Best Carb?
12-10-09 | 08:46 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 40
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From: Fort Pierce FL
Best Carb?
My family ran into some financial problems. This has put my motor swap on hold. My mom needs a vehicle so I am giving her my truck after i get my 7 running again. I hate the stock carb on my 82 gsl "12a" The motor has stock porting. I really like the weber 48 carb but i think it may be too big for stock porting. Which carb is ideal for my set up? Ps. i have stock headers but, not for long. RB headers soon.
12-10-09 | 09:06 AM
#2
The weber 48 can work fine as long as you use the right (smaller) venturis and re-jet it for a stockport 12A. I assume this is an IDA carb right? I run a Dell DHLA 48 and it rocks.
Theres another thread just like this going on now: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/48mm-weber-12a-4port-869864/
Theres another thread just like this going on now: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/48mm-weber-12a-4port-869864/
12-10-09 | 12:33 PM
#3
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,162
Likes: 1
From: London, Ontario, Canada
If your looking for a good bump in street performance without the poor low end performance of a 2 barrel carb, check out www.sterlingmetalworks.com
A simple overview is that this carb is basically a very highly modified stock carb. By modifying the stocker Sterling was able to retain the everyday driveability while still giving a good power increase. Not only does it bolt right on without having to buy a new manifold, it is also easily tuneable for either fuel economy or performance by simply swapping jets. It uses Holley air bleeds as air bleeds AND fuel jets, so a handful of those air bleeds will give you a wide range of tuning possibilities.
Here's some of my videos on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...rch_type=&aq=f
Check out Kentetsu's videos of his car slaying pretty much everything with just an exhaust and Sterling carb for power adders.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Kentetsu1#g/u
A simple overview is that this carb is basically a very highly modified stock carb. By modifying the stocker Sterling was able to retain the everyday driveability while still giving a good power increase. Not only does it bolt right on without having to buy a new manifold, it is also easily tuneable for either fuel economy or performance by simply swapping jets. It uses Holley air bleeds as air bleeds AND fuel jets, so a handful of those air bleeds will give you a wide range of tuning possibilities.
Here's some of my videos on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...rch_type=&aq=f
Check out Kentetsu's videos of his car slaying pretty much everything with just an exhaust and Sterling carb for power adders.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Kentetsu1#g/u
12-10-09 | 01:42 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Fort Pierce FL
Ok both the dell and the sterling sound good. I forgot to mention that I am on a budget and really hate to spend more than $500 on a carb set up. So what is the best bang for my buck? thanks
12-10-09 | 02:05 PM
#6
I need a new user title
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,646
Likes: 1
From: Yaizu, Japan
Way I see it, there are three options: Weber-style, Sterling, or Holley-style.
The advantage of the Sterling is that you keep your current intake manifold. The disadvantage of the Sterling is that you keep your current intake manifold. The Sterling also only flows 465 CFM at 1.5" Hg, which will limit you if you plan on porting your motor later (especially with the stock manifold), but the drivability should be excellent, and Sterling will walk you through getting it tuned.
Holleys are super common and cheap, and there are a variety of sizes available, all of which use the same intake manifold, as do a number of other carbs (Edelbrock, Demon, etc.). So that's nice. There are tons of people who know how to tune them, and they have lots of aftermarket support. You can have a choke, too, if you want, which, while not necessary, can be handy sometimes. However they suffer from fuel starvation during hard cornering to a much greater degree than the other two options.
Webers/Dellortos/OERs are my personal favorite. The 48 IDA can flow over 600 CFM at 1.5" Hg with the right venturis, so it can grow with your motor, and they're wonderfully easy to tune once you learn how. Also easy to boost-prep if you ever want to do a blow-through turbo setup. They sound awesome, too. The only drawback is that they're not progressive, so in theory you lose a little power off idle compared to the others. In practice, even with my oversized venturis I can still do some mean burnouts.
The stock fuel pump isn't really even adequate for the stock carb, much less an aftermarket one. If you had to, the stock pump would work with either a Sterling or a Weber, but the Weber+manifold will be more than $500 unless you buy a used setup. You could probably pick up a used Holley, a manifold, and a fuel pump and stay within your budget, too.
The advantage of the Sterling is that you keep your current intake manifold. The disadvantage of the Sterling is that you keep your current intake manifold. The Sterling also only flows 465 CFM at 1.5" Hg, which will limit you if you plan on porting your motor later (especially with the stock manifold), but the drivability should be excellent, and Sterling will walk you through getting it tuned.
Holleys are super common and cheap, and there are a variety of sizes available, all of which use the same intake manifold, as do a number of other carbs (Edelbrock, Demon, etc.). So that's nice. There are tons of people who know how to tune them, and they have lots of aftermarket support. You can have a choke, too, if you want, which, while not necessary, can be handy sometimes. However they suffer from fuel starvation during hard cornering to a much greater degree than the other two options.
Webers/Dellortos/OERs are my personal favorite. The 48 IDA can flow over 600 CFM at 1.5" Hg with the right venturis, so it can grow with your motor, and they're wonderfully easy to tune once you learn how. Also easy to boost-prep if you ever want to do a blow-through turbo setup. They sound awesome, too. The only drawback is that they're not progressive, so in theory you lose a little power off idle compared to the others. In practice, even with my oversized venturis I can still do some mean burnouts.
The stock fuel pump isn't really even adequate for the stock carb, much less an aftermarket one. If you had to, the stock pump would work with either a Sterling or a Weber, but the Weber+manifold will be more than $500 unless you buy a used setup. You could probably pick up a used Holley, a manifold, and a fuel pump and stay within your budget, too.
12-10-09 | 02:22 PM
#7
Lives on the Forum
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 11,359
Likes: 14
From: Grand Rapids Michigan
I have had great success with my Sterling carb. Great power, great reliability, and good pricing.
And yes, with any aftermarket (or modified) carb, you will eventually want to upgrade the fuel system (I didn't do mine until over a year after I got my Sterling. No issues with running it that way, but when I did upgrade I got a nice performance boost). Here is a link to a writeup I did on upgrading the fuel pump/pressure regulator:
https://www.rx7club.com//showthread.php?t=529605
Check out some of my videos sometime (see link in signature line) and you will see how controllable (as in throttle response) the Sterling carb is, as well as get an idea of the power benefits.
Good luck with whatever route you choose.
.
And yes, with any aftermarket (or modified) carb, you will eventually want to upgrade the fuel system (I didn't do mine until over a year after I got my Sterling. No issues with running it that way, but when I did upgrade I got a nice performance boost). Here is a link to a writeup I did on upgrading the fuel pump/pressure regulator:
https://www.rx7club.com//showthread.php?t=529605
Check out some of my videos sometime (see link in signature line) and you will see how controllable (as in throttle response) the Sterling carb is, as well as get an idea of the power benefits.
Good luck with whatever route you choose.
.
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