Author Topic: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries  (Read 1812 times)

Offline wantone

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Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« on: February 01, 2017 - 11:12:17 AM »
Soo I had been running a vacuum secondary 750 Holley and went to order a Quick Fuel in the same arrangement...  but had a double-pumper mechanical secondary sent to me by mistake.   

So - Do I keep this and just use it as i've never used one?   I'm into cruising mainly but wonder if using the linkage with a 60% secondary opening rate will give me good enough economy.   I've got a 383 with a bit of a cam / auto trans.
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Offline HP_Cuda

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2017 - 11:59:40 AM »

How much gas do you want to use?

It's really up to your right foot and the fun pedal.
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Offline YO7_A66

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2017 - 12:01:02 PM »
 If you have some tuning skills, you should be able to deal with the DP if your drive train setup is close to needing a DP carb. What converter, gearing/rear tire size? If you have a stock converter, 28"+ tire, and 3:23 gears, then you may not like the DP carb.

I run a QF DP carb and I like their secondary linkage setup. You can adjust them for 1:1, 40% and 60% delay. If you use the 60% delay, that gives you a little more throttle before the secondary jetting/pump kicks in. I use the 40% for reference.

Please keep in mind. You can tune a DP carb to have the same throttle response/fuel mileage of a vacuum secondary carb as long as you stay out of the secondaries. This is where the 60% delay linkage will help you out. If you decide to keep the DP and tune it, then I would suggest using the smallest (or slowest) secondary pump cam (pink or black) and squirter to start out. If that is still too much fuel, you can even adjust the secondary pump screw to have an "air-gap" to also help lower the volume of fuel if required. I have done this in the heat of the summer to keep the A/F ratio happy when the secondaries kick in when just cruising around and then go to 100% WOT.

 It just depends on how much you want to tune and how stock your existing setup is and if you have any future performance upgrades that might be able to take advantage of the DP carb.

Offline wantone

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2017 - 12:08:58 PM »
I have a stock converter and 3:23 gears in back.   I am hoping for 10mpg around town.   Is that too much to hope for?
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Offline Cudakiller70

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2017 - 12:32:20 PM »
Vacuum
With auto, stock converter, 3:23 gears, street cruiser and occasionally romps. Just me, go vacuum.
« Last Edit: February 01, 2017 - 12:33:59 PM by Cudakiller70 »
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Offline YO7_A66

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2017 - 12:36:39 PM »
 In you could get 10mpg with the VS carb, then you should be able to match it with the new style DP while cruising on the transition circuit.

 Does the VS carb have the replaceable bleeds like the QF unit? If it does not, then you might be better off with the QF DP since it does have the extra tunability.

 If you purchase an O2 sensor kit, then I would choose the QF carb since it would be easier to tune than the older style carb. (I am assuming the 750 does not have the replaceable bleeds)

 If you are not interested in carb tuning, then I would also suggest to keep the 750 VS unit.

Offline wantone

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2017 - 12:47:40 PM »
well i have to learn how to tune these things eventually... worst case scenario is that some day I get a FiTech.  For now, i'll start out tuning the air bleeds with the vacuum gauge and see if I can get it tightened up to get around 10mpg... i'll swap out the black linkage for minimized secondary opening.   If i'm too rich, i'll jet down from 74/80 which is the stock setup... I know that the secondary on the VS holley is an 86 metered block.

Thanks everybody! 
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Offline HP_Cuda

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2017 - 02:34:39 PM »

Either way you go, it will benefit you greatly to get 02 bungs put in place for AFR
1970 Cuda Clone 440 4 speed - sublime green
1970 Cuda 383 4 speed - yellow - SOLD

Offline wantone

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2017 - 04:17:13 PM »
You have a recommendation for one?
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Offline HP_Cuda

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2017 - 01:36:17 PM »
1970 Cuda Clone 440 4 speed - sublime green
1970 Cuda 383 4 speed - yellow - SOLD

Offline wantone

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Re: Mechanical secondaries vs Vacuum secondaries
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2017 - 10:39:17 PM »
Thanks to all!   ...   I have  installed the QF and have to say it's far superior to the old Holley I had.   Perhaps mine was not adjusted right or had some dirt in it or something when I got it second hand.   Regardless... I feel like the response of the new double pumper with mechanical secondaries is far superior in terms of immediate response.  Time will tell with the MPG.  Smells like it's running cleaner and dumping less fuel despite having primaries that are 74's and secondaries that are 80's. 
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