Name brand or budget carb?

[Spookee]

Hello! Looking for some input - we need a new carb in our 84 k10 and the guy who is going to install it gave us the option of getting a name brand edelbrock or going with a budget / generic option. It looks like the difference is only 100-200$ (cost isnt a problem). we want something reliable since the truck is our daily driver. So I’m looking for input to see if a non-name brand carb is really all the different or if we should just stick with the name brand edelbrock.

(For context we currently have an edelbrock). Thanks

 

[82sbshortbed]

I'd get a quadrajet from nationalcarbureators.com in Florida. I did and you won't be disappointed. It comes ready to slap on right out the box.

 

[82sbshortbed]

I don't like the edelbrock carbs. Quadrajet is what gm put on these and that's be best one for the trucks imo. I replaced it with the Quadrajet and it runs great.

 

[87gmcburb]

Hello! Looking for some input - we need a new carb in our 84 k10 and the guy who is going to install it gave us the option of getting a name brand edelbrock or going with a budget / generic option. It looks like the difference is only 100-200$ (cost isnt a problem). we want something reliable since the truck is our daily driver. So I’m looking for input to see if a non-name brand carb is really all the different or if we should just stick with the name brand edelbrock.

(For context we currently have an edelbrock). Thanks

Some don't like Edelbrock, but my last 3 burbs as well as my current 87 which i just swapped from TBI to carb, I have had much better luck with edelbrock than the Q jet or holley's. I just put a Edelbrock QVS2 and so far it is the best set up on a carb 350 yet.
There are generic Q Jets out there for cheap but i would stay away from them if you can afford a better one

 

[Ricko1966]

I am with 82 shortbed. An edelbrock is a budget carb copied off the old Carter,that GM replaced with the much better quadrajet. So your choice is get a budget knockoff of an outdated carbureator or a cheap knock off,off a knockoff, of an outdated carbureator. Hmm that's a tough one. Get a quadrajet like is supposed to be on it or at the very least a Holley. I've had all of them,I've tuned all of them I'm not just some guy that read this or tried that once or my friend told me. Especially if you want reliability and a daily driver. GM spent tons of money designing the Qjet and more money,tailoring it for your vehicle. For your transmission,for your options,and they had to start,hot,cold,wet,dry,no matter what because they were on brand new warrantied trucks,that people counted on everyday.Look at the Edelbrock catalog wow it fits everything. Look at your qjet wow it pretty much just fits your truck with your options. Why? Because it is calibrated for your engine,your transmission, etc. If you have size 9 feet you can probably wear size 12 shoes,but they aren't as good of fit as size 9. Look at the Edelbrock catalog,do they even differentiate between automatic and manual transmission applications.

 

[Old Guy Bill]

It sounds like he’s already got a square bore intake though…
Whatever you choose don’t go with too big of a carb…

 

[Shorty81]

I've always had good luck with quadrajet and Holleys. Running 750 Holley now. Happy big block.

 

[bucket]

I have two questions:

What is wrong with the current Eddy carb?

What are the "generic" carb options?

 

[82sbshortbed]

Yes^^ if money is not the problem why go generic carb?

 

[Spookee]

Wow thanks for all the replies everyone I really appreciate it! We ended up ordering an edelbrock 1406 it should get installed next Saturday hopefully! Truck is really having some issues starting after being a champ for awhile and it was diagnosed as the carb being the issue. I wanted to check the forum on carbs since I have received some stellar advice in the past for our truck! We heard from some buddies that you could maybe use a generic carb and have it be just as good as a name brand but who knows, you get what you pay for usually