carburetors?

Question

I have read that while lots of carb's look cool that a single 4-BBL is all i really need

I want to put 3-2bbl 's on my 427 but should I just keep the single 4 bbl it already has? I understand that the draw from the cam limits the amount of air pulled into the motor... so 800CFM is 800 CFM...? right? If the motor can only pull this amount then what is the point of adding more carbs?.... and no I'm not changing the cam... I want to be able to drive the car on the street

Answer 1

you will be a lot happier with the single 4bbl. carb for just driving around, the 3-2's are a pain to keep tuned and if they aren't tuned right your car will be a real dog, pretty to look at but thats about all.

Answer 2

The big difference (and it really isn't all that big) is the air flow through the carbs. Separating the carbs gives the air/fuel mix a straighter line to travel through the manifold - and thus a little more horsepower, and a little more efficiency. This is why old sports cars often had multiple carbs - not because they couldn't get a big enough carb, but to reduce the inefficiency caused by the tighter bends in the manifold. This is why the old Mini Cooper S had twin S.U.s, why old FIATs and Alfas had twin Webers - the less power the engine uses to pull the air through the carb and into the cylinder, the more power it had left for moving the vehicle. And it also improves engine response, since the fuel takes a little less time to get to the cylinder.

Remember, this makes for small differences in power. Unless you are going racing, you probably won't notice the difference...although the multi-carb setups do look pretty cool.

Answer 3

I have had cars with 4 bbls and cars with tri carbs. If you want the look of tri carbs, kind of retro, then do it, but it will be more trouble (three carbs vs. one) and in the case of a 427 Ford slower than the four barrel.

Answer 4

With a Big Block 427 you should be able to look up old articles and reports on tests run with each combination to see which runs the best. I've read a zillion old corvette hot rod articles and I think in your case I would just go with the quad because the difference is so small for street use, why bother. If you have a quad manifold, stick with it. Unless you have a certified numbers matching big dollar corvette, then you wouldn't have it out on the street anyway.