'53 cadillac carb swap to a holley??

[mooman929]

im having my doubts on replacing my 2005S carter 4 brrl, one because they are so rare and 2, they are expensive to replace.  I have a rebuilt 650 cfm holley carb off a 327 small block chevy from 1978.  would this setup work on my 331 with an adaptor?  I was told by a carburetor guy that this wouldn't work and it would run like crap.  I think It was just a gimmick to get me to spend the $1000 dollars on his carb.  any expert advice?  what differences would I see?

[signart]

I'm sure it would run fine if it's a good carb and you adapted it successfully. The problem might be adapting the TV rod and adjustment for it.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Anything is possible, and swapping carbies is a matter of getting everything to work.

As for the Holley for your engine, go for one with a Vacuum Secondary, as you really don't want a "Double-pumper" on an automatic transmission engine.

Here is a picture of my '60 CDV 390 with its' 650 Holley atop a home-made adaptor.

Next, is the TV rod lever arm is just a matter of copying the one you have, and fitting it to the Holley arm, and having the same length of movement as original.

I used a home made adaptor.   But, as the car was RHD, it had a cable throttle link.

Plus, I had to use a Corvette type low slung air cleaner as the '60 had a bit of a problem with hood clearance, but that shouldn't be a problem with the '53.

Bruce.

[mooman929]

Thanks guys.  I'm a young buck with little money but trying restore some family history!

[signart]

Don't be afraid to tackle it. It will be very rewarding to learn and get results from your work. You can run the carb to make sure it runs satisfactorily before you tackle the TV linkage. The throttle linkage should not be too tricky. Your old 331 doesn't care if it's running on a Holley, or Carter, or an Edelbrock.

[Dan LeBlanc]

Thanks guys.  I'm a young buck with little money but trying restore some family history!

Most of us have been in the same position.  Just do yourself a favor and be sure to keep the original carburetor and related parts in case you decide to go back to original someday when funds permit.

At least you're trying to keep the car running with what you've got.  Hats off.

[mooman929]

It will be all original except for the carb.  What do I do about the tube goin from the exhauat manifold to the choke assembly.  Just plug it?

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Yes, just plug it, if it is leaking fumes, or if not, just don't use it.   

Either use the manual choke that is on the Holley, or the electric one, but not sure where you would plug that into, as most electric ones I know plug into a terminal on the Alternator.

Bruce.

[txturbo]

Way less hassle to just fix the original carb. You can get it rebuilt by a pro for way less than $1000 and probably less than the cost of a Holley and all the hardware to make it work.

[mooman929]

I have the original carb and I rebuilt it.  I have a broken ear on the throttle body but can't find one anywhere. Plus I have a rebuilt holley here too

[txturbo]

get some HTS2000 and weld it up. Or I can give you a phone number to a guy that has tons of old carbs. He probably has a base for it.

[mooman929]

Hey thanks.  Whats the number?

[txturbo]

Can't get to it right now....but you can go to craigslist for Houston and you will see all his ads for carburetor a in the auto parts section.