The Best Carburetor for 305 Chevy – All You Need to Know!

If you’re currently in the market for a new carburetor, you might not know where to start. If you’re souping up a race vehicle or looking for a carb for your street-legal car you need advice. They come in different shapes and sizes, and choosing one without having any mechanical knowledge is a challenge.

There are a few things you want to understand before you go hitting the “buy now” button. In this article, we’ll break down all the basics of choosing a carburetor and how you can make the right decision for your 305 Chevy.

Up Front Best Carburetor for 305 Chevy

  1. Demon 1900: Excellent Performance
  2. Holley 0-4779C: Best High-Speed Performance
  3. Edelbrock 1405: For Optimal Street Performance
  4. Holley 0-80508S: Best Overall
  5. Holley 0-76650BL: Most Popular
Our Recommendation
Holley 0-80508S Carburetor | Amazon
$477.95

The Holley 0-80508S Carburetor is used by thousands of Chevy 305 owners around the world. The dual feel inlet model provides a precise intake you need to reach 750 CFM and you can use it in both modified and stock vehicles.

Best Fit: 305 Chevy
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03/10/2024 12:20 am GMT

What to Look for in the Best Carburetor for a 305 Chevy

You’ve decided that you need a new carburetor, but you don’t know where to turn. Shopping online for a carb is hard, so you have to know what you’re looking for. There are a few things that stand out about a high-quality carburetor that you want to pay attention to.

Throttle Response

The throttle response of your carb gets measured by the speed at which the engine responds to the accelerator. Makes sense, right? When you floor it, you should have a quick response with little to no lag time from the carburetor. It should take less than one second for the tachometer to the red line.

With a standard carburetor, you’re looking at 500 to 750 cubic feet per minute for most driving situations. Having the right amount of throttle response maximizes your cars performance and engine potential.

chevy 305

Warranty

If you’re installing a carburetor yourself or even if you’re hiring someone to do it, you want to protect yourself from the worst-case scenario at all times. You never know what could happen when you buy aftermarket parts so you should look into the type of warranty the seller provides.

If you decide to buy a new one, they will almost always offer a guarantee of around 100,000 miles. Ideally, you want to accept no less than 100,000 miles on a carburetor that you buy even if it’s refurbished.

Tuning

If you’re reading this, you must understand the function of the carburetor and its role in the engine. You’ll want to buy one that is easy to tune, which means plenty of adjustment features like air filters and screws. Having these features makes it easy to adjust the air/fuel mixture to get everything how you want it.

To purchase the right carburetor for your 305 Chevy, you also want to understand the three primary types. We’ll start with the most basic and work our way down.

This type of carb is considered street legal because it contains all the relevant emission requirements and hookups. These get designed for bolt-on installation on the stock factory manifolds to replace the existing equipment.

They come in two flange styles with those being a square and spread bore flange. They have an electric choke and secondary vacuums that require an adapter when you mount them to the manifold. If you don’t have a lot of mechanical knowledge, you’ll identify these as street legal by their legal emission sticker mounted on the carb.

High Performance

These are popular and non-emission compliant, so they can only get used by off-road and racing vehicles. You can also use them on antique cars that are pre-emission (1966 and earlier).

These carbs come with a manual, electric, or hot air choke, and some of them are considered street legal. The only state they are never permitted in is California.

Race-Only

These are never street legal, and they get designed for racing purposes only. They come with mechanical secondaries, dual accelerator pumps, double-feed bowls, and come in sizes from 500 to 1,250 cfm. They usually lack choke previsions, and they come in various capacities for all size racing engines.

How to Find the Best Carburetor for a 305 Chevy

chevrolet

Shopping around for the best carburetor starts with deciding if you need one in the first place. There are a few ways to figure out if you need a new carb.

  • Slow/hard starts
  • Vibration and roaring when idling
  • Low fuel economy
  • Stalling
  • Fuel leaks

All of these signs do not necessarily mean you need a new carburetor, but you want to start researching and looking at this stage.

Once you realize that you need a new one, you’ll have to decide on your method of installing a new one. You’ll have to buy a refurbished one or go for a brand new one. To obtain a rebuilt carb you want to have enough mechanical knowledge and understanding, so you don’t get yourself into a bad deal.

