Carb Hunting

[Blowout]

Been trying to slowly gather engine parts for my Challenger. It's a 318 automatic car, but came with a 383.  Figured I would leave it a 383 and make the engine stock looking like a 383 R/T.  I've bought a stock intake, cast iron exhaust manifolds, and a stock air cleaner for it already. I've been trying to keep an eye out for a carburator.

I plan to rebuild the 383, and most likely stroke it to a 432.  Would like to find a stock looking carb for it.  I believe the 383 R/Ts came with a Holley 4368, and the 440 with a Carter 4740 or 4741.  Any recommendations on a stock style carb for a 432?  Can be any other year/style that would work great after a rebuild and or test and tune.

I know the idea might sound weird, but wanted to keep the engine compartment looking stockish and nothing shinny/new.

[moreparts]

I do like the Holley's ma MoPaR put on the 383s.  They had the large secondaries while the the 440s got square bore.  I'd also recommend that if you do get one to rebuild you get one of the kits for the 71 383s to combat a lean situation.  The TSB with the info is in the literature section of this site.  It has a larger squirter and green cam.  My '70 383 ran so much better after I installed the tsb kit on mine.  And I hesitate to mention this, but I'm in California too and I have a 4368 core.  I've been keeping it as a core, but if you can think of an interesting trade I may be tempted.

[Blowout]

@moreparts is your 383 a stock rebuild?  You feel going that route as you mentioned, with a possible stroker, I would be pleased with the outcome?

[moreparts]

Yup.  It's pretty close to dead stock with the exception of a Pertronix.  Cam is stock though.  Engine was done close to 30 years ago when getting most things wasn't a big deal.  Nowadays with the stroker cranks I'd probably end up going that route.

[Blowout]

@moreparts any way to copy and paste the link here that you're referring to please?  And your saying rebuild a 4368 using a 71 383 rebuild kit?  Have any pics of your 4368?  Thanks.

[moreparts]

Oh no, I mean use the info in the TSB if you do go with a 383 carb.  It's just a larger squirter and green cam.   Here's the TSB I'm talking about https://www.e-bodies.org/Resources/TSB/Carb_Engine_Lag_Stumble.pdf  You'd still need your Holley rebuild kit on top of that.

I'll try to post some picks of the engine tomorrow if you want, but if you do look around this site you'll find some much nicer ones for reference material.  Mine has 30 years of MoPaRing on it. 

BTW, 440 Source has kits from 438 to 496 to think about too.

[Blowout]

@moreparts thanks for that.  Last night when I was looking around, I found that but wasn't 100% sure.

As for pics, I was referring to your core you said you had on the shelf.  But feel free to post pics of your ride.

[198D13]

The correct 1970 440 Carter would be a 4738, which is  much superior carb to any Holley 383+4, either 1970 or 1971.

[EV2RTSE]

After the nightmare my brother recently went through with his, I would suggest avoiding the stock 1970 383 Holley carb at all costs.  And with a stroker you don't want to be limited by its 600cfm anyway. Something in the 750-800cfm range would be a much better choice. Maybe stay with a Holley to keep it kind of sort of looking original.

[moreparts]

What was the nightmare, EV2?  Stock 383 Holley flows 730 cfm from what Holley tech told me.

[pflug]

If you're se on the Holley the "basic" 1850 600 vacuum secondary is pretty much the same carb other than the bowls as the OE Holley- I've personally had more issues with the OE bowls like leaks and such and certainly wouldn't recommend an OE carb for a non original car for the sake of the list number

Stock /mild motor should run great with a 600, 750 with an intake, headers, and bit more cam

Go with the Holley if you like tinkering and tuning your carb- Carter AVS style if you'd rather dial it in once and just drive

[Blowout]

Not stuck on one verse the other.  On past engines, I've had a local shop test tune carbs and then install and drive with no issues. So something I can do like that is a big plus.  What cfm are the 440 Carter's rated at?  Factory installed those on the 440s for a reason, so I would assume they knew what they engineered?

[EV2RTSE]

What was the nightmare, EV2?

Found an original 4368 (70 383 mag-auto) carb and sent it to be rebuilt / restored. It came back looking great, put it on the car and it started right up but ran extremely rich. No amount of tuning / jetting / power valve swaps made any difference. Swapped to a rebuilt Carter AVS we had laying around and the problem went away. Called the rebuilder and was told this series of Holley carbs is basically the only one he won't warranty as they were a bad design from the factory. So it now sits on the shelf in the garage.

As far as I know all of the 4160 series carbs, of which the 1970 383 4367,68,69, etc. are - flow at 600cfm. If I'm not mistaken the Carters on the 440s were 750.

[moreparts]

That's too bad, EV2.  Mine has been running well for decades.  I did do an upgrade to the gaskets though with the Holley kit that doesn't deteriorate with todays crappy gas.  And as far as CFM, if you ever check a 440 vs 383 Holley you'll notice the 440s have the square bore design and the 383s had the large secondaries.  That throttle body is a one off design.  Tuned right they run like a fuel injected throttle body.  I have nothing bad tor say about Carters, but that said these Holleys have treated me well too.

[EV2RTSE]

Nice, sounds like you've got a good one. I wonder if maybe he has a bad casting or warpage somewhere. I've heard people talk a lot about these carbs being prone to carb fires back in the day, replaced under warranty with a Carter AVS, on and on. Not sure how true it all is but the rumors seem to persist.

I've got my own 383 due to escape from engine rebuild jail soon and have a Holley 4369 (1970 383 with a/c) core for it but not at all sure I want to go through with the rebuild on the carb after what my brother went through.

One thing I did notice and really like about the Holley was his car would start almost instantly after turning the key where the AVS would take a little more cranking to get it going. Same thing on my 340 with a ThermoQuad.

He ended up going with an Edelbrock AVS2 800cfm at the recommendation of Mike Bonsanti at HP Motors, a local and well-known FAST engine builder in the hobby. Engine is .030 over with a slightly warmer Lunati cam but otherwise mostly stock now, likely soon to evolve into a stroker and different pistons, cam, intake, possibly headers. But it doesn't seem over-carbed even now.