Best Carburetor For Your Chevy 305 Engine

If you are a fan of classic cars and like to rebuild engines then you understand the importance of putting on the right carburetor. The idea behind having an antique engine is to get it running properly, and, if the carburetor isn’t functioning well or not the right fit, your engine could flood, run inadequately, stall in traffic, or even become smokey. 

We put together a list of the best carburetors if you’re looking to change yours. But first, we’d like to give you a few tips on what to look for before purchasing so that you go into your decision with all the information available. 

A Quick Look At Our 5 Best Carburetor For Your Chevy 305 Engine

• Holley 4160C 750CFM Universal Polished
• Edelbrock 1405 Performer
• Holley 0-76650BL 650 CFM Ultra Double Pumper Four Barrel Street/Strip Carburetor
• Demon 1900 625 CFM Ball Burnished Aluminum Street Demon Carburetor
• Holley Mdl 4150 750CFM Double Pumper Carburetor-Chromate

Do You Need A New Carburetor?

You might be having a problem with your engine that has nothing to do with the carburetor. Here are some signs that it might be time to get a replacement. Does it start slowly? Is there vibrating when the car is idle? Could the fuel economy be higher? Have there been fuel leaks? 

These issues don’t necessarily mean that there is a problem with the carburetor but it would be a good place to start your investigation. 

What Do You Use Your Camaro For?

The Chevy 305 is a V-8 that was produced from 1976 through 1992. Fans of Camaros built in the late twentieth century should find one of these under the hood. If you are now the proud owner of one of these beauties what are you planning on doing with it? 

Are you going to drive it around as your everyday car? Are you going to race it? Is it a showroom only vehicle? No matter what you decide, there is a carburetor out there to fit your needs. They are broken down for you below.

Street Legal Carburetor

The Federal standards for carbon emissions in the United States are set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and they vary depending on the type of vehicle you own. It doesn’t matter what carburetor you pick if it isn’t going to meet those standards. 

The best way to do this is to choose a street-legal carburetor because the products that fall under this category already have everything your engine will need to meet the emission standards as soon as it’s installed. 

High-Performance Street/Strip Carburetor

This type is not that practical if you are planning on using your Camaro every day. They work  best on pre-1966 vehicles, off-road, and racing cars. It does not meet the emission standards in the state of California. 

Race Only Carburetor

If you are planning on racing your Camaro then this is the carburetor type you are looking for. They are specifically designed for a racing vehicle and are used in racetracks all over the United States. But they are not made for street use so keep that in mind when sifting through your choices. 

What is the Throttle Response? 

Also known as vehicle responsiveness, the response of the throttle lets us know how fast the engine increases the output of power in relation to the driver’s foot hitting the acceleration pedal. If the throttle response is right then it shouldn’t take a second for the throttle to respond. When the throttle response 

What Kind of Choke Do You Want?

Do you want to control how much air goes into your carburetor? This can be done with a manual choke. If that’s not a big deal for you then an electric/automatic choke would be the best choice for you. Our selections have both choices. 

Other Extras

Decide what other features you want. Consider the intake manifold and the flange. Do you want a double pump with mechanical secondaries? These are things you should have in mind while you shop for a new carburetor. 

Is There A Warranty?

When it comes to purchasing an important piece of machinery like a carburetor you want to have some assurance behind it. If quality didn’t matter to you then you would be at the local Pick-N-Pull finding any carburetor you could. But you aren’t taking apart old engines looking for what you want. You’re scouring the internet for the perfect piece. Let it come with security. 

Is It Easy To Tune?

Carburetors aren’t ready to install the moment you take them out of the box. They have to be tuned first and each carburetor has their own adjustment method, or tuning, which is required before putting it on your engine. How much work is it going to take to make this carburetor fit your Chevy 305?

We know that true mechanics don’t care that much about how much work goes into restoring an engine and more about getting the right fit but, if you had two choices that would give your engine the same performance level but one required less tuning would you buy it? 

You would and so would anyone who knows that the saved time could go into something else to get that Camaro ready for a spin. 

Is It The Right Size?

The wrong sized carburetor won’t be much use to your Chevy 305. To figure out the sizing follow the steps below. 

First

Take this formula, (engine cubic inches) x (max RPMs) / 3,456 carburetor CFM and plug in the RPMs where your engine will redline. There seems to be a difference of opinion on what RPM a Chevy 305 will redline but our research shows from 4500 to 5000 RPMs. That means your formula should look like this for 4500 RPMs. 

(305) x (4,500) = 1,372,500 / 3,456 = 397 CFM

Second

Determine if you need a lower CFM for a stock engine and a higher CFM if you have a high-flowing head. When that is decided you can choose your carburetor. 

Best Carburetors For A Chevy 305 Engine

Now that we’ve covered what you should look for and helped you determine the type of features you are looking for in your new carburetor let’s move on to our five selections for the best. 

1. Holley 4160C 750CFM Universal Polished

Our first choice is a popular one with fans of Holley carbs. It is the perfect performance upgrade carburetor because of the dual fuel inlets that guarantee your engine the right amount of fuel and allows for consistency in fuel delivery. The universal calibration allows for a simple to install bolt-on performance. 

