Cool! Now go check the float levels and make sure a "little" fuel trickles out the sight plugs... And recheck the vacuum readings and adjust for the highest readings..
OK I'll try that AGAIN.lol. Funny while on this subjectI bought like four of those clear plastic plugs to go in sight holes,,,,,,,,,,,,,even after readin what pieces of you know what they were called. Just trying to keep the thing from going up in a ball of flames and got the home from speed shop,installed, went to tool box and just like I read one had broken off right where the rubber o-ring wraps around the plug flush with float bowl. next two more just fell off at the same point.WTF. I ended up using a left handed drill bit to get the remains out of the threaded hole. But I'll try again. I just turn on the fuel pump and let it do it's thing with motor off and adjust.I'll check it again thanks Yruhot.Doug
Good follow up info. I would immediately do two things. 1. Change your 30 degree advance to about 20 degree total advance. Run 18-20 initial timing with 38-40 full in. It will make ALL the difference in the world. 2. Order a 3000 stall converter with appropriate external transmission cooler.
PS: I use a Mallory Unilite in my sbc. Love em, or hate em, I have had good luck for nearly 10 years and it is reliable for me. Best of all, it is very adjustable. Using these "keys" you can change the amount of advance from initial to full in. I tend to use a 20 degree advance key (the difference between initial and full timing) and run approximately 20 initial and 40 full in.
Thanks Redline toys. I got a 57 chevy pickup that came with the unilite dist and a GM crate 350 CI motor. nothing too hot. Performer manifold Edelbroch 600 cfm carb/ headers and a t-5 five speed and the unilite dist. Runs great and so smooth. The pertronix unit has some keys and springs that came with the unit to adjust timing and tuning. I just put it in straight up so far. I will try and bump up the static timing. I backed it off a little whan the backfiring began thinking that might be contributing to the problem but you are right they love a lot of timing. I'll try that. I've gotten lots of ideas, one I think it to go back to the stock jettting that the carb came with as someone said. I'm way away from that set up. And to not try and think like primarys and secondaries and like 8 one barrels working at once coming on. And jet all the same. sounds like different thinking to me but it might just work. also bought new va*** gauge and will see who is lying to me.lol. And double check the fuel pressure and float adj. Went to Viva Las Vegas and saw a lot of different set ups on tunnel rams there. lots with the va*** secondarys on them. Hmmmmmm.Also a lot of pretty ladies there.Hard to concentrate there. Thanks again YRUHOT.Doug
Thanks Fossil, you make a lot of sense and I will try the jetting you sugested. I never though of looking at them a symmetrical in throttle bore size and I believe the primary's open like a little and the everyone is on board at pretty much the same time. I've adjusted the accelerator pumps tight so they hit it as soon as touched. I guess I'm off to get some jets Monday Morning. I'll spare the wife the gas smell on Easter Sunday.loll. Thanks again,happr easter and I'll post some more next week.Yruhot.......Doug
Hi there Porkn******, thank you for your input.In response to your question I have posted a copy of the cam specs sent with the cam. I installed straight up as recommended by comp staff due to 5 degrees of advance built in to it already. I have two holley 660 center squiters mounted sideways with I guess you would call it "Linked together. The top of the choke ***embly is gone. In fact I looked at them thinking they milled off but it looks to me like they were cast that way. No machining marks at all.As far as cover I have two little filters on the carbs that eventually go up inside that Hilborn style scoop. Hope this helps under stand what I'm working with. thanks YRUHOT...Doug
Yep! The 4224's were never machined for a choke plate... Same with my 850 #4223 center squirter carb.. They both came with the 50cc reo acc. pumps and # 25 pump shooters...
holley edelbrock basic tunnel ram instructions............ edelbrock linkage for crossways mounting.........
Bump up the initial timing, but you will have to pull some advance out of it. It will make a BIG difference!
OK Duces I took your advice and tried adjusting the float level again. As I mentioned I'm having question regarding my fuel pressure at the regulator. Went to sears tools today and picked up another va***/fuel pressure gauge. Jegs gauge said like 6# of fuel pressure but the sears tool said like 10#presure.I adjusted regulator to 6# on sears gauge and reset float level. I think I'm getting the sequence right here. Anyway motor fired real nice ran for like 2 minutes and then went sour and died. pumped throttle and no squirts out the accelorator pumps. WTF. Had like 7 or 8 # at the gauge at regulator.(Jegs) Pulled float level plugs and notheing coming out, (even when rocking car) readjust the **** out of them and nothing. Finally after about six turns to lower the float i hear it starting to fill the bowl.(electric fuel pump) It seemes the needle and seat were stuck in the up position on all floats. I put new needle and seats in the carbs when gone through. Could too much fuel pressure blow past the needle and seat and jamb the float up into the needle and seat to where it would stick in the up position? I'm beginning to wounder about the regulator no holding it's adjustment? Also Redline I bumped up the inital timing to like 20 degrees and it does sound a lot better. No real improvement in va*** at idle or idel adjustment but sounds real crisp in the driveway. OK Well enough for one day but I think I might be a little closer on the backfiring thing if float bowls are going dry. Thanks YRUHOT.Doug
You will never eliminate that lean pop with the stock converter you say you have. So thats the first thing to change, a 3000 or more stall converter will make a world of difference. Second the center squirter carbs wouldnt be my choice... you prob can sell them and swap on some 600 vacuum secondary carbs... you will be much happier, Third your compression ratio is too low but thats not an easy/cheap fix. With the converter and carb swap it will run out pretty good even with the lower compression.
