The Holley Corporation has been creating specialty carburetors for cars, RVs, dragsters, boats and pretty much anything else with an engine for the last 100 years. For many hot rodders, it's a Holley, or nothing.
During the '70s gas crisis, Holley introduced the Economaster, a spread-flange 450 cfm carburetor to provide gearheads with two things which never go out of style: performance and gas mileage.
Identifying one today among piles of similar-looking units at your local swap meet, however, can be impossible if you don't know what to look for. Find out how to ID one of these gems.
Measure the distance between the center of the base plate bolt holes width-wise. The distance should measure exactly 4 1/4 inches.
Measure the distance between the center of the bolt holes from front to back. The distance should measure exactly 5 and 5/8 inches.
Ensure the secondary intake ports are advanced mechanically, by way of a spring, not electrically by a wire.
Look for numbers stamped into the plate near the fuel inlet. There should be a four-digit number above (unique to the actual carburetor). Below should be the numbers, "8002," which firmly identify it as the Economaster.
