.........

thanks for any help or advice!

answered you over there but as for the Holley replacement modern day would be a Holley Street Avenger 600 cfm, might have electric choke-aircleaner interference issues though, cureable with a plastic ring.

 

[BarryK]

thanks Jack, i just got your other reply

 

[Subfixer]

If you want to got the barry grant route.... 600cfm vacuum secondaries. Could have the same issues with the choke, but due to the construction of the stock SHP air cleaner, I doubt it.

Just looked at the site I mentioned on the other forum...... Custom Rebuilt Carbs ( http://customrebuiltcarbs.com/index.shtml). They have 2 1965 2818's One dated 554, the other dated 401. Also a 64 2818 dated 302. Looks like none in your date range so far, but you could give them a call. They get others in all the time.

 

[BarryK]

thanks Paul
i'll keep an eye on their site

 

[ctjackster]

If you want to got the barry grant route.... 600cfm vacuum secondaries. Could have the same issues with the choke, but due to the construction of the stock SHP air cleaner, I doubt it.

Just looked at the site I mentioned on the other forum...... Custom Rebuilt Carbs ( http://customrebuiltcarbs.com/index.shtml). They have 2 1965 2818's One dated 554, the other dated 401. Also a 64 2818 dated 302. Looks like none in your date range so far, but you could give them a call. They get others in all the time.

That 2818 with a 401 date would work for NCRS purposes, but in reality an early October carb on a late Feb engine is not the holy grail you are looking for, but that's just me and the game

 

[BarryK]

Jack
you are right, it would work but it's still approx. 4 1/2 months out from the build date of the car. Since I'm in no rush i'd rather wait to find one with a little closer dating on it if I'm going to end up spending for a correct carb. I'm in no rush at all on this.
I'm not concerned in the least by NCRS as I don't have the car judged, only trying to get it as close as possible to a correct condition as possible (with some exceptions such as my BC/CC paint) for my own satisfaction and happiness on the car.
I'm sure many people will think i'm nuts to worry about it if I don't do the judging thing, but hey, it's my car so I can do what I want!

 

[JohnZ]

I'd just leave the one alone that you have already - the service date is only eight points, and you don't intend to have it judged anyway, and nobody but you is going to know it's service-dated. A correctly-dated 2818-1 is going to cost you $500-$800 depending on whether you find a core and get it restored/rebuilt or buy one already done, and you can do a LOT of other things for that kind of money.

 

[BarryK]

John
good advice, thanks

What i'm considering now is simply living with the one I have (and getting it rebuilt yet again to try and fix it) and if I can find a correctly dated one at some point than maybe buying it but no rush at all on that. If I find a correct dated one in a year or two would be fine but not this winter as my list of other things needed is much higher priority.

Boy, things have sure changed quickly for me regarding this carb since just earlier this morning!

 

[hzl6cm]

I have a 3849804 Holley 2818-1 Carb dated 533 (3rd week of March 1965) that I would sell for $100 plus shipping. It has the correct 4094 primary and 4099 secondary metering blocks and has a the complete original choke assembly with the clear plastic housing. The carb is complete but mosture has gotten in to it (while it was still bolted to the engine mosture got in to the jury rigged cold air intake while the car was sitting) and corroded the choke and throttle plates and some of the other stamped steel parts. The throttle plates are stuck and I haven't tried to free them since I didn't want to mess anything up. I took some pictures but they didn't come out too well so I will shoot some more tomorrow if you are interested. This carb was installed on a 58, Corvette 283, with 64 heads that was installed in a '66 MGBGT in the early 70s. Since none of this car is original I am gong with an Edelbrock 600cfm carb so I don't need this one.

Kevin

John
good advice, thanks

What i'm considering now is simply living with the one I have (and getting it rebuilt yet again to try and fix it) and if I can find a correctly dated one at some point than maybe buying it but no rush at all on that. If I find a correct dated one in a year or two would be fine but not this winter as my list of other things needed is much higher priority.

Boy, things have sure changed quickly for me regarding this carb since just earlier this morning!

 

[BarryK]

Kevin
i appreciate it but that would be too late of a date for my car. My car's b-day is Feb. 26th, '65 so that carb you have would be a month or so too late for me as a properly dated carb

 

[c5vetter]

Barry,

I'm confused - a carb that is within a month's date of yours and you say it won't work!? you did say Feb 26, 1965 and the dude just said the carb he has for sale is 3rd week of March 1965!

 

[BarryK]

Rick
the carb is dated AFTER the build date of my car. I would need one dated BEFORE the build date of my car. I already have a 2818-1 on the car that is dated after my build date (service replacement unit).

 

[hzl6cm]

Sorry, I saw from the previous posts that your engine was built in February but I didn't realize that the whole car was built then. Good luck.

Kevin

 

[BarryK]

no problem
thanks anyway Kevin!

 

[c5vetter]

BK,

my bad also - didn't realize build date was then - that is why I was so confused when you initially said the carb within 3 weeks wouldn't work! with that said, since you don't do NCRS judging then keep what you have! why sweat the small stuff, and put the money in other areas

 

[BarryK]

Rick
no problem! I realized you either just misread or were confused about my car's build date somehow.
Nope, I'm not worried about NCRS points and I think JohnZ said the carb dating is only 8 points anyway.
i'm leaving what I have and IF I happen to come across a correctly dated carb I may get it just for the hell of it to have another correctly dated part for the car but other than that i'm not concerned about it. Really, the carb is about the only major componet on the motor that isn't original or correctly dated.

 

[firstgear]

I'd just leave the one alone that you have already - the service date is only eight points, and you don't intend to have it judged anyway, and nobody but you is going to know it's service-dated. A correctly-dated 2818-1 is going to cost you $500-$800 depending on whether you find a core and get it restored/rebuilt or buy one already done, and you can do a LOT of other things for that kind of money.

yes...like buy a new radiator......touching these cars when they aren't broken is definitely a slippery slope......