I have a couple of freshly rebuilt Holley 1904's with gl*** bowls. I've tried using both carbs on my '53 F-100 w/ 215 I-6 and they both leak gas from the gl*** bowl. Doesn't matter if the engine is hot or cold. Tried installing new rubber gaskets included in rebuild kits, cork gaskets, etc... Can't seem to make the leak stop with either one. I'm considering just keeping a fire extinguisher handy and going for it! Any ideas?
Are you really sure it's the bowl's fault? I've got a half dozen 1904's that look like somebody's put a torque wrench to the upper retainer screw and warped the hell out of the bowl gasket surface. You might want to check the carb body out for warpage in that area. You might also be able to do a bit of judicious sanding on the bowl gasket surface, in the event there are a few imperfections in the gl***. (Fine paper and very flat surface, of course.) Roger
I had a simililar problem with the 1904 on my '54. The thin cork gasket in the rebuild kit was just that, too thin. I bought a sheet of the thicker cork, not sure of the diameter, traced the outline of the gasket cut it with a sharp blade and that solved the problem. Good luck with it, but keep the fire extinguisher handy anyway. You can also double up the thin stuff too for short term.
ditto on cutting out your own gaskets out of some thicker, soft cork. AND sanding the bowl mounting surface on the carb. i've been through the leaky gl*** bowls too, and still tolerate the oc***ional drip and seepage. on my home made gaskets, i gotta keep an eye out for floaters in the fuel, little pieces of cork will come loose. FWIW the gl*** bowl will take quite a bit of torque on the screws, you'll mangle the carb or strip the threads before you crack the bowl. oh, and you need to mount BOTH carbs! to me a row of gl*** bowl holleys looks better than 97's. but then i'm kinda a freak like that.
It aint leakin' thru the gl***... On a couple of leak prone 1904's, I've supplemented the cork gasket by applying teflon thread sealer to them. It's gasoline proof and will help any porosity of the casting. I'm not talkin' teflon tape, I mean the Permatex white goo in small tube or plastic jar. Be careful , it is tough to clean up . DON'T use silicone **** on gaskets, it just makes them slide out of place and is not gas proof - YECCHH... Powerband
If anyone reading this needs a good cutting template for this gasket, let me know. I've got a bunch of them made as stickers and you can apply the sticker to the gasket material and just cut around the edge. Looks as good as factory and really easy with this template. Free for the asking, email me at will@evolveinc.com with a mailing address and I'll send you one.
The Jalopy Journal
