2g Upgrade Worth It?

Hello,

I have read some posts about upgrading the 2g to Holley's etc....I have the rare 198ci Buick V6 from 1962/63. Parts are rare but have been able to get an offy 4 barrel aluminum intake. It this a worthwhile upgrade investment?

 

Holly's are nice once you get them tuned but the 2G is very simple and reliable. I guess it depends on how bad you want to change things up and how cheap or expensive the intake manifold is. I personally would pass on it for the 198 and keep the 2G setup.

 

If you already own the intake, the carb is going to set you back 500 bucks or so. I went with the offy/holley combo because it was cheaper than rebuilding/rebushing my 2G that I had a lot of issues with. It was plain wore out. I saw the offy intake for 50 bucks and jumped on it. Got the carb on sale for like 370 or something. I did have a bad carb initially from summit. I spoke to holley and they told me to send it back. Summit had on in the mail before I could ship the one they sent me.

Finally got it all dialed in a couple years ago and its awesome. Electric choke, vacuum secondaries open and I am gone! I have never done any real 4x4ing with it that would require the avenger upgrades, but for mild stuff and street, I have nothing but good things to say.

I love my odd fire engine because by todays standards its weird and quirky. I made it out of old junk too. Still keeps running well. Lucky I guess...

To do it again, I would go FI 4.3 now though. I wouldnt even consider spending any more money on my odd fire.

 

I went the opposite route, from a Holley back to a 2G. I was very happy with the Holley off road, but for the temperature changes from summer to fall, the driveability, and the overall use of my Jeep, I like the 2G hands down. No issues since I installed it and I drive the CJ6 a lot. It tows campers, utility trailers, and 4 wheels on a regular basis. I am sure I sacrificed top end with the 2g vs the Holley, but everywhere else, the 2G is better for me.

After dealing with my Cherokee giving me fits with sensors and stuff, I am so angry at fuel injection, I wish it was a 2G on that as well. lol. After this plow season, I think I am going to lease a daily driver and when it breaks down, let the damn dealer fix it.

 

I'm running a Holley TA470 on my 225. It is absolutely awesome off road, but I had to do a lot of tuning on it to get rid of some drivability issues...I used to do this for a living, back in the day, so I'm pretty familiar with Holley carbs.
Don't expect to buy a carb, plunk it on, and happily drive away. I'm sure adjustments will need to be made.

 

Are you sure that you bought an intake for a 198? They are different from a later Buick. The intake is about 1/4" narrower for a 198. I have never actually seen a 2g that ran worth having. The 390 8007 Holley right out of the box really makes these engines run. Almost all of the truck avenger parts can be installed on the 390 making it a great off-road carb in addition to the amazing on-road performance. That along with an HEI distributor and the v6 is a totally different animal then with a 2g and points. Personal preference and nostalgia of originality can really be a powerful emotion though.

 

My Holley, the 2nd one, ran ok right out of the box. Vacuum gauge made it perfect. That with the HEI distributor makes my jeep run pretty much maintenance free. I get in, it starts right up and goes like heck if I put my foot into it, even with the 35" tires.

 

Not a Buick V6, but I swapped out the 2G on a Chevy 283 with a 390 Holley (with an old Holley 450 Economizer in between the two). That little Holley made a world of difference. I replaced the electric choke with a manual choke kit for it though.

 

I'm a big fan of the little 390 Holley also........But as stated above they will require some tinkering to get them suitable to your driving personality............the good news is that Holley makes a bevy of replacement parts to fine tune the drive-ability........add an off road spring loaded needle & seat and a tall vent pipe......and your good to go anywhere.............and really the 390 Holley in the primary stage or throttle bore is just a basic small 2 barrel carburetor ..........as the secondary's are vacuum opened & operated and it's doubtful that you will ever see full wide open throttle unless the load & vacuum is there to open them completely..........that spring can also be changed to open the secondaries earlier.

 

Thanks all for the info so far...overall it sounds like a toss up. As far as the intake i can get it for about $80. So adding a Holly on top of that in cost. I do like the nostalgic thing overall as well as these odd fires. I am not looking to race or really off road much. It will most likely just be a cruiser. To be honest I am not looking forward to pulling off the cast iron intake as it seems gaskets are hard to find. There is a "prettness" factor to making the upgrade though.

PS I am not a carb guy at all so ongoing tuning will be a pain for me unless i just bit the bullet and have a shop dial it in for me.

 

Leave it alone...............Drive it!

 

X2. "If it ain't broke......."

 

Well i am getting it back together after many fixes...One of which was my first time rebuilding a carb as i did with the 2g. Hasnt been fired yet as i just upgraded the Alternator to a 10si but have to wire it along with replacing some other wires. Also adding power steering and have some pump mounting issues. Should be able to fire it over teh weekend if weather holds up. Again, not sure how to dial in the jets etc so may have to get it to a shop for tuning.

Also considering electronic route so reading threads on if that is worth it or not.

 

I have done the pertronix in my Jeep and it has been completely reliable. A factory hei distributor from a later oddfire Buick will be an excellent upgrade as well. The pertronix was very easy to install. You won't regret electronic ignition.

 

198 and even the the earliest Jeep 225's never came with Rochester 2G prior to late 1966.
They were all factory with the Rochester 1G.
The 1 G was probably one of the very worst carburetor designs ever.
The 2G in that era (1960's) was certainly one of the best carburetor designs ever.
Obviously 1G required a single bore manifold while the 2G requires a dual bore manifold.

 

This is me as well. I ripped the TBI off my plow Dodge (89 W100) and put a Holley TA470 and HEI on and the difference is crazy. I'm pretty good with EFI systems too, I know them better than carbs. If you're down to EFI part whack-a-mole, or "find the the bad wire causing the low signal" fun cycle, I'd call clifford and rip that crap off (if your emissions except in your area). EFI is amazing when in perfect condition, but IMO does not age well, and certainly hates mice lol.

 

My 470 was pretty darn close to plug and fire on a tired old 318. Nothing but good things to say.

 

If the Cherokee was a stick, that injection would be gone already. The auto needs the sensors, so I am basically screwed. I will sell it soon as spring comes on.