Carb problem... is it fuel pressure?

well, damn. I wish i had known that before i pulled the bowl off, cuz now im having a hard time finding the gasket to put it back on with. How do i get the needle valve out of the bowl? does it just screw in? As of right now, its in so far the locknut doesnt even catch the flat sides, so i was wondering why its even there. Thanks for the help MrKwik.

When you say "so the float sits level as a starting point," do you mean when it's up "floating" right?
 
OonDeanisS said:
well, damn. I wish i had known that before i pulled the bowl off, cuz now im having a hard time finding the gasket to put it back on with. How do i get the needle valve out of the bowl? does it just screw in? As of right now, its in so far the locknut doesnt even catch the flat sides, so i was wondering why its even there. Thanks for the help MrKwik.

When you say "so the float sits level as a starting point," do you mean when it's up "floating" right?
Just about any auto parts store should have the bowl gaskets. They are pretty common. Get the blue reusable one, they are more money but worth it. The valve just screws in so if the nut wont engage the flats on the side then you can probably grab it with a small needle nose plier or something and back it out enough to get the nut on it.

When I say level, I do indeed mean in the up posistion. Just hold the bowl upside down, adjust the needle and watch the float go up till its level. Its just a starting point, you will want to readjust it but you just dont want it too high so that you spill fuel.
 
MrKwik said:
As far as I know, all holly carbs use the same needle valve assembly...QUOTE]

Holley, not Holly.

There are several needle/seat assemblies depending upon the model and bowl configuration.One kind demands that the bowl be taken off due to the retaining spring.

Use Vaseline on the o-rings and gaskets to help lubricate and seal.
 
PuterAmI said:
MrKwik said:
As far as I know, all holly carbs use the same needle valve assembly...QUOTE]

Holley, not Holly.

There are several needle/seat assemblies depending upon the model and bowl configuration.One kind demands that the bowl be taken off due to the retaining spring.

Use Vaseline on the o-rings and gaskets to help lubricate and seal.
Thanks for correcting my spelling, I'm sure nobody had any clue what I was talking about due to the missing e.:rolleyes:

And while there may be a Holley carb out there that requires bowl removal to access the needle valve, I have never dealt with one. Possibly some variety of OEM Holley but I'm pretty damn sure that none of your standard aftermarket Holley carbs are like that.
 
I have found that when you spell something correctly, more people are apt to believe that you know what you are talking about. If someone works on something long enough, the name is burned into their mind. I definitely would not listen to anyone that talked about my Forde car.

For tuning tips, one of the places I like to show people is the below link...

http://www.bob2000.com/carb.htm

Basically, if this is a vacuum secondary 4V, I set the secondary idle first. This is a small screw set in the throttle linkage plate. Turn it until the transfer slots *just* start to peek out. Some folks take the screw out and turn it over so that they can adjust it without having to take off the carb. Turn the idle enrichment needles in until they lightly seat. Turn back out 1.5 turns. If you have a fuel gauge, set your pressure for 6-6.5PSI. Set the accelerator pump to where there is just a touch of play (.010") to keep it from shooting fuel if you hit a bump. Fire it up and let it warm up. Try to get it to idle at ~650-800, depending upon cam and engine build. Start first with your float levels. You want the gas to just about trickle out of the threads on a level surface. Do both front and rear.

I set the idle enrichment needles for best manifold vacuum. Go back and forth between them several times. I set one, set the other, then set my idle. Rinse and repeat.

Once you have all this done, test drive. The biggest issue you may have is the accelerator pump. You want no hesitation. This will get you in the ballpark.

Now you get to think about jets, squirter cams, squirter nozzles, secondary diaphragm springs, etc. The URL above should help there.
 
if you have a hastings book store, or a waldenbooks nearby they might have a book on how to tune them for high performance-I know there is a book specifically for that purpose, but for the life of me can't remember the title

you could also try looking on amazon...(?)