Holley issues

[iamtherealJayy]

Alright after reading that the whole way down to jet sizes, I still don’t know which I need exactly. Is vacuum something I can still measure with a bad power valve? The engine was at around 20inHg at idle in park, I suppose it could drop a little in drive? My vacuum hose isn’t long enough to make it visible to be inside the cab in gear so I’ll have to figure that out. I can order a specific power valve if needed later.

 

[Ricko1966]

Warm up the engine,idling in gear check vacuum,cut that number in half,there is your power valve number. As much trouble as you are having and who knows how that engine is actually running,I'd probably look up what that carb came with and use that,write that number down,and when everything else is closer to right,you can check your numbers and change for a better power valve then.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

At idle, the engine runs near perfect for a while before it starts to flood out. Off idle is majority of the issues. It’ll idle for a few minutes before it’ll stall out but it usually starts back and it’ll idle again for a minute(lesser time) and so on. If it idles for a while then you really crack the throttle it’ll almost always try to stall

 

[Matt69olds]

It’s probably time to just pull off the carb, take it apart, see what’s been changed and screwed up, and start from scratch. You have already said the accelerator pump is frozen and inop, it’s never going to run right like that.

Find out what jets and power valve are supposed to be in it from the factory, set it to factory specs, then start modifying things as needed.

It sounds like your carb has been sitting awhile, or has the typical gear head Holley fanatic “tuneup”.

Holley trick kits are about 50 bucks last time I bought one. They include the gaskets, instructions, tuning guide, and some tuning parts to help dial in the carb.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

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Got the carb apart and cleaned out. Replaced all the gaskets, power valve, and accelerator pump. This old power valve didn’t have any numbers on it and looked different than what I expected from all of TH289’s videos on holleys. I surprisingly didn’t split the gasket lol it was the only one that stayed together every other gasket was an absolute pain to get apart. I replaced the primary needle but the secondaries was still in great shape and stopped air with the float up. I set floats by turning the bowl upside down and set it a little less than perpendicular, theory being I can raise it after it’s on the truck. I did replace the orings on the fuel rain between bowls and the idle mix screws. I need to get a screwdriver for the special screws to take the plate off in the secondaries. I just used a flathead for time being but I felt sketched out by it. While I had the carb off I check the slots in the primaries and set it to around a square shape, it was fairly close with the choke open. I’ll try to throw the carb back on tomorrow and see what happens.
Edit: ole lady wasn’t thrilled about the house smelling like fuel and carb cleaner but atleast I put newspapers on the living room table!

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Got the carb back on… fired up after a second of cranking and ran smooth for a second then started really running poorly. It’s leaking fuel from everywhere except the fuel inlet. The primaries bowl was dumping fuel after the engine shut off. I tighten those screws and I think solved that. The secondaries is leaking everywhere, the vent on top all around the bottom. Fuel was pouring a steady stream out from under the choke and vacuum secondaries. What’s the deal? Why so much fuel coming from everywhere? I’m not taking the carb back off anytime soon. It’s too much of a pain to get the drivers side nuts off and it’s 30° currently.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

So I took the primary bowl and metering block back off nothing looked obviously wrong. I replaced the screw gaskets and reassembled and I didn’t see any fuel leaks until the truck died then it poured out all around the metering block. The truck is running really rich. There’s an exhaust leak right after the manifold on passenger side and it was blowing black smoke with a rev. Did I do something catastrophically wrong?

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Since noones given any input in over 24h I took it back apart and swapped some old parts back in. Still leaking still running worse than before. I got the primaries to quit leaking other than I put the old power valve back in and it leaked through it. I put the new one back in but I can still set the mix screws all the way in and it still ran poorly. The truck won’t idle I have the idle screw turned in just to get it to run. Vacuum reads around 12. Whatever I’ve done obviously made everything worse the truck won’t even idle now. The secondaries are dumping fuel on the passenger side still. I watched a video and said something about a vent clogged somewhere if you can put your finger over the bowl vent and the drip stops, in which, mine slowed the drip. I ordered a nonstick gasket rebuild kit and I guess I’ll tear it all back apart here in a couple days. Previous kit was an “Amazon’s Choice” 1/10 don’t recommend. The gaskets all lined up fine minus one hole wasn’t poked all the way out. So far the only place that hasn’t leaked is the one place I assumed would leak… the transfer tube.
Edit: also for the secondary bowl, the plate, does it get its own gasket? I watched multiple videos before taking this one apart and 50/50 doubled the gasket. I didn’t, I only used the complete gasket and screwed the plate through it.

