Questions and Answers

Chevy ½ ton Pickup Carburetor Choices Q. Hi Vince, I'm obviously not a mechanic or I'd already know this, so here I am. My son has a 1972 Chevy ½ ton 4x4 pickup with a 350 cid 350th and the carburetor on it now is junk. Besides being completely worn out and thrashed, it's a big old honking Quadrajet that came from a bigger motor. (So we're told) He's got a Holley single pumper 600/625/650?, that he was planning on having rebuilt, and then installing.

From what I've seen and read, the bone stock 350 cid Chevy just doesn't need that much fuel/air. Because of info I've found on the internet, I've been trying to convince him to go somewhere in the 500cfm to 550cfm range instead. He's not concerned so much with power as he is with reliability. Like myself, he's not a wrench either. Courtesy of a friend, he's now been offered a Carter AFB that's in very good condition, (it's supposed to be in the 500-550cfm range), but it's coming off of an early 80's Ford pickup. I can't say for certain whether it's a SB or BB.

I'm guessing that the carburetor bolt patterns won't be the same, and that he'll have to buy an adaptor plate for the Chevy manifold, but I just don't know for certain. My Yahoo! and WebFerret searches haven't made a hit, so I'm coming to you. What say ye doctor? What cfm would you recommend, and will the Ford carburetor work on the aftermarket Chevy SB manifold?

Thanks for a reply,
Daren
Stockton, CA

A. I vote for a rebuilt Quadrajet. When done right they are the most reliable and very fuel efficient. Also a dime a dozen in the junk yards.