Nowadays, a lot of good old-fashioned carburetors are getting swapped out for EFI systems. Fortunately, however, there are still those loyal to the tried-and-true, unmistakable performance of carburetors. The folks over at Thompson Performance fall into this category and have been developing a product to help give your carburetor the best throttle response possible.
How It Works
We had the opportunity to speak with Dan Thompson, of Thompson Performance, about its latest creation: the Powerblast Plate. Dan explained to us that – for a properly-tuned carburetor already in good running condition – the Powerblast Plate will provide improved throttle response and an improved air-fuel ratio under sudden throttle.
The Powerblast Plate mounts directly onto the carburetor’s accelerator pump nozzle and atomizes the fuel right as it’s shot out. The plate disperses the shot of fuel, breaking it up, increasing its surface area and making it more readily usable by your engine.
Thompson explained, “The Powerblast Plate helps keep the mix in suspension all the way into the cylinder, which by testing has shown a more even air-fuel ratio delivered to each cylinder – translating into a smoother transition from cruising to wide-open throttle”
Putting It To The TestBut of course, we had to try it out for ourselves. With so many products out there that promise performance gains, we were a bit skeptical as to whether the Powerblast Plate could live up to all its claims. After all, it seemed implausible that all these benefits could be achieved from such a small, simple part.
The first vehicle we tested was a perfectly healthy ’74 Chevy pickup, powered by a 350-inch mill with a 650-cfm double-pumper Holley carburetor. We started by driving the truck up and down a few backroads to get an idea of baseline throttle response and acceleration.
After getting a feel for the Chevy, we popped the hood to bolt on the two Powerblast Plates – one for each accelerator nozzle since the Holley is a double pumper. Installation was an absolute breeze; after ten minutes of installation, we were back on the road and ready to test the Powerblast Plates for ourselves.
Just as advertised, we could immediately feel a difference in throttle response. The engine picked up noticeably quicker, and the transition from idle and cruising to wide open throttle was entirely smooth.
But while our first test proved that the Powerblast Plate is all it’s cracked up to be on the double-pumper Holley, we decided to put it on another car to see the results on a different carburetor. This car was a ’71 Dodge Dart with a 318 LA small-block and a 600-cfm, single-pumper Edelbrock Performer carburetor.
We tested this machine in the same way that we tested the Chevy and, once again, throttle response had improved and the transition to wide-open throttle was no longer bogging down.
We were thoroughly impressed, not only with the improvement that the Powerblast Plate made but also with the consistency of the results. On two different vehicles, with two different engines and two different styles of carburetor, throttle response and acceleration performance saw drastic improvement.
But Wait, There’s More…While we’ve seen firsthand that the Powerblast Plate’s capabilities for street machines are indisputable, it also offers serious potential for racing applications. From autocross, to dirt-track racing, to drag racing – racers of all types benefit from the Powerblast Plate. After all, what greater demand for efficient acceleration can you put on your carburetor than during a race?
Fortunately for those racers who frequent the strip, the Powerblast Plate is, in fact, NHRA approved for the ET, Advanced ET, Super Street, Super Gas, Super Comp, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster classes.
But while the Powerblast Plate is designed to improve throttle response, Thompson Performance has upcoming products that are designed to increase horsepower and fuel economy. Now that we know what the Powerblast Plate can do, we’re eager to see what their future products have in store for us.
So if you’re a fan of simple, functional ways to get the most out of your carburetor, check out the Thompson Performance website to see which Powerblast Plate is right for your application. The bang-for-the-buck functionality will easily win you over.