Sizing a Carburetor

To buy a carb, you first need to know what size you need. Determining the size is a confusing process, so hang on tight.

  • Step 1: Use the general formula as a starting point. (engine cubic inches) x (max RPMs) / 3,456 carb cfm. For a 305 Chevy that redlines around 5000 rpms, the formula would go something like this:

(305) x (5,000) = 1,525,000 / 3,456 = 441 cfm

Makes sense?

  • Step 2: You’ll have to adjust the flow based on the engine you’re putting the carb on. If you’re using a stock engine, you want to lower the cfm. If you have a high-flowing head, you want to raise the cfm higher.
  • Step 3: Pick your options. Choose what type of features you want, depending on the type of driver you are. If you drive occasionally, you can choose an electric choke. If you’re racing, you want a double pump with mechanical secondaries. At this stage, you’ll consider the type of intake manifold and flange. The last and least important details and things like coated or polished finish.
  • Step 4: Once you have everything figured out, you can jump and get the right carb of your choice. Make sure you read reviews and only purchase carburetors that are highly recommended by car enthusiasts. Talk with experts and get plenty of feedback before making your purchase.

Top 5 Picks for the Best Carburetor for a 305 Chevy

Now that we got all the hard work out of the way, it’s time to show you some examples of great carburetors for your 305 Chevy. These all have excellent reviews, and we think you’ll have no problem finding a great option on this list, let’s get to it.

1. Demon 1900 625 CFM Ball Burnished Aluminum Street Demon

demon

This is a well-designed aftermarket carb with excellent performance. It consists of a ball burnished aluminum finish fitting for stock and mildly modified V8 engines. The design is patented, and it comes in an easy to clean and maintain one-piece.

1900 features a dual mounting bolt with an integrated fuel bowl and conveniently placed gasket right over the fuel level. One great thing about this one is it fits many aftermarket manifolds without needing an adapter.

The Demon 1900 has a “triple stack” booster, and 1 ⅜ throttle bores to offer top-notch throttle response and maximum fuel atomization. This results in increased fuel efficiency.

Included with the purchase in a secondary air valve with torsion spring control so you can easily adjust from primary to secondary throttle response.

Demon 1900 625 CFM Ball Burnished Aluminum Street Demon Carburetor | Amazon

The Street Demon offers enthusiasts a straightforward carburetor designed to deliver a stable idle, amazingly crisp throttle response, smooth performance.

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Specifications:

  • CFM: 625
  • Fuel: Gasoline
  • Finish: Ball-burnished shiny aluminum finish
  • Barrels: 4
  • Carb Flange: Square bore
  • Choke: Electric
  • Secondary Type: Vacuum
  • Fuel Inlet: Single
  • Carb Finish: Ball-burnished
  • Throttle Linkage Type: Universal
  • Carburetor Height (in): 250 in.

Pros:

  • Idles at 800RPM
  • Quick and easy to install
  • Tuned out of the box
  • Great value

Cons:

  • Some people required additional parts

2. Holley 0-4779C Model 4150 Double Pumper 750 CFM

holley

This carb is an excellent upgrade for performance vehicles like streetcars and race vehicles. It’s built for lightweight manual transmission vehicles, and it works well for high stall and low-end gears. You choose between gold and tumble polished finish. They both look incredible, so many enthusiasts have a hard time choosing.

The factory calibration on the carburetor works so you can bolt this carb on directly out of the box. The manual choke gives you optimal cold starts, and the mechanical secondaries provide you with great high-speed performance.

This carburetor also comes with dual feed inlets for high-volume fuel usage and optimal efficiency.

Holley 0-4779C Model 4150 Double Pumper 750 CFM Manual Choke Carburetor | Amazon
$788.02

This carburetor features dual metering blocks, power valve blow-out protection, dual feed fuel inlets, and dual accelerator pumps to allow fine tuning of the secondary jetting.

