4bbl holley on 350 sbc/ leaking from top rail of carb

make sure the air bleeds are clear...

most holley machined surfaces are warped from over tightening of the bowl screws

need to draw file the surfaces square/flat

use good quiality gaskets


varify that each passage is clear/can brake clean is good for this check


find help from someone who knows what he is doing
?

 

does anyone notice that the ''''adapter''''is just a flat steel plate &looks nothing like a spread bore adapter that you turn upside down?to mount a square bore to a spread boe manifold?????

some buddy go help this guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

edit>looked at summit site says the type he got will work

 

So I take it that the adapter i was told to get is the wrong one?

 

Any SOCAL locals that can swing by and help a fellow hamber out? i need to get this car up and running asap. I hope I didn't buy the wrong plate.

 

i edited my post after i looked at summit site reread my post



i had only seen & used the alum type shown in picture


call me if you want....seepm for#

 

I don't think you bought the wrong parts so much as just in a bit over your head. I've used that plate and it does what it's supposed to. Might even be issues other than the carb if it wasn't even running when you got it.

 

Yeah, I seriously need somebody to come down and spend a couple hours and help me through this. Anyone up to that?

 

We wouldn't steer you wrong on your parts. Used it myself.
Did you check out the vacuum advance?
Did you adjust your carb with a vacuum gauge?
What does it run like?
Does it idle?

 

Honestly like I had said... not to make myself look dumb but im new to the mechanics part of a carb, I have never done this before. i havent used a vacuum gauge yet. It wont keep an idle it runs a few seconds then dies. I checked the advance by "sucking" on hose but doesnt pop or anything.

 

Is the hook up to vac advance on the front of carb capped while you try to run engine?

 

The idle adjustment screw is on the drivers side. It faces upward. Turn it in cw about 3 turns. It should stay running that way. Then you can turn it back down after it warms up.
I noticed in one of your pics the wire used to keep your choke plate open wasn't adjusted so the plate is totally open. Make the plate wide open. It can effect your idle.
Get a vacuum gauge and a timing light. You need it to make it run right.

 

Well I had the hose hooked up to the front of the carb to the vac. advance

 

Plug it. The vac, advance sounds like a dead player.

 

So plug it and leave the hose on the vac adv. and try to start it?

 

Yes.

 

I will try doing thst sometime this weekend. My only free days are tuesdays and thursdays for now.

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned these, but you need to be aware.
Usually, an idle speed that goes up and down is called a "lean roll."
Running lean can be caused by a vacuum leak or a mis-adjusted carb.
Not enough timing advance will cause an engine to run hot.
Take a piece of vacuum hose. Hold one end to your ear. Take the other end and move it over the manifold and carb. Concentrate on connections. You can usually hear a vacuum leak this way. (Don’t make a tight seal and suck your eardrum out!)
A vacuum advance on a distributor is there for fuel economy and part throttle "response." In other words, you need it for street driving. There will be a ton of guys telling you how they run without one. Trust me, as a novice, you need one.
IMHO, you need to do the following (as you have been told before, slow down and follow the steps):
1. Check out the vacuum advance on the distributor and replace it if it leaks.
2. Set the timing with the vacuum advance disconnected. A safe place to start is 6 deg. BTDC.
3. Reconnect the vacuum advance. The engine should speed up if connected to an “at idle” vacuum source.
4. Replace all old vacuum lines to assure no cracks or plugs.
5. Make sure all unused vacuum ports are capped.
6. Make sure your float levels are correct. (you have already done this)
7. Adjust that choke so it is as straight up as possible.
8. Make sure the idle bleeds are clean. Look down in the carb. You will see little orifices. These will get “gummed” up. Give each one a shot of carb cleaner.
9. Turn both idle mixture screws in until they LIGHTLY seat. Then back each one out 1 full turn. This is a starting point. If it won’t run or runs really rough you may need to back them out a bit more. For now, keep the number of turns out equal side to side.
10. As you make adjustments, the idle speed will change. Keep resetting the idle. 700 – 750 is a good start.
11. Slowly turn the screws in until the engine stumbles. Back out about 1/8<SUP>th</SUP> turn.
12. This should get you running good. With experience, fine tuning will get you running better.

 

Forgot one thing.

Between 8 and 9.

8a. Make sure the accelerator pump is working. With the engine off, look down in the carb and open and close the throttle one time. The two squirters in between the front two venturis should produce steady, equal streams of fuel. If not, your engine will be hard to start and will stumble badly when you go to accelerate.

 

Ok now these directions seem alittle more user friendly to me.I noticed the motor does get pretty hot and quick.

 

Still running like shit. I am pretty sure it has to be this carb.

 

Ok, MY vac advance bit the dust over the week-end. It will idle fine, but on the road it will not 'kick in' the power at full throttle. So you problem is looking more like the carb itself. Can you handle tearing it down? Is there anyone near by with 600 vac Holley you could borrow just long enough to bolt on and see if that is it? Dude, I've done it with mine several times last year.

 

Well I have rebuilt this carb already and this is what its doing. Also I was told the intake isnt street friendly? What intake and carb should I get for daily driving in this car?

 

I have run an old style Edelbrock/Torker/Holley 600 from on a mild 350 powered '63 Chevy wagon with no problems. Your intake is street friendly. You have totally overhauled this Holley? And it dies/wont idle?

 

All new gaskeys with needle and seats

 

Im just curious, Anyone local her i CA that would like to come over and tune the carb and timing on this car for me?

 

If you were only closer, I've got a couple carbs you could try but wrong side of the states.

 

There are some circuits on these carbs that need high compressed air to blow them clear of any debris.

 

I cleaned the carb to the best of my ability. Anyone local have a carb I could try out? Or even if you could come help tune this carb and help with the timing would be great.

 

Got it to fire up on tuesday and a potential buyer wanted to test drive it, died a couple times but side it has power and seemed strong. So I don't think the motor has any serious problems...It has to be just the carb and timing. So my question is should I just ditch this carb and intake and buy another more user and street friendly set up? Or is my intake decent? I'm just tired of fighting with this I need to get this going and driving very soon.

 

Probably nothing wrong with your carb!!
A list!!
1. Set both idle mixture screws on the carb at 2 turns from bottom.
2. The vaccuum line from your modulator on your tranny. Hook it the manifold vacuum port on the bottom passenger side of the carb. The small port you pointed at before. Use a 5/16 or 3/8 vac line.
3. The vacuum line to your brake booster. Hook it up to the big manifold vac port all by itself. Don't leave it teed to the modulator line.
4. Pull the pcv vacuum line off on the passenger side on the manifold and cap off the line on the manifold. This is only a temporary test.
5. Don't worry about the vacuum or the vacuum pot on your distributor. You think it's nfg anyway. We'll fix that later.
6. Adjust that choke wire so the choke plate is wide open.
7. Test drive it and let us know how it runs!!