Holley Issues

Sounds like a bad float and/or needle and seat.

The vents you're looking for are commonly called J-tubes:
http://www.carburetion.com/sitesearch.asp?category=Holmisc&Title=Misc%20for%20Holley%20Carburetors

Pulled the carb this morning, I removed both bowls and the floats seem to be working ok. Blowing down the fuel tube that runs between the two bowls it no longer allows air through once the float is half way up.
I put it all back together and tried to start it up, the j-tube is missing from the secondary, the engine will now run for 5 secs then stall whilst firing a jet of fuel up in the air.
Im guessing it should be ok to run with the j-tube missing when out of the water?

Any ideas what the problem is?
Help!!

Started it up a few more times, no fuel seems to be coming out of the secondaries at all now, which as far as I understand is a good thing.
But primaries still dripping, I don't really want to start it up too many more times now as don't want to thin the new fuel (guess it will burn off eventually but..)
Any ideas regarding the dripping, all seemed in order with the floats..

Adjusting idle screws on both primaries from about to fall out to as tight as can be has NO effect on fueling????

I'm not giving up with questions on this, someone's going to have to entertain me soon..

gR@HaM wrote: Adjusting idle screws on both primaries from about to fall out to as tight as can be has NO effect on fueling???? ...

If you have leaky primaries, and idle screws are having no affect, everyone used to always say this was the powervalve.

It seems like people haven't been mentioning the powervalve as much lately for some reason. But, I'd have to say it's still sound advice.

Hmmm, if you replaced the powervalve, that can most likely be ruled out. There is some discussion about whether a 2.5 or 6.5 Powervalve is better, but neither one should be allowing fuel to leak at idle if it's not ruptured.

I haven't changed the needle and seat, but by plugging the holes with finger and thumb whilst blowing into the fuel inlet, lifting the float results in an airtight seal.

I stripped it down yet again this evening, noticed there was two gaskets on the power valve weren't sure whether there is supposed to be so took one off.


Also noticed that the o-ring here didn't have a particularly tight fit on reassembly so fitted a new one:


I obviously removed the block from the primary to get to this so whilst it was separated blew compressed air numerous times into all of the holes within both sides of the block and the side of the carb.

Putting it all back together and back on the engine, it's still dripping when switching the engine off, and again no affect when adjusting the idle screw

I think its running off the slots and perking fuel up to the boosters.

The new needle/seat are likely fine now.

The idle fuel orifice (2) sound still clogged. Get a fresh metering block, or try some ultrasonics with a surfactant and some pine sol.
Get it so the idle mix screws are effective, and I suspect the drips will go away.

backfoot100 wrote: Have you replaced a fuel pump at all prior to all this happening? Have you checked the fuel pressure into the carb?

Nope it has the pump that came with the boat when I bought it last year, looks old but is double diaphragm.
Not sure how you would go about checking fuel line pressure?

cphase wrote: How long has it been since this carb was rebuilt? Get a rebuild kit, a couple of cans of carb cleaner and rebuild it. The power valve should only have one gasket on it. These carbs are simple to rebuild/work on. If you are unsure of rebuilding it get this book, a couple of beers and you should be set. The book is a short but very good read.

I bought a Holley trick kit last year, fitted new gaskets, o-rings, powervalve, and accelerator pump diaphragm. I cleaned it all out with degreaser and also used compressed aerosol can to blow air through all the holes.

Thanks for heads up on the book shall check it out..

Nope where does the second one go? In the same groove where the o-ring shown in the picture is?
Or does the pump tube need removing? I couldn't work out how to remove it and didn't want to break it..
Thanks!!

gR@HaM wrote: GottaSki wrote: I think its running off the slots and perking fuel up to the boosters. Hi, not sure I understand but took a couple of videos of carb running shall post them tomorrow ...

Slots are transition slots. I had forgotten about those too. I researched it and came up with this. Couple a good pics and explanations: http://www.carcraft.com/howto/77958/

Video of carb running, and no affect when turning idle screw (same for starboard side)

[click on above pictures to open video ]

You can check your needle/seat by inverting the bowl, covering the fuel transfer tube hole(on the primary bowl this is the tube that allows fuel to get to the secondary bowl) and blow into the fuel inlet fitting. It should not let any air through. Do the same for the secondary bowl except blow into the fuel transfer tube opening. Make sense? What is the list number for the carb?