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02/19/2024 05:41 am GMT

Specifications:

  • CFM 750
  • Choke Manual
  • Barrels 4
  • Booster Down Leg
  • Finish Gold Dichromate
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Fuel Inlet Dual
  • Material Zinc
  • Primary Main Jet 70
  • Primary Power Valve 6.5
  • Primary Pump Nozzle Size 28
  • Secondaries Mechanical
  • Secondary Main Jet 80
  • Secondary Pump Nozzle Size 31
  • Supercharged Application No
  • Throttle Bore 1.688”
  • Vacuum Ports 1 timed (spark) port, 1 full, and 1 PCV port

Pros:

  • Well built
  • Easy to modify
  • Works right out of the box

Cons:

  • Need to take it apart to check the jet size

3. Edelbrock 1405

edelbrock

This is a high-performance series 600 cfm carb using a manual choke. It’s a great performance carb and works as a great aftermarket upgrade for many situations. You can bolt this carburetor on directly out of the box, and it offers a solid throttle response with dependability and consistent performance.

Once you take it out of the box, you don’t have to mess with the settings. The carb is set with factory settings. You can maintain it without draining the fuel, and the two-piece design does not contain any gaskets below the fuel level. These features make this carb easy to maintain, clean and install.

The Edelbrock has the optimal street performance for small block engines, and it will work in a few large block engine applications.

Edelbrock 1405 Carburetor | Amazon
$394.95

This carburetor features a two-piece, all-aluminum construction for cooler operating temperatures and less warping. It is designed and calibrated for good street performance and fuel economy in 402 CID and larger engines with the Edelbrock Performer manifolds.

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03/09/2024 03:57 pm GMT

Specifications:

  • CFM: 600
  • Fuel: Gasoline
  • Finish: Ball-burnished Bright
  • Barrels: 4
  • Choke: Manual
  • Metering Jets: Primary .100, Secondary .095
  • Metering Rods: .070 x .047
  • Step-Up Spring: Orange (5″ Hg)

Pros:

  • Great fuel economy
  • Easy to install
  • Smooth operation
  • Great driveability

Con:

  • May require a riser on the manifold
  • Might require modifications to fit under the hood

4. Edelbrock 1405

holley 0-80508S

This carburetor is one of the most popular on the market today. You’ll find this one used in thousands of different applications all throughout the world. It provides you with a dual feel inlet model that offers the precise intake you need to reach 750 cfm.

With that comes a vacuum secondary and electric choke to provide more versatility and adaptability depending on the application. That reason alone is partly why this carb is so popular.

It comes with a polished vibratory finish, and many consider it an upgraded aftermarket part for moderately modified vehicles or stock.

The carb comes set with factory settings, so there is no need to adjust anything, and the secondaries compensate for different styles, makes, and models.

Our Recommendation
Holley 0-80508S Carburetor | Amazon
$477.95

The Holley 0-80508S Carburetor is used by thousands of Chevy 305 owners around the world. The dual feel inlet model provides a precise intake you need to reach 750 CFM and you can use it in both modified and stock vehicles.

Best Fit: 305 Chevy
Buy at Amazon.com
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
03/10/2024 12:20 am GMT

Specifications:

  • CFM 750
  • Barrels 4
  • Finish Vibratory Polish
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Billet Color None
  • Booster Straight
  • Choke Electric
  • Circuit 2
  • Fuel Inlet Dual
  • Material Zinc
  • Primary Main Jet 72
  • Primary Power Valve 6.5
  • Primary Pump Nozzle Size 31
  • Secondaries Vacuum
  • Throttle Bore 1.688”

Pros:

  • Strong reputation
  • Secondary and electric choke for options

Cons:

  • Not operational out of the box

5. Holley 0-76650BL 650 CFM Ultra Double Pumper

HOLLEY 0-76650BL

Lastly, we have the ultra-light 0-76650BL model. This carb is known as the lightest high-performance carb on the market. It’s made with aluminum which reduces its weight by roughly 43%. The finish is tumble polish that provides a long-term shine.

If you’re looking for the premium of performance aftermarket parts, then this is the right carb to choose. It’s for streetcars and racing applications only, and it doesn’t meet emission standards so you cannot drive this out on the road.

