Predator carbs

[Topcat]

Remember those carbs called Predator? Were they any good? Anybody ever own one? Are they even still being made anymore?

[Chryco Psycho]

I remember them , they were OK , they were a variable venturi carb  , never really caught on , I have not seen a new ones for decades
 Ford has a similar system that apparently works like crap

[Topcat]

I remember they boasted on how easy it was to tune it to your engine size. The look never won me over compared to conventional carbs how they look.

[chevyconvert]

I remember we had one on my moms ford granada. They work great when they're workin, but once they acted up even ford couldn't fix them.
Replace only and big bucks

I don't think they were sure how they functioned at all..

[Topcat]

Since were on the subject of carbs Chevyconvert. How are yours coming along on the rebuild?

[chevyconvert]

At the moment the car starts right up and runs well (knock on wood).
I don't want to push my luck and not have it ready for thursday at Laguna Seca by tearing into the carbs.
I changed the float and needle/seat on the front carb which cured the flooding (thanks C.P.  ) and installed a new fuel filter and s.plugs.
I changed out all of the 3/8, 5/16, and 1/4'' cheapo clamps and some old hoses at the f.pump/filter/vapor canister lines with good s.steel fuel injection style clamps. This seems to have cured all of the little drips the car came with (fuel anyways ).

Thanks for asking 

[Topcat]

So you did take it to Ace fuel systems?

[chevyconvert]

not yet.
I fixed it myself. I'm slowly regaining confidence in my mechanical abilities (after a 20+ year layoff).
I really enjoy doing it myself as long as I actually fix something. When I work on a problem and make it worse...that's when I get frustrated and think about having someone else fix it. In general though I don't trust shops and really don't like the idea of someone else touching my car. NO one takes care of your things as well as you do.

That said the guy at Ace impressed me on the phone. And I have your recommendation, so after the photo shoot if I have problems...I've got their number.

[Topcat]

The one desirable thing I do like about when a carb shop re builds it is they do a bench flow test on it. I believe that Ace will do a bench flow test even if you did rebuild it yourself BTW.

[chevyconvert]

what exactly is a benchflow test anyways? What does it tell you? is it for tuning?

[Topcat]

CP could do a better description on them than I can. But as far as I know they can check all circuits out how they're running and measure the CFM at all different RPM intervals. Kind of like a Dyno test on a carb I believe.