The 20 degree initial will help, but don't forget that you seem to have 30 degrees of advance in your current distributor. 50 degrees total (20 initial plus 30 deg of advance)is probably way too much and could lead to detonation and serious engine. You need something like 20 initial plus 18-20 advance in the distributor for a full in timing of around 40.
My .02$ with Holleys mounted sideways under acceleration the fuel is going to run to the non pivot end of the float bowl make the float think it's fuller than it is and leaning the mixture. That's why road race boys went to center pivots.
OK Guys got up this morning and after looking for my Easter eggs I went out and fired up the 55 after readjusting the floats again last night andadjusting the fuel pressure down some I believe andhaving bumped up the initial timing. Thing started up real nice. Let it warm up a bit but even cold the drivabality was was improved for nt having a choke. Drove her easy until water temp was 180 degrees and then started getting after it little by little. Made it home Yea, and not one backfire. I know I still got a ways to go but thanks to the imput from you all It's getting better. I'm off to get some jets monday and go with straight jetting all the way around all four corners twice and see what happens. I'll keep you all posted on my progress. I just wonder why my floats or shall I say my needle are sticking up in the seats. I'm kinda leaning towards a faulty regulator. Or regulator adjuster.lol. Thanks and Happy Easter.YRUHOT.........Doug
The rears don't have jets!!! Unless someone installed secondary metering blocks... How about a side view close up shot of one of the carbs... We'll let you know....
Yea these have been modified to have a metering plate in the secondary's.I'll post pic tomorrow for sure. Doug
I just looked in an old Holley catalog and they come with 76 primary jets and a plugged power valve. I think that's where I'd start for a baseline. Maybe a little bigger jet in the secondaries since the venturis are a little bigger than the primaries. Larry T
i run those same carbs on my 380" cleveland, they work great. It has been mentioned but i will re-hash. Tunnel rams love timing. I fiddled with the carbs for months and couldn't get it to clean up and finally a dude told me to lock out the dizzy at 34 degrees and try it (i have a start retard option on my MSD). So i did, and it immediately cleaned up (as good as a cleveland with a tunnel ram and gobs of compression will, its a turd below 3k), but it pulls from 3-8500 like greased owl-****.
Hey guys after a weekend of reading and reflection,lol, I put together a plan for my next move. After talking to some people and reading all your inputs I came up with a plan of finding what these carbs came with out of the box and according to Holleys info they came with #76 all around. So I installed those jets square in both carbs. I installed 6.5 powervalves in the primarys to help enrichen those off idle. I read about install a piece of .018 wire in the idle bleed circuit in an effort to get some adjustment out of the idle screws. Also installed an American made pressure gauge in the fuel regulator and it read like 3# when the other brand read like 6#.. Adjusted accordingly. Also a fellow who seemed pretty savee on Holleys said that I should try pulling the float bowls off and turn upside down and use a 3/8" drill bit and set the float level with the bit inbetween the top of the float bowl and the float. Did as instructed. According to the old adjusments they were too low. Didn't use the sight gl*** after that. So the results were as followed. Motor started right up and was nice and smooth. Seemed to run cleaner at idle right off the bat. Nice crisp throttle response. Let motor warm up to 180 degrees. she don't like no hanky panky below that temp. Went for a spin and seemed really responsive right off the bat. Went down a lonley street and rolled into the secondarys real easy and ran good no backfires or popping nack through the carbs. Put it in low and brought it up to like 3,ooo rpms and then nailed it and it pretty much blew he tires off and shifted into second and kept pulling. no backfires. I believe I still need more stall but it comes on a lot better now and will continue to fine tune the set up. A new set of plugs I believe will help. And got to order my new converter. Thank you all so much with your input and help. I've learned a lot about these carbs and this set up. Thanks Again, YRUHOT....Doug
A few thoughts here. If you're running stock jetting AND added a power valve, you might be a little rich at WOT. I usually add 6/8 jet sizes (as a baseline) when I plug power valves, so reversing that you might try a 70 jet in the primary. Also, if you have a bigger camshaft than stock, a 45 powervalve will help keep the carb from tipping in and loading up at idle when in gear. Last thought. If everything seems to be working right, forget the first two and drive the wheels of it. Larry T
Thanks Larry T. I'm ready to drive the wheel of of it, Not to say I won't have other problems but I'm so thankful for all of you folks help. now they are talking to me about a blower.lol. I may be back.lol. Thanks YRUHOT...........Doug
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