done4fun

i have a 81 and was wondering if i could change my carb and intake to a eldebrock setup and how to tell which carb and intake i need. also i took the car to a custom muffler shop and he said i cant make it dual exhaust. any input on these items? and what else do i need to change if i do change carb. someone said something about the ignition.....im not a great mechanic so dont understand everything but i do love my vette! thanks in advance to all who help. :flag

John 65

On my 80 I put the edelbrock performer intake and a new Holley 600 cfm carb. Runs real nice with them. No mechanic here but it was fairly simple. Good luck

comp

don't know NY laws... someone will post up to help you

UKPaul

Did the muffler shop guy say that you can't change to dual exhaust due to your local laws, or due to it being physically difficult??? Mid America sell a dual system that'll bolt straight onto an '81 (fit mine well after a slight modification with a hacksaw!), but you'll lose the Cat. Maybe that's why he said you couldn't do it - do you need the Cat?
Why do you want to change the carb? I've still got the stock one. Did a simple rebuild & it runs great (also get good fuel economy). I changed the intake to a Performer but I'm not sure if it made much of a difference or not as I did it at the same time that I changed the cam. It definately looks a lot better though If you've got the stock computer running the system then you'll need to fit the coolant temp sensor in the manifold. It's not difficult & there's even a large dimple where it needs to go. You just need to get somebody to drill a hole in it & run the correct tap through.
Changing to dual 2-1/2" pipes (even with the stock manifolds & mufflers still in place) was probably the best single performance upgrade that I've done to my '81. Maybe a dyno would show the cam made a bigger improvement, but for seat of the pants testing that dual system did it for me. And it sounds like how a Vette should sound
Something worth trying (& it won't cost anything) is to advance the base timing. It should be 6*BTDC stock & I advanced mine to 11*BTDC. It picks up much better off of idle & low end grunt was improved. I was advised that I could go to about 13* before pinging would become a problem so I erred on the safe side. To set the timing you'll need to disconnect one of the connectors at the dist to prevent the computer from giving it advance. Can't remember which one of the 2 connectors it is, but if the motor won't run after disconnecting one of them then you've done the wrong one!
Good luck with it all.

vetteonr

The true dual system from Mid America is the way to go. I did it to my '80 with headers and flowmasters, and I'm very happy with it. I also put an Edelbrock 600 cfm carb on (the old holley that was on it died). It works very well.

Boofers

Just my humble opinion - stick with the best carb ever produced, the Quadrajet. If you are having problems with the carb fix those problems. I understand however that it is nicer to just slap on a brand new shiny carb and not have to worry about it. Depends on how much of a back yard mechanic you want to become.

Hop's-vette

In NY you still need the cat's but for an '81 it is a visual check during inspection not an emissions test.
See my earlier thread about true duals and someone mentioned on an '81 you will want to change the transmission x-member for one from a '79 or '80.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ighlight=duals

done4fun

thanks for all the info fellas...ukpaul...double thanks!! im thinking about a rebuild kit for stock carb now for starters. where can i get best one or are they all the same..going with exhaust from mid america...stainless steel 299.00. on its way!!. so if i could get a point inh the right direction to get the rebuild kit i need, i would be happier than i am already!! :flag

OkeeGuy

ok...heres another humble opinion on carbs...
Edelbrock...been there, done that...
Quadrajunk...been there too...

i now run what is in my opinion the best carb built today...
Barry Grant Speed Demon...OH YEA! (thank you Lars!)
simply awesome...
i am running it on a Edelbrock Performer 2101 intake...

1978shark

WOW Signguy, your engine compartment looks outstanding! What kind of airclear/cover are you topping that off with?