 

[Bextreme04]

So I took the primary bowl and metering block back off nothing looked obviously wrong. I replaced the screw gaskets and reassembled and I didn’t see any fuel leaks until the truck died then it poured out all around the metering block. The truck is running really rich. There’s an exhaust leak right after the manifold on passenger side and it was blowing black smoke with a rev. Did I do something catastrophically wrong?

Jesus man... when you rebuild a carburetor, replace everything with new and clean the heck out of it. You set a very basic baseline that should be just enough to get it started... but then you need to fine adjust everything.

It has been said 1 million times..... YOU NEED TO SET THE FLOAT HEIGHT!!!!!!!!

On top of that, you had a new needle and seat assembly for the secondary, but chose not to replace it... why would you do that?

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Go on the holley website and go through everything from scratch.
Set float height.
Set idle mixture
Set high idle speed
Set regular idle speed
Set accelerator pump.

 

[Matt69olds]

Have you verified the float level is correct? With the sight plug removed, you want the fuel level just below the hole.

If the float level is too high, it can flood the engine.

Look down the throttle bore while it’s running, look for fuel dripping from the accelerator pump nozzle. If it’s dripping fuel, the little needle valve under the accelerator squirter is missing.

If it still dribbles fuel from the venturi, it’s possible one of the air bleeds is plugged up.

Take a look at the fuel pump, see if it’s a type with a return line. If so, make sure it’s not blocked off or kinked. The pumps with the 3rd fitting are designed for vehicles with A/C, and a return style fuel system. They have a small orifice in the return line to constantly circulate fuel. It’s basically an internal fuel leak. To compensate for that internal fuel leak, the pumps are capable of far more fuel pressure than non A/C pumps. Cap the fuel line, the pump can deliver far more fuel than the carb can handle, causing it to run rich or flood.

 

[Ricko1966]

You: I got a splinter in my finger
Us: take it out
You: I put on gloves the splinter still hurts
Us: take out the splinter
You: I'm going to try different gloves

Do you see where I'm going with this

 

[iamtherealJayy]

@Bextreme04 I did replace the secondaries needle and seat. I replaced everything. I didn’t originally replace the secondaries needle and seat because it was in great shape I set the float heights to be level with the bowl upside down plus a sixth of a Turnish. I did go back and change the secondaries when it first still leaked and I cannot get the secondaries low enough fuel still blows out of the sight plug and the Venturi. I think one of the “air bleeds” is plugged because I can place my finger over the secondaries vent tube and the dribble stops. I replaced everything and I cleaned it with two cans of carb clean. I did the basics. I can’t tune it because I literally cannot get it to run. It’s blowing black smoke and will not idle I’ve still got issues in the secondaries somewhere. And the metering block has an issue because the idle mix screws changed nothing. @Matt69olds oj the primaries yes it’s actually a smidge low it takes more than a nudge to get fuel out. On the secondaries it was set level with the bowl upside down but leaked so I changed the needle and I’ve turned it down and I can’t it it to stop leaking fuel. I started the engine with the sight plug out and it poured fuel out, engine flooded I turned the float a complete turn farther in and same issue. There is also still and issue with it seeping fuel after shutdown. I don’t see any fuel dripping while the engine is running but as soon as it stops the passenger side secondary fills up with a steady drip. I’m not positive on the fuel pump I’d have to check, but this carb has been on this engine for years I assume without issue, it was the fire departments
@Ricko1966 no actually I don’t get it. I did what I was told I messed it up per usual and now I need help. Simple tasks made harder. And regarding factory specs on the carb I don’t know what’s in it nothing was numbered I couldn’t find anything other than a 14 on one side of the power valve with a 41 on the other side of the hex part. The old power valve also had a completely different look with a jet on one side. It was definitely an issue however because it was wet with fuel behind it.

 

[Ricko1966]

Dud u use a genuine holley kit as Matt said? Did you ever adjust the floats to the site holes as recommended?
Who said use half a kit?
I like the splinter story better.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

No I checked on holleys website and couldn’t find anything specific for an 1850. I don’t know what models interchange. I stated above the gaskets were an “Amazon’s Choice” set. Just a set from Amazon. The primary float is a little low and I can’t get the secondaries low enough. I replaced everything, didn’t use just half a kit.

 

[Ricko1966]

When I read I didn't use the secondary needle and seat tha says he used part of a kit.i read you bought an Amazon kit that means you didn't buy a holley kit. I don't know what to tell you,anytime I rebuild a carb the results are good.