What intake and carburetor will fit under the hood of an 89 Corvette
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- Thread starter Robs c4
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Hi Rob and a warm welcome to CCF ! This question isn't anything I directly have knowledge of but I'm sure someone who does know will see your question and chime in. In the meantime I did find this using Perplexity AI search. Hopefully something in here that will be of use. I will add the link to the search page as the information source links don't copy and paste. The question marks are where the links to the source of each section will be in the original. I included a video, which I didn't watch but covers the topic . This is part one .
A C4 can be converted from factory fuel injection to a carburetor using a traditional small‑block Chevy intake manifold plus a few supporting parts, and it can work very well if the combo is matched to your engine and usage.���Common intake choicesFor an L83/L98 or any SBC‑swapped C4, most people use a standard 23° small‑block Chevy carb intake once the EFI hardware is removed.�� Popular styles
ual‑plane street intake (e.g., Edelbrock Performer/Performer EPS, similar Summit/Weiand pieces) for strong low‑ and mid‑range torque and drivability in the 1,500–5,500 rpm range.��Single‑plane (e.g., Victor Jr./Team G) if the car is more drag/track oriented and lives above about 3,000 rpm, trading some low‑end for better top‑end power.��Square‑bore flange is most common; spread‑bore manifolds exist but are usually chosen only if you are set on a Quadrajet‑style carb.�Vendors like Speedway Motors even sell C4‑specific intake+carb kits that bundle a dual‑plane manifold, 4‑bbl carb, and linkage/hardware tailored to the chassis.�Carburetor sizing and typeMost C4 builds are happy with a 600–750 cfm 4‑bbl carb depending on displacement, rpm, and cam.�� Typical choices:600–650 cfm vacuum‑secondary (Holley, Edelbrock, Quick Fuel) for a mostly street‑driven 350 that rarely sees sustained high rpm.��700–750 cfm vacuum‑secondary or small double‑pumper if you have more cam, gear, and rpm and care about strip performance.��Spread‑bore/Quadrajet if fuel economy and part‑throttle manners are a priority, though tuning is more involved.��Matching the carb’s flange to the intake (or using a proper adapter) is important to avoid turbulence and misalignment.�Supporting changes on a C4Swapping to a carb on a C4 requires more than just bolting on an intake:Ignition: You will need a stand‑alone HEI or other carb‑style distributor, often with vacuum advance, plus compatible ignition box if desired.��Fuel system:Remove or bypass the high‑pressure EFI setup and run a low‑pressure pump or a regulator stepped down to typical carb pressures (around 5–7 psi).��Ensure all fuel lines and fittings are safe and leak‑free; regulations require no fuel leakage and secure mounting.�Throttle/TV cable: You must sort out throttle linkage, and on automatic cars the TV/kickdown cable geometry is critical to transmission life.��Sensors/ECU: Many builders remove or leave the ECU only to run gauges, depending on year and how integrated the cluster is.��Some intakes need minor grinding around the C4’s firewall/oil‑pressure sender area for clearance, as seen in typical swap videos.�Performance vs TPI/Cross‑FireCompared to factory TPI or Cross‑Fire:A well‑chosen carb + dual‑plane intake usually gains top‑end horsepower but can lose some low‑rpm torque versus long‑runner TPI.��For drag/track use where the engine is kept above roughly 4,000 rpm, the carb setup often accelerates better despite lower peak torque.�TPI tends to win for fuel economy and low‑rpm drivability if tuned correctly, while carb setups are simpler, cheaper to modify, and have a broader aftermarket.��Your cam, heads, gearing, and intended rpm range should drive whether you lean toward a mild street dual‑plane or a more aggressive single‑plane intake for the carb.��Legal and inspection considerations (BC/Canada)In BC there is no blanket ban on carburetors, but:The fuel system must be leak‑free, securely mounted, and have proper throttle linkage that operates freely.�Emissions requirements depend on model year and inspection regime; an intake/carb swap that deletes original emissions hardware can cause inspection or import issues similar to missing catalytic converters.
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Thanks, I will look into it
