Holley carb float adjustment

<font color="green"> Alright so I got the Holley back on the Galaxie after a month of 7 MPG. I think while it was off I musta played around with it and screwed up the float level. I got starvation issues again. I'm prolly just gonna pull the bowl off and do it dry but if the engine doesn't cool down enough in the next hour or so I'm just gonna pull 'em up till it leaks out the sight plug.

My prob; I forget which way to turn the damn nut to raise them. I know I've done it before but it's been awhile since and my memory is fer shit now a days.

Hopefully I can get this done tonight so I don't smell like 90 octane at work tomorrow. Of course, they may be happy to smell a different kinda gas for once.

Thanks in advance,
Neppy </font>

 

Clockwise lowers fuel level and counter-clockwise raises fuel level.

I never had any luck doing it the way they say to, with the sight plugs. One time I lost one of the little gaskets for the sight plug and other times it just plain didn't work right.
The way I do it is to pull the bowl off, hold it upside down in your hand (so that the float is in position against the needle and seat, the way it would if it were floating on the fuel). You want the flat part of the top of the bowl to be even with the bottom of the top mounting holes in the bowl. Now all this shit is upside down now, so what is really the top of the float (flat part) will be on the bottom, the way you are holding it.
So to recap, if you are holding it upside down and didn't know the way it really mounts on the carb, you want the bottom of the float to be even with the top of the bottom mounting holes of the bowl.
The flat part of the float will also be exactly parallel to the top (bottom the way you are holding it) of the fuel bowl.
If this doesn't make any sense, PM me. It is confusing to explain this way.

 

If you adjust it with the sight plugs, once you get the fuel level right to the bottom, blip the throttle a couple of times to kick in the secondaries and then recheck the level. An easy way to remember which way to turn the nuts is, down makes the level go down, up, or counterclockwise makes the level come up. I've found it takes very little to make the needle stick open. I use two fuel filters &amp; run 6 pounds of pressure, no more. Good luck. Ric

 

<font color="green"> Deyo, I think I gotcha. Hold it upside down and make the flat part of the float level with the flat part of the bowl.

I've tried the sight plug thing too and never seemed to get it right. I could sit there for an hour turning that nut and never get the gas to spill out the plug.

Thanks guys. </font>

 

Nep...Man........'Ya don't hafta' take a fuel bowl off a holley to set fuel level...wasted effort !! if turnin the nut to the left won't raise the fuel level it's cause it's down WAY too far..........take OFF the nut and turn the stem to the left(one full turn) put nut back on and you'll "feel" it doin' it's job.........turn to the left until fuel BARELY drips outta' the hole.......yer done !!!

Jersey Skip
PS--doin it on the motor is A LOT more accurate too !!!

 

Like you said, Nep, sometimes I'd turn the hell out of the fucker only to find out the nut wasn't making contact with the assembly underneath.
Yes, basically that is the gist of how I do it, parallel to the ceiling of the float bowl, you want the flat part of the float to be on the same plane as the imaginary line from the closest side (bottom if it is right side up, and top if it is upside down) of the 2 holes in the bowl.
Moroso also makes little nylon gaskets for under the 4 bolts that hold the bowl to the main body, HIGHLY recommended.

 

Here is a really shitty Paint file I whipped up. This is how it would look if it were right side up and you were holding the bowl up against the needle and seat, as if it were full of fuel. The little nub on the top is the needle and seat. It works the same way with the side hung floats, the egg shaped ones.

 

<font color="green"> Well, I finally pulled the bowl off and found the float was level. I did recheck the adjustment stem. Seems OK. So I raised the float to a little. Haven't had a spit-back since. I have, however, noticed that it takes a little longer to start when hot. Unless I give it a tap on the accelerator. I also haven't checked if fuel spills out the plug. I'll check that when I get a chance.

Thanks for the advice,
Neppy </font>