Help...Holley problem / Gas out vents...

[rpoz11]

Breaking in the motor and I have gas pouring up the vent tubes. Im not Holley literate and need assistance on resolving this issue... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[GTO_DON]

floats are stuck or set wrong... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif

[rpoz11]

We are working on setting the front and rear floats...however, we backed the set adjustment counterclockwise and are still experiencing too much fuel.... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif Can we back these up too far where we are defeating our goal?

[VintageMusclecar]

Assuming the fuel pressure is normal...

Sounds like the carb has some trash stuck in the needle & seats. If they're externally adjustable needle & seats (big screw & a 5/8" nut on the top of each float bowl), the fix is pretty easy. If they're internal, the carb will have to come apart.

With the engine off (obviously)---

External:

Put a shop rag around the needle & seat adjustment screw & nut on the top of the float bowl. Use a large screwdriver to break loose the lockscrew just slightly, then turn the screw & nut counter-clockwise to remove the assembly. You may have to use a 5/8" wrench, but it should thread out by hand.

Take a can of carb cleaner and give the needle & seat a good blast, paying attention to the little tip on the needle and its seat. Give it a good blast of compressed air afterwards to make sure the debris is cleared. Make sure the needle travels freely up & down. Look for any cuts or other damage on the tip of the needle. If you see any damage, it's time for a new needle & seat. Also look to see if the rubber "O"-ring is torn or damaged. If not, you can re-install it.

Place a light smear of grease on the rubber "0"-ring and reinstall it in the carb. Using just the adjuster nut, thread it down until there's maybe 2-3 threads on the needle & seat showing above the float bowl. If your original gaskets (1 under the nut and 1 under the screw) survived, you can re-use them.

Thread the lock screw back in place and hold the nut with a 5/8" wrench and tighten the screw securely. Don't get carried away, just snug it securely.

Repeat for the other float bowl.

(Before you do anything else, find out where the trash came from. Do you have an inline fuel filter?)

Start the engine, and if you still see gas spraying from the vent tubes, it's time for new needles & seats. If not, then you can re-set the float levels after the engine has finished break-in. Just make sure the engine does NOT go lean or overheat during break-in. (breaking in new engines is hard enough w/o having to deal with a finicky carb in the process http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

Once you can let the engine idle, remove the sight plug on the side of the float bowl. Again, wrap a shop rag around the needle & seat and with the engine idling, BARELY crack the lock screw loose. Use a 5/8" wrench to raise or lower the float level (clockwise lowers the float level, counter-clockwise raises it) until you just see fuel start to dribble from the bottom of the sight plug hole. (If the fuel level is high to begin with, you'll need to let the engine run for a few moments to run off some of the fuel in the bowl.) Once you see it dribble fuel, hold the ajduster nut securely and tighten the lock screw back down. Repeat for the other float bowl.

If the carb has internal needles & seats, the float bowls will have to come off to fix it. Let me know if this is the case and I'll try to walk you through it.

Eric http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[GTO_DON]

your probably going to have to pull the bowls to see which way to start with. then take out the side screws, start the car and adjust them till gas starts to trickle out. but be careful!! you dont want to start a fire! just the way i was shown how to do it years ago. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[rpoz11]

Here's what I have: 3310 780 model 4150. We have further tried(while running in and out of the house to catch up here) to adjust up and down that float but fuel still seems to flow out of the vent tubes... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[rpoz11]

oh, AND this carb has been gone through and rebuilt as well as recolored if that helps....This is just such a unexpected issue... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[VintageMusclecar]

Don't feel lonesome, it happens to all of us at one time or another. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif It really sounds like there's trash stuck in the needle & seats that's not letting them close.

Try cleaning them like I described above and see what happens. I'll check back in a bit to see how you're doing.

Eric http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[rpoz11]

Do you advise that I remove the bowls for this?? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[VintageMusclecar]

Shouldn't be necessary unless a LOT of trash has gotten into the float bowls...this could plug up a jet.

Just pull the needles & seats and clean them, then see what happens.

