Holley Guru's Need your help!

[cardude]

I have a 3310 Holley carb and had 2 questions as I'm rebuilding it.

question 1: I tried using a rubber mallet to get the primary metering block loose to no avail. is there a screw that I am missing or some trick to getting this loose.

question 2: on the secondary metering block there are these funky screws that have an oblong hole in them. first I assume I need to remove these to get the secondary metering block off or am I wrong? what do I use to get them out if I need to? I have to replace the gasket.

thanks for any help!

 

[D.Hearne]

To pry off the primary block, you'll probably need to wedge something like a knife between the body and block, old ones like to stick themselves together with the original gaskets, or just get a gallon size can of carb cleaner ( this works best anyhow) and soak the whole mess in the stuff for a week before attempting to separate the two. As for the secondary "plate" ( this is called a plate-not a block) , Yea you'll need a special "hourglass" screw driver to remove those screws. I don't recall where I bought mine, I've had this one though for twenty-something years and keep it with my carb stuff. Anyway, get a can of cleaner, soak the carb for at least a week, then remove it, try to pry the parts apart, then soak them again for a day. Remove them, rinse them with water, take an air-blow gun, blow all passages out then do them again with a can of spray carb cleaner ( wear eye protection and gloves) Visually verfy that all the tiny passages are clear before trying to reassemble the carb. Most of the failures with rebuilding Holley's I've had was from these tiny passages being blocked.

 

[whwright]

I have a 3310 Holley carb and had 2 questions as I'm rebuilding it.

question 1: I tried using a rubber mallet to get the primary metering block loose to no avail. is there a screw that I am missing or some trick to getting this loose.

question 2: on the secondary metering block there are these funky screws that have an oblong hole in them. first I assume I need to remove these to get the secondary metering block off or am I wrong? what do I use to get them out if I need to? I have to replace the gasket.

thanks for any help!

1. If you have the primary fuel bowl off, then there aren't any more screws. The metering block is routinely stuck fast, and I usually take a really thin bladed screwdriver and carefully pry it off. The gasket will probably tear into two even thinner parts. Soak the block in carb cleaner and that part of the gasket will come off pretty easily. The main body won't fit in a standard can of carb cleaner, but you can still soften the gasket remnant with a can of spray cleaner and carefully scrape it off. Be careful not to scrape too deep.

2. The secondary metering plate is held by "clutch head screws." For a long time I just used a flat-blade screwdriver that was the right size to get a good bite. Then I came across a carb on which the screws were so tight I couldn't break them loose that way, so I took the carb main body to a tool store. They had a package of two clutch head screwdriver bits that fit into a hex drive screwdriver tool that I already had. The bits only cost a few bucks.

Good luck!

Wayne.

 

[whwright]

Well, Mr. Hearne beat me to the punch!

We said pretty much the same thing, but I've never let one soak for a week! I usually soak parts for a half-hour or so, and I never soak anything that is plastic. I also avoid soaking anything aluminum.

Maybe I just don't have the patience to wait a week. That's what my wife would say, anyhow.

 

[D.Hearne]

Well, Mr. Hearne beat me to the punch!

We said pretty much the same thing, but I've never let one soak for a week! I usually soak parts for a half-hour or so, and I never soak anything that is plastic. I also avoid soaking anything aluminum.

Maybe I just don't have the patience to wait a week. That's what my wife would say, anyhow.

Ditto on plastic parts, but I remove everything from the main body and usually soak it a couple days at least, longer as needed. You might bleach the body but I'd rather have one that works than a good looking carb that doesn't The gallon size can of soaking cleaner will usually accomodate the main body with the meteing block attached, just not the whole thing submerged Might have to soak one end, then the other to get it done. Then the other parts in whatever combination that will fit in the can. My method isn't a quick one, but it works 99% of the time.