Flathead Carb

[Krylon32]

Thinking of running the Holley 390 carb instead of multiple Strombergs on my 258 French motor. I looked on E-Bay and prices are all over the place for new and rebuilt. Where is the best place to buy this carb?

[19Fordy]

The price of Holley 390 carbs has increased quite a bit during the last few years. Whatever you do stay away from the one's made in China shown here:
https://www.ebay.com/p/28015777815?i...CABEgKtcfD_BwE

[corvette8n]

Looks like just under $588 at speedway motors
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Holle...Choke,367.html

Trouble with buying used its hard to know if the carb is really good or somebody's poor rebuild.

[19Fordy]

Gary: I agree with "corvette8n". You can buy one direct from HOLLEY for about same price as Speedway. Are there any carb rebuild shops in your area that might have a guaranteed good working condition used one for sale that you could return, if needed? I forget what car you're using it on but on my 40 (with an 8BA and early style heads) I had to install it backwards for linkage to work. Plus, there has been some discussion about 390 Holleys being able to function properly if you're using a vacuum advance distributor so, do your home work and plan ahead to avoid surprises. Here's a good thread about this:
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277978

[flatjack9]

Instead, why not get like a 450 cfm Holley. Cheaper and will still work just fine.

[Krylon32]

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Would the 450 be to much carb? I noticed on the Navarro 4 barrel manifold they have a provision for moving the linkage to the right side. 19Fordy It will undoubtedly be going into some kind of 32 Ford. I'm fairly crafty so I can make a linkage?

[chiefdave]

I don't know if Holley still offers them but in the past they offered factory refurbish carbs at a very deep discount. Most were returned because the customer either didn't know how to tune them or thought they were plug and play. Over the years I bought several and all worked perfectly. The 390 I have on my '49 was purchased on Ebay for $140 shipped with the seller stating it needed a rebuild. All it needed was an accelerator pump diaphragm.


Just checked the Holley website and the have one available for $299.99. I don't think you could touch a rebuildable WCFB core for that.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Krylon32

Would the 450 be to much carb? I noticed on the Navarro 4 barrel manifold they have a provision for moving the linkage to the right side. 19Fordy It will undoubtedly be going into some kind of 32 Ford. I'm fairly crafty so I can make a linkage?

Isn't the Navarro set up for a WCFB carb? I wonder if a the adapter and the overall larger size of the Holly interfere with the linkage castings in the back of the intake.

[19Fordy]

That refurbished 390 Holly is no longer available. Hope Gary got it.
https://www.holley.com/products/fuel.../parts/FR-8007

[Flathead]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

The price of Holley 390 carbs has increased quite a bit during the last few years. Whatever you do stay away from the one's made in China shown here:
https://www.ebay.com/p/28015777815?i...CABEgKtcfD_BwE

So this must be a fake Holley?

[Talkwrench]

Originally Posted by corvette8n

Looks like just under $588 at speedway motors
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Holle...Choke,367.html

Trouble with buying used its hard to know if the carb is really good or somebody's poor rebuild.

correct!

[Tinker]

Anyone run a Holley 2 barrel on a flathead?? https://www.holley.com/products/fuel...s/parts/0-7448

Decent yblock carb. maybe china made too. Always wondered.



.

[JWL]

If you read my book you will conclude that Jack has given good advice. The 390 is actually a bit small for your application. Overpriced, too.

[19Fordy]

Originally Posted by Flathead

So this must be a fake Holley?

For that kind of money it's most likely a fake China made Holley. I doubt that Holley would be making a low priced 390 to compete against itself.

[19Fordy]

[QUOTE=Tinker;1862872]Anyone run a Holley 2 barrel on a flathead?? https://www.holley.com/products/fuel...s/parts/0-7448

Decent yblock carb. maybe china made too. Always wondered.


Tinker: Good question. Hope someone who has used this carb will chime in.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

For that kind of money it's most likely a fake China made Holley. I doubt that Holley would be making a low priced 390 to compete against itself.

Would a fake Holley be called a Folley?

[flatheadmurre]

[QUOTE=19Fordy;1862949]

Originally Posted by Tinker

Anyone run a Holley 2 barrel on a flathead?? https://www.holley.com/products/fuel...s/parts/0-7448

Decent yblock carb. maybe china made too. Always wondered.


Tinker: Good question. Hope someone who has used this carb will chime in.

That boltpatter is a bit of a challenge since it´s off center...must be better choices if you are going for something to bolt on a mercury intake.

[scicala]

"Just checked the Holley website and the have one available for $299.99. I don't think you could touch a rebuildable WCFB core for that."




Rebuildable WCFB cores are not that expensive. I have bought them in the past and never paid more than $50, unless your talking some originals from a factory Chevy dual quad set up. $299 is close to a well rebuilt one.


Also, a refurbished 390 CFM one would be good, or 450 CFM one will work too. They are vacuum secondary and the rear barrels open based on how
much air is going through the carb. They will never open all the way unless your spinning 7000 RPM, and at that point you would need the extra air.


Sal

[19Fordy]

But when you click on the actual 390 carb shown, it reads no longer available.

[tubman]

I haunt eBay and several other sites and go to all the swap meets I can "Square Base" carbs (early WCFB's and 4G's) seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth.