????Perfect carb for a 289????

Garrettn

New Member
Mar 11, 2004
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I'm almost 16 and love power. ive been loooking for parts to spruce up my 289 to make it a lean mean chevy-killing machine while i wait for my stupid budget to go up. id like to know what size of a carb i need. What brand is the best for the buck, Holley? I have basicly a stock 289. you can tell it has an agressive cam and headers. Also what manifold would work best should i make the switch over to a 4barrel? :shrug: :shrug: :shrug:


Garrettn
 
If you want bang for the buck, you can't beat a Holley list # 4412 500 cfm 2 bbl. It's a direct bolt on swap to your 289's 2 bbl intake. Only mod involved is a slight rerouting of the fuel line. If you decide to go with a 4 bbl , then the Ford Racing A321, older C9OX , Edelbrocks older F4B are good ones, along with a Performer RPM or Weiand Stealth.
 
Loud headers don't make for an "aggresive" cam. I would think that IF there was a "stock" aggresive cam in it, someone would have put in an aftermarket carb. The problem is having too much carb, if your engine doesn't have the guts to handle it. If it doesn't, you get black spark plugs.
 
The stock carbs work great on stock motors, getting an aftermarket might improve your power but only VERY slightly on a stock motor, and most likely at a cost of efficiency. I'd put headers and dual exhaust on it before I do a carb swap.

If you really want more power then put a new cam in it and grind out the outer inch of the intake and ehaust ports on each head to match the gaskets...THEN get a new carb.
 
akd67 said:
Thats good "$ saver" advice. :hail2:
Yea, don't I know, I've had two of them in the last 30 years. Had em on 4-5 different motors. Worked great on all of them. From a bone stock 302 in a 69 Econoline van, to the center carb on a three duece 390. The first was bought when I was Garrettn's age, and for the same reason, most economical way to get 4 bbl performance without buying and swapping BOTH an intake and carb. :D