Just want to get a vote on which would be better. I have a 79 F100 with a 351W and Holly 600 cfm. The carb is new but it just won't adjust to how I want it. Would an Edelbrock be better and could I tune easier than my Holly? Right now I'm ready to make a trotline weight out of it.

 

This issue has come up before and the debate can go either way. In my experience, I've had trouble with Holleys. The power valve would give out but is a very easy fix. I later switched to an Edelbrock #1405 and had no problems after that. I'm sure if you got a carb tuned right along with the proper size jets matched to your driving demands, either brand would work. Also make sure your fuel pump is up for the task. Good luck

 

Switched from Holley to Edelbrock and all my problems went away.

-Matt

 

Matt says it best, bob

 

Edelbrocks are easier to dial in from the box but I believe holley's have way more tunning capabilities. I have a holley 750 and picked up a trick kit and a few other parts. I can now tune one carb for future mods and/or driving needs. Granted you can get stuff to improve the edelbrock the holley has more things to adjust which makes it a harder carb for some people to work with. I went from an edelbrock to a holley. Had tons of problems at first but now I'm glad I stuck with it. All of this is my opion and some will disagree. It all depends how much patience you have.

 

I know Edelbrocks and love em, I can do a rod change in <5 minutes....

Rods and Jets in 10 or so.....

They are so easy to learn to use, and have plenty of adjustment for all but the most demanding of scenarios.

I really dont have anything against holleys, and all my criticism is stuff Ive heard, mainly that they are leaky and trouble prone. I learned Edelbrocks, so thats what Ive stuck with.

 

I agree with this 100%. I have run Edelbrock/Carter carbs in the past and just wasn't really happy with their performance. But I know a lot of people love them because you can take them out of the box, plop them on the intake and drive. They're the perfect carb for someone who doesn't really want to learn carbs, just wants to drive.

I'm not a Holley expert by any means but I bought a book, did some reading and talked to some people who know their stuff. Once you learn how they work they're very easy to tune and figure out and, IMO, far superior for a performance engine than an Edelbrock. Then again not everyone is interested in high performance engines.

 

most people who love eidlebrocks , dont love them as much as they love not having to adjust them and fiddle with them on a regular basis. and I used to run hollys also my 2c's, bob

 

i went from edelbrock, to holley, to q-jet.....holleys are much better carbs becuse of the tuning abilities, but they suck for steep angles, as well as edelbrocks

 

Kubota have you tried the truck avenger for the steep angle fuel problem? I was kind of looking at getting it but I heard some stuff about the avenger line which made me stick to my 750.

 

i didnt see the point in blowing 100's of dollars on the truck avenger when you can build a good reliable q-jet fr less than 100 bucks easy. and have 750 or 795 cfm to boot

 

All 3 listed here have thier points, and all 3 can be adjusted but here is my opinions
Edelbrock is my choice for a daily driver, they can be set for really decent economy, and they are more dependable than a holley with less possibility of leaks. They also have better part throttle response, and control.
The quadra junks (sorry Kubota had to) are actually a great carb for a dual purpose rig were some economy and dependability is needed but when you stand on one you will know it's a 4bbl carb.
Holley makes a good performance carb and should be used as such, but an out of the box holley needs work, and they don't take to bieng rebuilt worth a dang. Modified versions by BG, or quickfuel etc are flat out going to outrun the other 2 carbs listed and in some instances are the only choice (IE when you need more than 800 cfm)
Once you learn how to work on them they all are actually really simple and easy to tune and work on, get into any of them and you will see they are really not complicated but tuning any of them requires not that you know how to work on the carb but rather that you know how to read what your engine is doing, and what it needs to be better at what your goals are, such as if your looking for performance or economy.
Simplest way to put it look at what your goals are, and buy the appropriate carb that best fits