Your engine start-up should be easy with an electric choke and with vacuum secondaries it fits an assortment of engines. The opening of the secondaries will be smooth because this carb compensates for the gearing, transmission, and weight of all vehicles. 

It offers protection from a power valve blow-out and this carb is 100% wet-flow tested so you can start your tuning for installation as soon as it arrives. There is no need to adjust it after installation thanks to the factory presets. 

Other notable specifications include a throttle bore of 1.688’, four barrels, a primary main jet of 72, primary power valve: 6.5, and primary pump nozzle size 31. This carburetor comes with a polished vibratory finish and this aftermarket part is a popular one with owners of Chevy 305s everywhere because of its versatility. 

This carb would be a good fit no matter if you are using the engine for an everyday car or if you were planning on racing the Camaro that holds it. The Holley 4160C comes with a 90-day limited warranty.

---

2. Edelbrock 1405 Performer 

Our next carb is a skillfully tuned product that is quality-built and is perfect for the day to day drivers. When faced with the hazards of city traffic and long commutes this carburetor will ensure that your Chevy 305 engine will have street performance that is reliable. There are several aspects that make it so great for the daily driver. 

The metering rods are designed to transition between circuits, the carb itself is not damaged by backfires, which saves the valves from blow-out, plus, you can change out the rods without having to take the carb out or draining the fuel. 

Also, this carb is able to stay in-tune one it has been tuned for your engine. This is an especially attractive feature because the performance of your engine will be steady and true without fluctuation. 

They are created with a lightweight all-aluminum into a two-piece body designed to be warp-resistant that works with gasoline and blended fuels. The bowls are tub-type and the rear-pivot floats, which allows this carburetor to garner the reputation of a reliable part that is easy to use for an everyday engine. 

---

3. Holley 0-76650BL 650 CFM Ultra Double Pumper Four Barrel Street/Strip Carburetor

The third selection on our best-of list is another Holley carburetor, which isn’t surprising when you consider the quality products they manufacture. When looking at their line this could be considered their “ultra” carb because it has a ton of “ultra” features including a lightweight body made with aluminum. It has a 43% weight savings. 

It’s also ultra shiny with a tumble polished finish that retains the glow for a longer period of time. It’s strong with billet metering blocks and base plates and it’s cool with a bit of blue to give it that extra something that no other carburetor has. This Holley comes with a built-in sight window for float adjustments that are easy and high-performing fuel curves. 

With all these features this carb is a great choice for street cars and racing engines. Just like the previous Holley carb on our list this model is 100% wet-flow tested by technicians. This carburetor will also work with other GM, Chrysler, and Ford engine models. With a factory preset electric choke, the startup should be easy. 

---

4. Demon 1900 625 CFM Ball Burnished Aluminum Street Demon Carburetor

Holley is a giant in the carburetor world, which isn’t surprising when we consider their ability to pump out amazing reliable products. This one is titled the “street demon’ for a reason. Because it gives your engine amazing power. It has a new sleek look and is easy to use and offers one of the crispest throttles out there. 

If you are looking for a straight forward part that will give you a stable idle and top performance than this is it. It is ready to go with the optimized calibration and dual mounting pattern and retains shine with the ball burnished aluminum finish. This carb was designed to work with most stock or slightly modified V8 engines. 

The Demon can fit modern engines as well and the one-piece airhorn is simple to maintain and clean. The dual mounting bolt pattern will fit most aftermarket spread/square bore intake manifolds without the need for an adapter. It is leak-free thanks to the integrated fuel bowl, main body design with the gasket above the fuel level, and the no-plugged passages. 

It has an exceptional ability for fuel atomization, which improves the fuel economy for your vehicle. The Goggle Valve Secondary throttle sends twice the airflow so the difference in power can be felt physically. 

---

5. Holley Mdl 4150 750CFM Double Pumper Carburetor-Chromate

The last carburetor on our list is also a Holley, but since we offered this style of product from this manufacturer that had an electric choke it felt important to add a comparable model that offers a manual choke to let you control the air in your engine. This Holley has great features as well with a booster down leg and a gold dichromate finish that is resistant to corrosion. 

It will work out-of-the-box due to the optimized street/strip calibration. The manual choke is cable-driven and hand-operated. This allows for precise cold start control. With mechanical secondaries this carb offers fantastic tire turning performance. You will also be able to control your idle system with a four-corner idle. 

Dual accelerator pumps allow for more fuel under the initial acceleration and the dual feed fuel inlets offer a constant high-volume delivery of fuel to your Chevy 305. 

Conclusion

Those five carburetors are the best on the market that are compatible with your Chevy 305 engine. Whether you are looking to rebuild it or are just replacing the part to optimize performance there should be a carburetor that meets your specific needs. There are so many reasons to own a classic Camaro and easy upgrades like a new carb are essential. 

Of all the products on this list, our top pick would be the Street Demon because it seems to be the most versatile so you could race your car as well as drive it around the city for some fun.