The double pumper is aluminum as well with metering blocks and an aluminum base plate. When compared to zinc products, this one is five pounds lighter than the rest.

If you were hoping it was ready right out of the box, you’re in luck because it comes rigged with factory settings and an electric choke so you can start it up right after installation.

Holley 0-76750BL 750 CFM Ultra Double Pumper Four Barrel Street/Strip Carburetor - Blue | Amazon
$755.06

The new Ultra Double Pumper Carburetors have an enhanced fuel curve for optimum performance, with many more features such as aluminum construction, anodized billet aluminum metering blocks and base plate, and more.

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02/19/2024 10:02 pm GMT

Specifications:

  • CFM 650
  • Choke Electric
  • Finish Shiny
  • Barrels 4
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Fuel Inlet Dual
  • Material Aluminum
  • Billet Color Blue
  • Booster Straight
  • Primary Main Jet 63
  • Primary Power Valve 6.5
  • Primary Pump Nozzle Size 28
  • Secondaries Mechanical
  • Secondary Main Jet 73
  • Secondary Pump Nozzle Size 31
  • Supercharged Application No
  • Throttle Bore 1.688”
  • Vacuum Ports 1 timed (spark) port, 2 full, and 1 PCV port

Pros:

  • More power than competitors
  • Runs right out of the box
  • Easy to install

Cons:

  • Not budget-friendly

Comparing the Options

Brand CFM Finish Choke Price
Demon 1900 625 Ball-burnished Electric $$
Holley 0-4779C 750 Gold dichromate Manual $$$$
Edelbrock 1405 600 Ball-burnished Manual $
Holley 0-80508S 750 Vibratory polish Electric $$
Holley 0-76650BL 650 Shiny Electric $$$$$

Choosing the best carburetor for your 305 Chevy depends on a lot of factors. Overall, if we had to choose one that offers the best bang for your buck, we would have to say that the Holley 0-80508S provides you the most. Plus you can use it on both modified and stock vehicles, so it offers plenty of options for people who need them.

If you’re looking for a more affordable way out and you don’t drive the vehicle that often you could go for the Edelbrock carb. This one still supplies plenty of power and usability, plus it’s typically ready right out of the box for most applications. This one should get the job done for most car modifications and tune-ups.

You want to make sure you consider the application when you’re deciding on the carburetor for your engine. You need to know what your intentions are before you make the purchase because you don’t want to buy a racing carb for a stock car tune-up that you’ll drive on the street. The same goes for the other way around.

You need to do your research and understand what you’re getting into.

Our Recommendation
Holley 0-80508S Carburetor | Amazon
$477.95

The Holley 0-80508S Carburetor is used by thousands of Chevy 305 owners around the world. The dual feel inlet model provides a precise intake you need to reach 750 CFM and you can use it in both modified and stock vehicles.

Best Fit: 305 Chevy
Buy at Amazon.com
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
03/10/2024 12:20 am GMT

FAQ’s About Cartubetors for Chevy

What are the symptoms of a bad carburetor?

There are a few signs that mean your carburetor is going bad, and some of these may be a reduced engine performance, black smoke from the exhaust, backfiring or overheating.

Can you clean carburetor without removing it?

Yes, you can clean the carburetor with a cleaner that is specially made for carburetors. In order to do that, you have to take out the bowls at the bottom, and once they are removed, spray the cleaner and wait for it to dry. Then do it all over again to be sure you have covered all the areas.

How often should a carburetor be cleaned?

Carburetors should be cleaned 2 to 3 times a year with special cleaners that will remove engine build up and enhance the performance of the car, and also will extend the life of your carburetor too.

Final Thoughts

That’s all we’ve got for this one. As we said, keep your application in mind and don’t forget your own level of expertise. Think about whether or not you plan on hiring someone to tackle the job for you. If you’re going to do it yourself, you might want an “out of the box” option that is easy to install.

If you’re taking the engine to a garage and you have the budget for it, you could go for a more expensive carb that requires a bit of tuning from the experts.

Regardless of your plans or intentions, we believe that any of the carburetors recommended will do the trick for your 305 Chevy. Do your research, make sure you’re getting the right one and the right size, and jump in with both feet.

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