Eric

[68ys8030]

i agree...just pull the needles and seats and clean them. i'd bet a quarter that thay have trash in them. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
steve

[rpoz11]

OK...Here's where I am at; I just pulled the front and rear seats out...Front needle was free but did hang up a small bit-a quick shot of air and it freed up. Now...The rear needle was not moving-A good tell tale sign there. I gave it a small shot of carb cleaner then hit it with the air to dry it up...I shall await your next reply before continuing... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[VintageMusclecar]

If the needles & seats are sticking at all, I'd replace them. It doesn't take much to make one hang up and flood over. No sense taking unnecessary chances.

Did you see any debris in either of them?

What about the "o"-rings, how do they look?

Eric

[rpoz11]

It all looked rather OK, but, I think with your input, just for piece of mind, Ill change the O-rings with new ones....I got the vent to stop the Bleeding! MAN! This things got some HORSEPOWER! 400SBC, Trick Flow Aluminum Heads, 5.7 rods, 69 Z28 Intake and Pertronix ignition & a 700R4. I put a set of Thorley headers and a crossover on it...BTW, it's a 70 SS Nova, fyi. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[rpoz11]

I graciously need to personally THANK YOU for your Help! I think that was the problem all along. I got the Motor broke in and Ill adjust everything tomorrow! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[VintageMusclecar]

Glad to be of help

Eric http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Belair62]

I think Eric rebuilds and re-colors...

[Salvatore]

Vintage Muscle is always there to help! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

[VintageMusclecar]

Belair;

That's correct, I do rebuild and restore carbs.

sc69sam;

Thanks for the kind words http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

Eric

[PxTx]

I don't know if anyone ever took notice, but the needle valve can be a serious restriction if it is not installed with the "window" lined up to promote fuel flow. Anyone who has ever held a Holley needle vale in their hand should be able to tell what I am saying. Now that you have the problem fixed, you may want to make sure they are installed or indexted properly.

Paul T

[rpoz11]

I did one more adjustment on this with both the front and rear and got the front float adjusted but once again I have fuel dumping out the rear sight hole adjusted either way. I am at the pointe with Vintage that the needle adjuster is in need of being removed and replaced with a new unit. Seems to idle well but runs a bit rich even with the idle needles adjusted. I am going to have my local carb shop take a look at it...:-) http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Pantera]

Perhaps you are expecting to much out of it on the rear. Remamber the gas doesn't get into the motor till you rev the motor so that it is using the gas out of that end bowl.

The rears are more tricky to set. The gas will run out of the back bowl unless you rev it pretty hard on both barels and then let it set level and settle back down.

I was taught to get them to where nothing would splash out at Idle and then if you had it "just right" you could lean hard on the fender on the open side and it would splash out both holes f&B just a tad. Mine always ran well when set that way.

Good luck and give it one more try before you throw in the towel.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[VintageMusclecar]

As Pantera said, the rear float bowl may still be over-full of fuel from previously flooding. You can place a rag and a fuel-resistant container (an old spray paint cap works well) underneath one of the bottom rear float bowl screws and remove the screw to partially drain the bowl, then try to re-set the fuel level. If you do this, make sure the gasket under the screw doesn't tear when you remove it.

If you still can't get the fuel level to stay at the bottom of the sight plug hole, then it's either a bad needle & seat or a sticky float.

FWIW, the early 3310's were calibrated a bit fat from the factory, so that might account somewhat for the engine seeming rich. You won't know for sure until you get the back float to cooperate.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Holley carbs http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Some of `em cooperate and run perfect, while others can be a pain in the ( x ) to get right. Be patient and you'll get it sorted out.

HTH

Eric http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[rpoz11]

Last ad to this...I also had installed a reproduction gas tank; got it from a very reputible business. Anyways, come to find out, there is a frequent condition to these new tanks: They arent always FULLY cleared of all the manufacturing debris that coincides with the assembly process. I would like to further add that it is in the best interestes of anyone who does any gas tank removal, replacement or what have you, to FULLY clean the tank out prior to installation. I had to drain this brand new tank, to find out that there was still debris in it, small shavings! A disaster waiting to happen. Luckily I stopped where I was at at the time to clear everythng out, then replace each fuel delivery item in order, gas tank forward... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif